How to Remove Drywall From Studs

Preparation

• 1

  Place a drop cloth on the floor in the area where you will be working. When tearing out drywall, many small pieces will break off. You will be able to fold these pieces up into the drop cloth and dispose of them easily once the job is done. Also, the cloth will protect the floor against any larger chunks that fall off the wall.

• 2

  Secure a plastic sheet over any open doorways leading out of the room using masking tape. This will prevent egress of the dust that's stirred up during the drywall removal process.

• 3

  Put on your goggles, dust mask and work gloves. Turn off the electricity at the circuit breakers for any outlets in the wall on which you are working

• 4

  Remove any wood trim on the wall or around any doorways on the wall. Insert a pry bar behind the trim and pry it gently away from the wall, being careful not to pull too fast, which can cause the trim to snap in half. Work your way from one end of the wall to the other until all of the trim is removed.

Removing the Drywall

• 5

  Locate a stud on the wall where you will be removing the drywall by running a studfinder along the wall. Mark the location of the stud with a pencil.

• 6

  Punch a hole in the wall approximately one foot to the left or right of the stud location using a hammer. Be careful not to be too aggressive with the hammer in case there is plumbing or electrical wiring behind the drywall. Hit the hammer gently on the wall until you have a hole large enough for your hand to fit through.

• 7

  Pull the drywall away from the wall using either your hands or a prybar. Depending on the thickness of the drywall, you may find that you can remove larger chunks by pulling it away with your hands, especially if you have a partner who can work on the same piece of drywall. Pulling or prying with gentle pressure will help remove it from the stud in bigger pieces.

• 8

  Work your way from one end of the wall to the other until all the major pieces of drywall are removed. If smaller pieces of drywall remain on the stud, use the end of the hammer to pry them off.

• 9

  Remove any drywall nails or screws that are sticking to the studs. Use a hammer for the nails or a cordless drill for the screws, working your way from top to bottom on each stud to make sure you don't miss any. Once you are done removing the nails or screws, run the hammer along each stud to verify that all of them have been removed.