I'm planning to demolish my bathroom for a renovation, and not sure of the exact steps on demoing the tub and shower. Also worried about the shower since it's a large one piece. How I should go about that? Any tips or advice are appreciated. My house was built in the early 70s. I imagine I would need to cut the fiberglass one piece into pieces to get it out of the house.
How to properly demolish a tub and shower
bathroombathtubdemolitionrenovationshower
Best Answer
If the only tool you have is a hammer, beat on the tub & surround with the hammer until it cracks and breaks into manageable sized pieces. You may need the claw side of the hammer to help actually cut into the fiberglass. This will also help to release it from whatever backing is behind it (drywall, green board, cement board, plaster & lathe, whatever). Take the pieces out.
Of course, if your only tool is a hammer, you're going to have one heck of a job completing the renovation, so I'd suggest instead that you set your circular saw to about 1/2" cut depth and cut the tub & surround into manageable sized pieces. Once cut, you may need to use a pry bar to get the chunks off the wall (some of the backing wall will come with the fiberglass, some won't) and carry them out.
The 1/2" depth should more than go through the surround, but shouldn't go completely through whatever the wall backing material is. This will ensure you're not hitting wiring or plumbing behind the walls. You might consider a masonry type blade, depending on how your walls are constructed, as hitting cement board or even drywall screws/nails could easily destroy a regular wood blade. A cheap "demolition" blade (without carbide teeth) might be a good option.
In either case, wear a dust mask at a minimum - you don't want to breathe fiberglass dust - or choose a respirator rated for asbestos, since that was a common material in the 70s. You may want to have the walls tested for asbestos before you start, though. If you find that it's not there, you can breathe easier (literally) and have at. If you find it is there, you can take appropriate steps from there.