Removing Drywall

John in AL


Is there an easy way to remove ¼” sheetrock from an original wall sheathed with T&G paneling?

I’ve got good news and bad news. The good news is that ¼” drywall is going to be easy to remove. The bad news is that you’ll have all kinds of nail or screw holes in that beautiful paneling. Before you get started, think about the big picture. Once you remove any drywall, you don’t want to spend another two hours cleaning up. You’re going to kick up a fair amount of dust, so make sure you close any cabinets, move any nearby furniture and cover it with plastic. Close off and/or tape any HVAC registers. I also like to install a new filter for the return air knowing that it’s going to be thrown out after I finish. You may even consider totally masking off your work area with plastic. This will keep your after-work-is-done clean up to a minimum.

Next, remove any electrical outlet and switch plate covers, followed by any moulding, such as baseboards, crown and window trim. Once this prep is complete, you’re ready to tackle the drywall. Unlike the TV shows that give a guy a sledge hammer and say, “Have fun,” you don’t want to pulverize anything. Your best tool is going to be a flat pry bar. Typically, you can find a seam that was covered by the trim work and very gently work the flat bar between the back of the drywall and the face of the paneling. If you can’t find a seam, you can create a gap using a sharp utility knife, but make sure you retract the blade so only a ¼” is showing! You don’t want to gouge the paneling underneath. Using leverage, you’ll be able to use the flat pry bar to pull the drywall away from the paneling in large pieces. Hopefully, whoever installed the rock didn’t use any glue on the back! Once all the drywall is removed, your next task is removing all the nails or screws. Use a sand-able wood putty to fill all the holes.