Andrew Arena

5 Common Mistakes When Laying Laminate Flooring and How to Avoid Them

By Andrew Arena

You have decided to use laminate flooring on your basement remodel, but you’re a planner, a type A personality. Before you begin, you want to know all the common mistakes when laying laminate flooring. Hey, that’s just being proactive; that’s working smart.

Well, lucky for you, here at homereference.net, we have put together a comprehensive list of common mistakes when laying laminate flooring. So sit back, relax, and enjoy; this one’s for you.

Table of Contents

Lack of Subfloor Preparation
Do You Need an Underlayment?
Not Removing Trim Before Laying Flooring
Incorrect Gaps
Identifiable, Repeating Patterns

common mistakes when laying laminate flooring

Lack of Subfloor Preparation

High and Low Areas in Your Subfloor

Even though most laminate floors are floating floors, most manufacturers require less than a 3/16″ variance in floor height over a 10′ radius for proper laminate floor installation. In other words, no big humps or dips in your subfloor. One of the most common mistakes when laying laminate flooring is disregarding this requirement. Why does this matter? A prominent hump in your floor could cause your planks to unlock from each other over time. A significant dip or low spot in your subfloor will result in your floor squishing down when you step on it. Floors aren’t supposed to squish.

Remove high spots on a plywood subfloor with an orbital sander or planer.
Remove high areas on a concrete floor with a grinder and diamond grinding wheel.
Fill low points on concrete and plywood subfloors with floor leveling compound.

Raised Nail and Screw Heads

You want your subsurface to be as smooth and flat as possible. Raised screw and nail heads can make locking planks together tricky, can cause joint failure over time, and can lead to flooring eventually breaking. The raised fastener acts as a high spot in the subsurface. It can cause the lower areas immediately surrounding it to feel squishy when walking. Come on, that’s no good.

Always thoroughly inspect the subfloor for raised fastener heads.
Hammer or drill everything flat before installing flooring.

Dirty, Dusty Floor

You want to avoid laying your lovely new laminate flooring on top of a layer of dirt and dust. Larger debris under the floor will create a high spot in your subflooring. A layer of general dirt and dust can cause walking across your floor to sound crunchy. The dirt and debris will crunch and crackle underneath your new flooring as you walk on it. You don’t want your floor to be loud; you want it to be quiet.

Give your subfloor a good vacuuming before laying your laminate flooring.
Lightly mop your floor before laying your flooring for extra peace of mind. Let it dry out before you lay the floor, though.

Do You Need an Underlayment?

Not all laminate flooring is created equal; some require you to install a separate underlayment before you lay down the flooring. Some laminate floors have a waterproof membrane integrated into the bottom of the planks themselves. Being aware of which type of floor you are looking at when shopping and researching your flooring options is essential.

Always check to see if the flooring option you are looking at has an integrated moisture barrier or if it requires an additional underlayment.
Failing to install a moisture barrier underneath laminate flooring that requires it will void the warranty and likely cause the lifespan of the flooring to be significantly shortened.

Laminate flooring with integrated moisture barrier.

Not Removing Trim Before Laying Flooring

The purpose of baseboard is to cover the intersection of the floor and wall. If you leave your baseboard on when laying your flooring, you still need to leave a gap between it and your flooring. This gap needs to be covered, so you will need to put another trim piece on top of your existing baseboard. This process becomes an impossible task if you have profiled door trim. If possible, always remove all of your trim before laying your flooring. Besides, if you ever decide to replace your trim, you won’t need to also replace the flooring with it.

Remove your baseboard and door trim before laying your flooring; this is the correct process and much more manageable.

Incorrect Gaps

Expansion Gaps

When installing flooring of any kind, you must leave space between your flooring and the wall. This space is left so that your walls have room to expand. Wood is a natural, porous material and therefore is subject to expansion and contraction with changes in temperature and humidity.

A common mistake when laying laminate flooring is to install your planks tight to the wall. As the wall expands, it will push the flooring and “pucker” it or cause it to lift. In tile floors, this will crack grout lines. With laminate flooring, this will cause the flooring to lift or bubble; this causes high spots and can cause joints to unlock and fail.

Fortunately, this is easily avoidable by just leaving a small gap between your flooring and the wall. A good rule of thumb is to cut your flooring to be about ¼” away from the wall.

Cut your flooring, so there is about a ¼” gap between the flooring and the wall.

Trim Coverage

Another common mistake when laying laminate flooring is to leave too big of a gap between the wall and your flooring. For example, If your baseboard is ¾” thick and you leave 1″ between the wall and your flooring, you will end up with a horrific ¼” gap between your flooring and trim. Don’t do that to yourself.

Make sure the maximum gap between the wall and your flooring is less than the thickness of your trim.

Identifiable, Repeating Patterns

One of the most common mistakes when laying laminate flooring is laying your starter pieces in a repeating pattern. You don’t want your eye to be drawn to anything in particular on the floor; you want it to blend together. The human eye is drawn to patterns. Although it is much easier to stagger your flooring by adding or subtracting 3″ to your starter on each new row, the pattern will immediately draw your eye to it.

Keep your starting lengths random for each new row of flooring. You want to avoid any identifiable patterns.

Nice! Now You Won’t Need to Worry About Those Common Mistakes When Laying Laminate Flooring

Phew! That was a lot to take in! But look at you now; you’re almost glowing with confidence! Knowledge really is power, huh? Now, take everything you’ve learned and tackle that flooring. You can do this!

How to Tighten a Kitchen Faucet- 3 Easy Steps

By Andrew Arena

You need to know how to tighten a kitchen faucet. Why? Your kitchen has handcrafted custom cabinets, a beautiful farmhouse sink, and top-of-the-line appliances. The most renowned french chefs could only imagine cooking in a space like this. Last week, however, you noticed something awry; the kitchen faucet was loose. Every time you went for a glass of water, the serene elegance of your kitchen was shattered by a janky, wobbly faucet.

Luckily, you can remedy this situation in just a few simple steps with a few basic tools. Read on to find out how!

Tools Required

Wrench

Depending on which kind of nut you find under your kitchen faucet, you may not even need a wrench, but probably best to have it on standby just in case. You can use an adjustable wrench or channel locks if you don’t have the correct size wrench for the job.

Step 1- Clear Out the Sink Cabinet

You’ll have to get under the sink in a very intimate way, so clean everything from under the sink. If it’s gross down there, you should also give it a quick wipe down; you’ll be lying down in there.

how to tighten a kitchen faucet — Oh boy, that’s a mess.

Step 2- Locate the Faucet Nut

Wiggle yourself under the sink and turn so that you are looking up. Looking to the back of the cabinet, you will notice your water lines running up towards the faucet.

If your sink has two handles with a faucet in the middle, your faucet nuts will be underneath the handles with the water lines running up through them.
If your sink has a faucet with an integrated handle, your faucet nut will be directly underneath, with the water lines running up through it.

Step 3- Tighten the Faucet Nut

This may seem easy, but it is a bit of a pain. The space between the sink basin and the back of the cabinet is pretty tight, and those darn nuts live right in that space. Take a couple of deep breaths before starting; you can do it.

There are two types of faucet nuts that you will find underneath your cabinet; winged nuts that you can tighten with your hand and standard nuts that you need to tighten with a wrench.

Winged Nuts
- These are often made out of nylon or some other type of plastic. As the name implies, you will notice a sort of flange or wings on the nut. If this is what you see, reach up with your hand and tighten as much as required to tighten up the faucet.
Standard Nuts
- These will be made out of zinc, stainless steel, or some other type of metal. You can reach up and tighten it as much as you can by hand, but you’ll probably need to finish it off with a wrench. This is a pretty tight space for a wrench, so get ready for some frustration. Hang in there, though; you’ll be done soon.
- You don’t want to overtighten this nut; you could crack your sink. Only tighten it enough to stabilize your kitchen faucet.

Congratulations, You Know How to Tighten a Kitchen Faucet!

That wasn’t too bad, was it? And to think, you almost called a plumber for that. It’s pretty uncomfortable under that cabinet, and those darn nuts are in a rather inconvenient space. Still, it’s a pretty simple job. Now you know how to tighten a kitchen faucet, peace and order in your kitchen have been restored.

How to Stagger Vinyl Plank Flooring- 2 Easy Tricks

By Andrew Arena

Why have you decided to look up how to stagger vinyl plank flooring? Well, you had just laid the first row of flooring in your basement remodel. “Piece of cake,” you thought to yourself as you admired your work.

You had your favorite old college sweatshirt on. The sweet melody of a Grateful Dead song drifted from the radio as you blissfully installed your second row of flooring. You had just laid the final piece and stood up to admire your work. Then, your wife asked, “Are all the seams supposed to be lined up like that?” You looked down. That could be a problem, you thought to yourself. The seams were not supposed to be aligned like that, which is how you found yourself here.

Luckily, we wrote this easy guide on how to stagger vinyl plank flooring just for you, so you can get back to your project and finish that floor confidently!

Why Do You Need to Stagger Vinyl Plank Flooring?

There are two main reasons that vinyl plank flooring needs to be staggered;

For a more natural and visually appealing look.
- Real hardwood floors have staggered seams; replicating this gives a more natural look.
- Your eye is drawn to patterns and things that are aligned. Randomly staggering your seams will help your flooring blend into the background.
For a structurally superior installation.
- As your subfloor moves over time, it can cause seams in the flooring to pop. By staggering your seams, you help lock your flooring in place, reducing the chances of movement. Although vinyl plank flooring is a floating floor, these same principles apply.

An example of staggering hardwood flooring.

How to Stagger Vinyl Plank Flooring- 2 Simple Keys To Success

Cut Your Starting Piece 2” Longer or Shorter Than Your Previous Two Starters
- The key to staggering your vinyl plank flooring is all in your first piece. Cut your starter, so it is at least 2” longer or shorter than your previous two starting pieces. From there, just run your flooring normally.
- Example: You are about to run your first row of flooring. You decide to start with a piece that is 10” long.
  1. On your second row, you start with a piece that is 7” long.
  2. On your third row, you start with a piece that is 3” long.
  3. On your fourth row, you start with a piece that is 12” long.

Randomize Your Starter Lengths
- It can be easy to fall into the trap of simply subtracting 2” from your previous starter for every course. While this would be much easier, it will create a noticeable pattern in your flooring. It is essential to keep things as random as possible. Get creative in choosing starter lengths; let the flooring gods guide you.

Wow! That’s Easy!

Look at that! You learned how to stagger vinyl plank flooring with a quick Google search and just a few minutes! Just remember; Keep your starter at least 2” longer or shorter than the previous two starters, and randomize your starter lengths. Armed with that knowledge, you’ll have this project done in no time! And it’s a good thing, too, because tomorrow is supposed to be seventy and sunny. You don’t want to be stuck in your basement all day; you want to be out on the golf course or lounging in your hammock. So get that floor done, get out of the basement, and back into the world. You can do this!

How to Cut Ceiling Tiles- 3 Easy Steps

By Andrew Arena

You need to know how to cut ceiling tiles. Why? Because you love your house. Your bedroom is cozy, your bathroom is elegant, and you have a marvelous kitchen. There is one problem, though; the basement. It’s gross. After months of deliberation, you finally decided to turn that dingy old dungeon into an entertainment room. How exciting! Unfortunately, all of the plumbing was running below the floor joists above. No problem, you thought, a drop ceiling would be the perfect solution for this situation. As you considered this process, a shocking realization occurred; you don’t know how to cut ceiling tiles! No need to fear; our easy step-by-step guide will have you cutting ceiling tiles in no time.

How to Cut Ceiling Tiles- A Step-by-Step Guide

Step 1- Measure

Your ceiling tiles sit on top of the metal framework of your drop ceiling. To account for this, measure the opening in the framing. Add 1″ to the measurement. This will ensure that your ceiling tiles overlap the opening by ½”, allowing them to rest securely on top of the metal framework.
Always measure both ends of your space. This way, you can confirm whether or not your opening is consistent or tapered.

how to cut ceiling tiles- measure this — Measure

Step 2- Mark

Transfer the measurements you found in step one to your ceiling tile using your tape measure and a pencil or marker.
Using a straight edge, draw a line along where you need to make your cut.

how to cut ceiling tiles- mark — Marking my measurement.

how to cut ceiling tiles- straight edge — Drawing a straight line connecting my measurements using a straight edge.

how to cut ceiling tiles- draw a line — My nice, straight line.

Step 3- Cut

Place your ceiling tile on a piece of plywood, a workbench, or another surface you don’t mind cutting.
Cut gently along the line you drew in step two with a sharp razor knife. Only penetrate ¼”-½” of the blade into the tile as you cut.
Make a second cut following the same line; this time, penetrate the full depth of the blade into the tile.
Break any remaining connecting between the ceiling tile and the portion you cut off.

how to cut ceiling tiles- cut — Cutting the line.

how to cut ceiling tiles- you did it! — The Finished Cut!

Congratulations, you have cut your ceiling tile!

Additional Tips For Cutting Ceiling Tiles

Use a new razor blade for each cut.
- A fresh, sharp knife will help keep your cut line straight and clean.
Use a wallboard saw for cutting circles or notches out of your ceiling tile.

Good Work! Now You Know How to Cut Ceiling Tiles!

See? Cutting those ceiling tiles was a piece of cake; we knew you could do it the whole time. And now look at that basement, what a beauty! Your friends are going to be so jealous. You invited them all over to watch the big game next weekend. Your biggest problem now will be getting them to leave!

How to Transition Between Two Different Wood Floors- 3 Easy Methods

By Andrew Arena

You finally started tackling that kitchen remodel—new Cabinets, new paint, and, best of all, new hardwood flooring. You couldn’t bear another morning staring at that linoleum floor while eating your cheerios. You are about to lay the final piece of flooring leading into the living room. Suddenly, a shock of terror runs down your spine; the living room has an entirely different hardwood flooring. You don’t know how to transition between two different wood floors! Was this all for nothing? Do you need to rip everything up and start over? Relax; we have your back. Here are three easy ways to transition between two different wood floors.

Table of Contents

T-Molding
Seam Binder
Custom Transition Strip
Additional Tips

how to transition between two different hardwood floors — Photo By FWStudio

How to Transition Between Two Different Wood Floors With T-Molding

T-molding is a great transition option for two floors roughly the same height. The “T” in t-molding refers to the fact that if you view it from the side, it is shaped like the letter T. The T’s vertical section sits between the two flooring sections, while the horizontal section rests on top.

If you plan on using this transition style, you need a gap between the two floors slightly larger than the width of the vertical section. By making this gap marginally larger, you allow yourself to have some wiggle room to line the molding up nicely. If you know that you want to use T-molding ahead of time, leave a gap when laying your flooring. Suppose you have already laid your flooring tight to the other flooring. In that case, you can cut your gap with an oscillating saw, but it may be better to use our following transition style.

How to Transition Between Two Different Wood Floors With a Seam Binder

A seam binder is similar to T-molding except that it does not have a section that sits between the two areas of flooring. A seam binder is a flat piece of trim with tapered edges that sits on top of the two sections of flooring.

When considering how to transition between two different wood floors, a seam binder is ideal when the two sections of the floor are the same height with little to no gap in between. Some seam binders come with pre-drilled holes for screws. You can also use small finish nails to attach your seam binder to the flooring.

Unlike T-molding, which is structurally pretty strong due to its shape, seam binders are a bit fragile by comparison. Because of how thin they are, you shouldn’t use seam binders to transition floors of different heights; they will be susceptible to breaking. Plus, it won’t look great. So how do you transition between two floors of different sizes? That is where our third style of transition strip comes in.

How to Transition Between Two Different Wood Floors With a Custom Transition Strip

Look, I’m not going to lie to you; when considering how to transition between two different wood floors making custom trim is the most complicated option. But the reality is, when you transition between two floors of different heights, your choices become slightly limited. You can try to use one of our options listed above, but usually, that will result in a weird gap on one side. Your trim piece will also look odd because it won’t lie flat; it will be at an angle.

Here are some tips when making a custom transition strip;

You want your transition strip to be sitting flat.
A table saw is the best tool to use for this project.
Taper the top down to the edges, so your transition strip is not a kicking hazard.
Make your piece, so it sits firmly on both sides of the flooring.

A Few Additional Tips

If your floors are two different colors, match the transition strip to one of them. Make it a completely different color if you cannot get a perfect match. If you’re going to miss, miss big.
As with all hardwood flooring projects, before you start shooting nails and driving screws, check to ensure that you won’t be puncturing any radiant floor heat.
If you buy an unfinished transition strip, it is a good idea to finish it. Polyurethane will help extend the life of the wood, make it easier to clean, and prevent splinters.

How to Transition Between Two Different Wood Floors- In Conclusion

Once you know the products available, figuring out how to transition between two different wood floors is easy. You may have to get creative if your floors are significantly different heights. Don’t get intimidated; consider this your chance to channel your inner woodworker. Now get out there and finish that project; you can do this!

How to Demo a Bathroom 101- A Complete and Easy Guide

By Andrew Arena

So you bought your first house. It has a great backyard, a fabulous kitchen and was within your price range. It checks all the boxes. Well, except for one; the bathroom. A smoker’s yellow fiberglass shower stall is accented by a turquoise vanity, moldy ceiling, and purple linoleum floor. Yikes. You said that this would be a project you would take on yourself, and now it’s time to put your money where your mouth is. So first things first, let’s learn how to demo a bathroom!

how to demo a bathroom — Photo by Tima Miroshnichenko

Table of Contents

Remove Sticky Outy Things
How to Remove a Toilet
How to Remove Bathroom Vanity and Medicine Cabinet
How to Remove Bathroom Lights
How to Remove Outlets and Switches
Remove the Shower
How to Remove a Fiberglass Shower Stall
How to Demo a Tile Shower
How to Remove the Trim
How to Remove the Fan
Step 2- Demo the Drywall
Step 3- Demo the Floor

How to Demo a Bathroom- Considerations Before Beginning

Before you can figure out how to demo a bathroom in your house, you have to determine how much of a remodel you want to do. Is the shower fine, but the vanity and floor are repulsive? Perhaps you just need some updated fixtures and a new coat of paint. Maybe you need to get out the Sawzall and gut that thing like a fish. Having clear, defined objectives will help keep you from damaging things you might want to keep and help you stay under budget.

For the sake of this article, we will assume that we are demoing the bathroom down to the studs. Everything must go.

Step 1- Remove Sticky Outy Things

“Sticky outy things” refer to anything that sticks out from the flat plane of the wall, ceiling, or floor. For example, the toilet sticks out from the floor, the vanity sticks out from the wall, and the fan sticks out from the ceiling. Removing these items gives you free rein to tear out the drywall and the flooring.

How to Remove a Toilet

Removing a toilet can feel like a daunting task, but in reality, it’s a job almost anyone can do.

Clean the Toilet
1. You are going to get up close and personal with your toilet. You will be grateful that you took the time to give your toilet a good cleaning before starting.
Turn Off the Water to Your Toilet
1. There is a shut-off valve next to your toilet. Turn it to the right until it is closed.
Get All the Water Out of the Toilet
1. Take the top of the toilet tank off.
2. Flush the toilet until the tank is as empty as it will get.
3. Using a sponge, soak up the remaining water in the tank. Empty the sponge into the sink, shower, or bucket.
4. Using a sponge, soak up the remaining water in the bowl. Empty the sponge into the sink, shower, or bucket.
Disconnect the water line to the toilet.
1. Unscrew the waterline from where it attaches to the toilet tank.
Unscrew the Toilet From the Floor.
1. Unscrew the bolts at the base of the toilet.
Remove the Toilet.
1. Place an open contractor-grade trash bag in the shower. With a partner, lift the toilet and place it into the trash bag. There is still a little bit of water left inside the toilet. Having the toilet’s base inside the trash bag prevents water from spilling as you move the toilet out of the bathroom.
2. Move the toilet out of the bathroom.
Remove the Wax Ring.
1. There will be a wax ring with the two bolts that secure the toilet to the floor around the drain. Remove this; it is a sticky mess. You will need a new wax ring whether you plan on buying a new toilet or installing the old one.
Cover the Drain.
1. Sewer gas can come up out of an open drain. Sewer gas smells terrible and can be potentially dangerous. To prevent this, stuff a handful of paper towels into the top of the drain. Do not stuff anything down into the drain where you will not be able to pull it out!

How to Remove Bathroom Vanity and Medicine Cabinet

Removing your bathroom vanity is the same process as removing base cabinets in your kitchen. Removing your medicine cabinet uses the same process as kitchen wall cabinets. Click here for our comprehensive guide on how to remove kitchen cabinets.

How to Remove Bathroom Lights

Most bathrooms have two lights you need to remove before you can demo drywall; vanity lights (the lights on the wall above the sink) and overhead lights. Both types of lights are essentially removed in the same fashion. Electrical work can be one of the most intimidating parts of learning how to demo a bathroom. You can do electrical work safely and efficiently by taking precautions to avoid electrical mishaps.

Special Tools Required
- Voltage tester pen.
- Wire nuts.
- Electrical tape.

Turn off the power to the bathroom lights at the electrical panel.
Check if the power is off by flipping the light switch on and off. If the lights don’t turn on, you have successfully killed power to the fixture.
Most light fixtures are attached with an ornamental nut, unscrew these and be prepared for the fixture to come off.
Before separating the wires, touch your voltage tester pen to the black and white wires. This is a final check to make sure you will not be electrocuted while touching the wires.
Separate your fixture’s wires from the wires inside the wall.
Twist wire nuts onto the black and white wires coming out of the wall and wrap them in electrical tape. Push the wires back inside the box from which they are protruding.
You may turn the power back on at the electrical panel if desired.

How to Remove Outlets and Switches

You cannot remove the drywall in your bathroom without removing the outlets and switches first. No need to worry; you can safely remove the outlets and switches by using the same amount of precaution and care you used to remove the light fixtures.

Special Tools Required
- Voltage tester pen.
- Wire nuts.
- Electrical tape.

Go to the electrical panel and turn off the power to the bathroom.
Remove the face plates for all the outlets and switches in the room.
To ensure that none of the outlets and switches are live, turn on your voltage tester pen and touch it to every black and white wire.
If there is no power, disconnect the wires to the outlets and switches.
Twist wire nuts onto all white and black wires and wrap them in electrical tape.
Push the wires back into the boxes from which they are protruding.
Turn the power back on at the electrical panel if desired.

Remove the Shower

When discussing how to demo a bathroom, removing the shower is often a large part of the process. You will encounter two main types of showers in a bathroom; fiberglass stall and custom tile. Neither is extraordinarily complex to demo, but they both require some serious elbow grease.

How to Remove a Fiberglass Shower Stall

Remove the Shower Head.
1. Rotate counterclockwise until removed.
Remove the Shower Valve Handle and Trim.
1. This step is typically as easy as removing the screws from the handle and face plate and sliding them off.
Remove the Tub Spout.
1. There are two types of tub spouts; threaded and slip-on.
  1. A slip-on tub spout has a set screw on the bottom of the faucet. Remove the set screw and slide the tub spout off.
  2. A threaded tub spout has no set screw. Rotate the spout counterclockwise to unscrew it.
Remove the Shower Drain.
1. Remove the drain stopper (find a step-by-step guide in our article here).
2. Rotate the drain body counterclockwise to unscrew it from the shower. The drain body can sometimes be tough to unscrew; try using a good pair of channel locks or use a drain wrench.
Remove the Tub Overflow. There are a variety of styles of tub overflow; they can usually all be unscrewed or just slipped off.
Remove the Shower Stall
1. The shower stall is attached via a nailing flange that runs along the edge of the shower. Expose this flange by cutting out a 6″ strip of drywall around the shower. Be very careful when cutting underneath the shower head; your water line comes straight from the shower valve to the shower head.
2. Remove the nails or screws from the flange.
3. Cut your shower stall into four separate pieces; three wall pieces and the floor. Cut a 6″ square around the shower drain. A reciprocating and oscillating saw are the best tools for this process. During this step, wearing a mask or respirator, eye protection, and gloves is essential. Be careful not to cut through any of your plumbing during this step!
4. Remove each piece, leaving the drain with the square around it.

How to Demo a Tile Shower

Remove the Shower Head.
1. Rotate counterclockwise until removed.
Remove the Shower Valve Handle and Trim.
1. This step is typically as easy as removing the screws from the handle and face plate and sliding them off.
Cover the drain with paint tape; you don’t want to get debris in there.
Remove the tiles with a hammer, cold chisel, pry bar, etc. Definitely a good idea to wear eye protection and gloves during this step. You will remove the concrete board behind the tile when you demo the drywall.
If your shower has a tile floor, you will find a concrete shower pan underneath the tile. Demo this with a roto hammer or brute force. You will also find a rubber liner inside the concrete. Cut, rip, and destroy that liner as you see fit. You want to get down to bare plywood floor.

How to Remove the Trim

Remove the window, door, and base trim from the walls using a hammer and prybar. Try to pry against studs; this will provide better leverage.

How to Remove the Fan

For most bathroom fans, you should be able to pull the outer housing down and out of the ceiling. This will leave the rest of the fan unit inside the ceiling but should not prevent you from removing the drywall.

Step 2- Demo the Drywall

Removing the drywall is arguably the most satisfying part of learning how to demo a bathroom.

Start with the walls. In an area you feel confident contains minimal plumbing or wires, create a fist-sized hole with your hammer.
Grab the hole and try to pull and rip the drywall. It may take a few tries, but eventually, the drywall will start coming off in sheets or at least large chunks.
Repeat this process for the ceiling, but be careful; those sheets will fall, and they can be pretty destructive when they do.
Go through the room and remove all screws and nails from the studs and ceiling joists.

Step 3- Demo the Floor

There are several common types of flooring found in a bathroom; the demo method for all of them requires brute force.

Tile Floor

Just go to work with your hammer, chisel, roto-hammer, prybar, or whatever other tools you have for the job. Put on your eye protection and smash away.

Laminate Floor

Laminate floors are “floating floors” and are not actually attached to anything. All you need to do is lift the planks and remove them.

Hardwood Floor

Hammer your pry bar underneath a plank and pry it up. Continue this method until all of the planks are removed.

Sheet Vinyl

Sheet vinyl is glued down to the subfloor, and if your new flooring allows it, it is probably better to leave it.

How to Demo a Bathroom- In Conclusion

How to demo a bathroom is a very broad question. Use this guide as a reference for your order of operations and a general understanding of how things are done. Your bathroom will inevitably have a handful of quirky little problems you will need to figure out how to solve. Don’t be intimidated by the project; break it down into smaller pieces and accomplish one thing at a time. You can do this!