Demolition: Ceiling

When you buy an older home there is always going to be issues. Some of them you know before you even buy the home— like this one in the downstairs bathroom. Something obviously leaks from the bathroom upstairs but at least we know it has to be dealt with and as all those pipes will be replaced when that bathroom is gutted the problem will be fixed. In the interim, the ceiling needed to come down and I’m the woman for the job.

Even in the real estate photos they didn't try and hide the damaged tiles.

Up close and personal:

This would be my first foray into removing ceiling tiles and while we knew from our contractor that they were not asbestos-based the amount of fiber dust raised in their removal meant I'd need to wear a mask. Which means, you get the one and only selfie from this renovation:

Forget that this is hideous these masks are so uncomfortable. It's hard to breathe and they heat up, making my nose run. It's a whole lot of charming.

I don't know how ceiling tiles are generally attached but once again 1950s builders go the extra mile. These tiles were not only glued but were also nailed into pieces of sheetrock attached to the joists. First I had to remove the tiles and then then I had to remove the sheetrock which was also nailed in place. And when you pull the sheetrock down it comes with 60 years of dust. I know I should be thankful there wasn't anything worse than that but still, it's a lot of dust. On a fashion note, sheetrock dust makes a great dry shampoo and makes your hair look thicker.

 Nothing left now but joists, pipes, and vents.

Water damage. Looks old and all this sub-flooring is going anyway so no real worries.

Have you ever had to deal with water damage in your house?