The main floor was original plaster and lath over knob-and-tube — no way to update wiring, insulation, or layout without taking it down. I pulled permits, masked off the staircase to protect the original newel post and rail, and we went room by room with respirators and tarps. Plaster came off the walls and ceilings, lath got bundled, debris bagged. Once it was open I could see the framing, plan the new electrical and HVAC runs, and figure out what walls were coming out.
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During Cabinets out, wires capped, floor pulled — first room down to bones.
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During Plaster coming off in chunks, lath strips behind it. This is the slow, dusty part.
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During Helper swinging a hammer through plaster. Hood and respirator are non-negotiable on this kind of work.
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During Ceiling joists exposed once the lath came down. Bagging debris as we go to keep the dust contained.
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During Arched living room stripped to lath. The arches stayed — I framed around them later.
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During Walls and ceiling stripped, debris pile growing. We'd haul out a load every couple of days.
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During Ceiling lath fully exposed. You can see the original sawn boards underneath.
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During Helper in a respirator bagging plaster on tarps. Plaster is heavy — the bags fill up fast.
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During Whole archway opened up. The original framing was solid, just buried under a hundred years of plaster.
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During Staircase masked and protected while we tore out everything around it.
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During Working a section of plaster off the wall by hand. Slower than a sledge but easier on the studs.
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During Whole floor stripped — old wiring dangling everywhere. All of that came out.
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During Multiple rooms opened to lath at once. Easier to work them in parallel than one at a time.
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During Helper raking debris onto tarps for bagging. Mask and goggles, every shift.
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During Main floor down to studs with the staircase still wrapped and protected.
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During Old knob-and-tube and ungrounded romex visible once the plaster came off. All of it got pulled.
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During Staging area for haul-out — rolled carpet, trim, drywall, all bagged or bundled.
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During Ceiling plaster off, walls coming next. Easier to work top-down so debris falls clear.
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During Ceiling lath exposed in the living room with drop cloths down to protect the floor I planned to refinish.
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During Plaster off the ceiling, lath still up. Pulled the lath next so I could run new wiring through clean joists.
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During Vaulted ceiling stripped down to original lath. The shape was worth keeping — I drywalled to it.
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During Old fiberglass batts behind the drywall on an exterior wall. All replaced with new.
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During Archway stripped to lath. Marked the framing so the new drywall would land on the same plane.
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During Another room mid-demo with plaster piled across the floor.
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During My son hauling out a roll of carpet pad. Everyone old enough to lift had a job on this one.
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During Floor opened up showing original framing and the arched openings I planned to keep.
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During The fridge stayed plugged in on a temp circuit while we gutted around it. Made the whole job livable.
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During Stripping walls to studs right next to the working kitchen. Plastic curtain kept the dust out.
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During Closet stripped down. Pull-chain fixture was original — that came out with the rest of the wiring.
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During More plaster off, more lath exposed. Same routine in every room.
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During Walls stripped, bathroom door open, new cabinet stage-built in the nook. Demo and rebuild were running side-by-side.
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During Tools and a new base cabinet staged on the refinished oak floor while finish work started.
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During Living room with lath piled in the middle of the floor. Fireplace and radiator stayed put.
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During Original staircase and newel post protected through the gut. That was the one piece I wouldn't touch.
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During Whole floor open — studs and joists visible, old wiring still hanging until the electrician pulled it.
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During Looking back toward the stairs after demo. The new layout started taking shape from here.
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During Ridge beam and rafters exposed where I opened up a vaulted area. Wanted eyes on every framing connection before I closed it back up.
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During Diagonal plank subfloor showing through after ceiling drywall came down. Old construction, but tight.
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During Lath and lumber piled up after a full day of demo. Bagged it the next morning.
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During Walls down, floor swept, ready for the next pass of cleanup.
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During Looking through to the basement stairs. Whole house was open at this point.
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During Brick chimney exposed once the plaster came off. Repointed it before drywall closed it back in.
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During First floor stripped to subfloor with the kitchen still in service in the back.
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During Staircase wrapped and protected mid-gut. That handrail is staying.
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During Wide shot of the gut — kitchen and stairs anchored in place, everything else opened up.
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During Studs, wiring, and bare slab. Clean canvas for the new layout.
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During Two of us on ladders pulling ceiling lath and old insulation. Coveralls and respirators.
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During Living room walls foamed and ready for inspection before drywall.
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During Two helpers pulling lath and insulation off ceilings. This is the dustiest day of any gut.
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During Measuring a door rough opening against the new framing. Tolerances tighten up fast at this stage.
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During New stair, fresh drywall, miter saw set up in the middle of the floor for trim work.
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During Saw station and ladder in the open floor — trim and casing work coming together.
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