If you are adding a door, window or any other hole you will have to cut into a wall and be mindful of house renovation safety. Cutting into a wall can be dangerous for many reasons. These dangers include electrocution, gas or water leak, structure collapse or inhalation of insulation and building materials. When approached correctly cutting into a wall can avoid disaster by moving slow and being cautious.
Top Worksite Construction Accidents
| Construction worksite fatalities | Falls | Struck by object | Electrocution | Caught between equipment |
| Percentage of all reported | 36% | 10% | 9% | 2% |
How to stay safe during home renovation
Approach demolition and removing things slowly and cautiously. Be aware of the structure of the house and positions of water pipes, electric wires, gas pipes and other hazards. Keep house renovation safety in mind at all times on the job site. Wear a respirator, thick gloves, goggles and construction boots.
Is it safe to cut into a wall?
There are many dangers when cutting into a wall including injury and property destruction. If you are cognizant of house renovation safety then opening a wall should be no problem at all. Inside the wall may be electrical wires, gas or water pipes. For load bearing walls it can be dangerous to remove studs as the weight of the roof can collapse. Sometimes walls are full of infill or fiberglass insulation. This can be dangerous to inhale.
How do I find wires a wall?
The first step is to find out where the outlets and switches are that are nearby. If there is an outlet or switch it is most likely attached to a stud in the wall. Wires run vertically along studs. Check if there are any outlets or electrical panels on the other side of the wall. Knock on the wall to find the studs or use a stud finder.
House renovation safety tip: use a drill first
Cut a small hole in the wall with a drill. Move slowly. Once the hole is made I peeled the drywall off slowly and removed the insulation by hand. By removing by hand and feeling the inside of the wall you will avoid cutting into a wire.
How do I find water pipes in a wall?
You will find water pipes will be in proximity of bathrooms and kitchens. If you have ever heard water running in the wall likely there is water piping in the wall and hone renovation safety must be taken. Water pipes will typically be PEX or copper pipes and gas pipes will be a cast iron pipe. Inside the wall water pipes will run horizontally through wall studs. You can also look for gas meters or water meters on the other side of the wall if you are cutting into an outside wall.
How do I find gas pipes in a wall?
Gas will be found any where there is a heating unit in the house. Things like stoves, water heaters, and furnaces will require a line for gas. As mentioned above you can look for gas meters on the outside facing walls of the building.
How do I cut into the wall?
Knock on the wall and find the studs in the wall and cut a small hole with a drill. Slowly pull the drywall off and remove the insulation by hand. When the insulation is removed you can reach into the wall probing for any pipes. After clearing the wall for pipes you can use a hand knife or jigsaw to cut through the drywall quickly.
How do I reduce dust during demolition?
When opening up the wall the drywall being broken and the releasing of internal insulation will make things very dusty. House renovation safety needs to be considered to avoid injury. Make sure to wear a dust mask and cover eyes and skin from dust. I have found if you remove drywall slowly by hand or with a knife it doesn’t make too much dust.
Insulation removal
The biggest dust source will be removing the insulation. When insulation being removed is fiberglass batts it may be able to be pulled out of the wall in one piece with not too much dust. If the insulation is blow in insulation you can use a shop vac to suck the insulation out of the wall. Or remove the insulation by hand and put it into a bag with a helper holding a vacuum nearby to suck any dust out of the air.
Use a circular saw
It can get even more dusty if you are cutting through and outside wall with sheathing and siding being cut. I would recommend using a circular saw with a sharp blade to cut trough the sheathing and siding of the house if this is an external wall.
How do I know if its a load bearing wall?
If it is an exterior wall it is a load bearing wall for sure. Walls running parallel with the length of the house are load bearing as well. When there is a header above the wall it’s a load bearing wall. Typically walls that are not load bearing are partition walls to close off bedrooms and bathrooms. When in doubt just assumes it’s load bearing and proceed with that assumption.
The roof and second story of the house rests the weight of its downward pressure through the studs and into the foundation of the house. Obviously do not cut 2x4s out of a load bearing wall because this could impact the structural integrity of the house risking collapse.
How do I safely reframe a load bearing wall?
Every stud in a load bearing wall carries the downward pressure of the weight above it. That means for every stud that is removed a new stud must be added to the wall to compensate. I always replace any studs I am going to cut with another stud before I do any framing for the window or door being installed.
Window header and jack studs
This door and window framing will include a header and jack studs to span the gap of the installed window or door. In this way the wall will be stronger after the window and door because there will be the same amount of king studs as before but also the header and jack studs for support.
House renovation safety when cutting a wall
Before any studs can be removed a new stud must be cut to size and installed in the wall. To do this measure the stud bay height and cut a piece that is just slightly taller than the measured space. Then when installing it in the wall it will fit snuggly and may need to be hammered in to ensure it is holding weight of the top plate of the wall above it.
House renovation safety tip: don’t force things
Don’t overdo this, if it won’t budge when being hammered in place, the piece is too long and needs to be trimmed. A good to place this stud is next to existing studs that way it can be nailed into the existing stud to create more strength.
How do I frame a wall for a window or door header?
After adding a king stud to replace the stud that is being cut out, the header framing must be put in for the window or door. The header will be 4×6 lumber cut to size. 4×6 lumber will work for most spans for one single window or door. For multi window or wider doors a thicker version of header may be necessary.
How do I cut the Stud?
Cut the stud that is in the way and pull it out of the wall. Take the new window header and place it in the gap pushing up against the top plate of the wall and nailing it into place into the king studs. Then take the jack studs and place them under the header and shimmy and hammer them into place in the wall cavity.
You will do the same process as described above where you cut the jack stud just slightly above the measured space and hammer it into place to make sure it is bearing weight of the header above it.
How do I frame around a window?
After the load bearing parts of the window header are installed the edges of the window need to be installed in a way so nailing holes of the window flange must layover them. Determine how high you want the window to be in opening. Cut cripple pieces to hold up a rough window sill for the window to lay on.
Cripples
The cripples will run vertically and the window sill will run horizontal. Measure and cut cripples for the support piece for the top of the window. The top and bottom sill should line up perfectly so the nailing flange overlaps it. Finish off by putting nails through each nail in the nailing flange to attach it to the wall.
Conclusion: House renovation safety made easy
Cutting into a wall has its dangers but when house renovation safety is considered, it can be done safely!
More resources: https://home.howstuffworks.com/home-improvement/home-diy/projects/10-diy-safety-tips.htm