Some women host product parties, but me, I host demolition parties. Well last night was my first one, but I’m sure there will be many more. It was a Demo + Wine Party. Friday night was a planned demolition — the plan was to take out the excessive brick next to my fireplace. Of course we demolished a little more than that, but it’s all good. 
I must have been so excited for the demo party that I spent my entire day demolishing my house. Well except for the 3 hours I spent at the playground with my kids, but mostly all day. My morning went like this…. As I was driving my daughter to kindergarten at 8:50am I noticed huge amounts of garbage in front of several houses. Damn it! How did I not know it was bulk trash day?! I had been meaning to replace the carpet in the last of the kids’ bedrooms, but hadn’t done a thing to get it started. Did I have time to tear out the carpet before the garbage trucks came? When I got home at 9am Lulu’s room looked like this. Crap!
If you follow me on Facebook, you were privy to a play-by-lay of my morning. Pardon the iPhone pictures, there was no time to grab my real camera. I decided to go for it and brought the rolled up carpet strips out to the curb as I went. The garbage truck came as soon as I got the first few strips out, but I kept working anyway. Lucky for me I live on the main drag of my development, so the trucks circle back around. I busted my butt to get the rest out before I took my son to preschool at 10am.
As you can see, I didn’t have time to empty the dresser or disassemble the bed, so I just moved them around the room. They’ll both have to come out before I can put the new carpet down. You know, the carpet I haven’t even bought yet. I was so excited that the garbage guys came back a 2nd time, that I went for a 3rd and tore out the carpet in the upstairs hallway as well. I haven’t had a chance to mess with portion under the spindles yet, it was a busy day.
Yay! The garbage truck stopped a third time, which was awesome because I knew we’d be generating a lot more trash after Demo + Wine Night. And boy was it a fun night! Cindy was the first one here, and she got to work removing the trim pieces. Score with a blade, then pry with a screw driver and crowbar. She had never done it before, but she was a natural. Next Jen whacked away at the mantel with a sledge hammer.
She and I were able to wiggle the mantel off from there. It was NOT solid wood, it was hollow. 
Next we removed the paneling from the wall. Luckily it was already drywalled underneath. Tracy went first. 
Jen took down a piece and then I did one.
The other piece of wood that supported the mantel came off easily enough and then it was time to get started on the BRICK! The first step was to make a clean cut with my circular saw. I put in a nice new diamond blade for the occasion and did a test cut first.
Then for the real thing. A face mask would have been a smart idea.
Jen suggested I shop vac the dust out of the air. Hmm….
Smart Jr wanted to take the first whack at the brick.
It was easier for her once I got it started.
The brick came out pretty quickly after that. And no, she didn’t do all that demo herself, but she was the only one I took pictures of.
Hubby had taken the little kids to the funplex and they got home just in time for Lulu to do a Wreck it Ralph impression.
Then it was time to start cleaning up.
I had learned a few days before that the faux beams on the ceiling were put in on top of drywall, so we decided to take the beams out too. This was the part I didn’t clear with hubby first. But at this point he was upstairs asleep with the two younger kids, so we went for it. Cindy and Jen took some whacks at the first beam.
I was able to get it down, but not before putting a little hole in the ceiling. Jen caught one side of the beam as it came down and Cindy helped me carry it outside. Not bad for a couple ladies with more than a couple drinks in them. Hahaha. 
The next two beams came down quickly now that we had a system.
Looks much better, right?
I was done after this. I finally sat down and had some wine with the ladies and Smart Jr. whacked away at the brick a while longer. By midnight I was beat, I washed the brick dust out of my hair and went to sleep. Thanks for a super fun evening ladies, we will have to do it again when I can afford to redo my kitchen!
Smart Girl
Here’s what’s been happening with the family room:
Ladies Demo + Wine Night
Family Room Can of Worms
Family Room Gets Wired Up
Making Progress on the Family Room
Design Choices for the Family Room
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Here’s what’s been happening with the family room:
- Ladies Demo + Wine Night <<You are here
- Family Room Can of Worms
- Family Room Gets Wired Up
- Making Progress on the Family Room
- Design Choices for the Family Room
- Family Effort this Weekend
- The Built-in Bookshelf and Why It’s Not Finished
- Built-in Bookshelf Using IKEA BESTA
- Self-Leveling Concrete
- Tiling Herringbone Floor
- Grouting the Herringbone Floor
- New Step into Family Room
- Lego Coffee Table
- Under Couch Lego Storage
Oh, my, Goodness! Liz, you are a crazy woman! I mean that in a good way. 😉 Darn, I wish I could have been at your demolition party. That would be fun! However, if we were neighbors, I think our husbands would go bonkers. lol
So glad the garbage truck came back a third time. That was nice of them. 🙂
The house next door is for sale! Haha. That would be so fun. I’m sure our husbands would have fun playing with the kids while we tore things apart!
Your excitement at the demo party is something many homeowners looking forward to a demolition will understand. Your comments about the surprising coordination of ladies with drinks in them are pretty funny.