Demolition of a built-in wardrobe

"Built-in wardrobe" covers several quite different constructions. The type of wardrobe decides how demanding the job will be.

• Timber or chipboard wardrobe in an alcove: the carcass, shelves and doors are screwed to the wall and ceiling. This is closer to dismantling than to demolition.
• Wardrobe with a plasterboard or chipboard front wall: part of the wardrobe is a partition that separates it from the room. The partition has to be cut out and removed together with its studs or metal frame.
• Masonry wardrobe: in older houses and flats, the side walls or back wall are often built from brick or blocks. Here you are knocking down masonry.
• Wardrobe with services: internal lighting, a socket, or a hidden access point to pipes or cables, for example a water meter or a riser.

Why does this matter? A handy person can take apart a timber wardrobe in a few hours. With a masonry one, someone has to check whether the wall carries any load, and you need to plan for dust, rubble and larger repairs afterwards.

1. Clearing and protecting the room: the wardrobe is emptied, nearby furniture is covered with plastic sheeting and the floor is protected with cardboard or boards. If the floor is being replaced as part of the renovation, the old floating floor is often taken up just before or just after the demolition, so the new floor can be laid level throughout without thresholds.
2. Disconnecting electricity: if the wardrobe has a light or a socket, a qualified electrician isolates the circuit and terminates the cables safely.
3. Removing moving parts: sliding or hinged doors, shelves, hanging rails, drawers and fittings come out first. Heavy doors are taken down before anything else so they cannot fall.
4. Taking apart the carcass: side panels, top and back panels are unscrewed or carefully levered off. If parts are glued or set into the wall, a saw, a multi-tool or a breaker is used.
5. Knocking down masonry parts: brick or block side walls are taken down gradually from the top, not pulled over in one piece.
6. Removing fixings: wall plugs, screws, battens and leftover adhesive are taken out so the wall can be repaired.
7. Removing and disposing of waste: timber, chipboard, metal and rubble are sorted and taken to a recycling centre or put in a skip.

In practice it happens that a masonry wardrobe is not just a wardrobe, but part of a partition or even a load-bearing wall. In older houses it is not always obvious what is holding up the ceiling. If masonry that might affect the structure is to be removed, always have it assessed by a structural engineer first.

Work on load-bearing structures or a change to the layout may need approval under local building regulations. Check with your local building authority beforehand what applies in your case, rather than assuming it is a simple formality. In a block of flats, speak to the building management or the owners' association before any demolition, especially if the wardrobe is next to risers, a service shaft or a shared wall.

In older buildings, some boards, panels or coatings may contain asbestos. If you are unsure what a material is, do not cut or break it. Have it tested, and if asbestos is found, the removal must be done by a licensed specialist.

The effort, and therefore the cost, depends mainly on:

• Size of the wardrobe: a wardrobe across a whole wall up to the ceiling means more parts, more fixings and more waste.
• Material: solid timber, metal frames and masonry are harder to remove than light chipboard.
• How it is fixed: glued and recessed parts take longer than screwed ones.
• Services in or behind the wardrobe: electrics, pipes and access hatches need care and sometimes another tradesperson.
• Access and waste removal: an upper floor without a lift, a narrow corridor or no space for a skip outside the building all slow the work down.
• Related work: if door frames are removed, the floor is replaced or openings are altered at the same time, the jobs can be combined, but the overall scope grows.

• Brute force: the wardrobe is ripped out together with chunks of plaster, and the floor gets damaged.
• Missed fixings: wardrobes are often also fixed to the ceiling or floor, frequently in places you cannot see.
• Drilling and cutting blind: cables or pipes may run in the wall behind the wardrobe. Check the wall with a detector before cutting.
• Underestimating weight: large doors and side panels are heavier than they look and can injure someone or break the floor if they fall.
• Waste in the household bin: construction and bulky waste belongs at a recycling centre or in a hired skip, following your local council's rules.
• Forgetting the repairs: the wall and floor where the wardrobe stood are usually left without a finish, and the next stage of work has to allow for that.

You can handle this yourself if the wardrobe is made of timber or chipboard and has no masonry parts. If there is any electrical fitting inside, have a qualified electrician disconnect it first. Leave masonry, and anything that might be connected to a load-bearing wall, to professionals.

1. Empty the wardrobe and cover the floor and nearby furniture.
2. Get a cordless screwdriver, a pry bar, a hammer, a handsaw, gloves, safety glasses and a stable stepladder ready.
3. Take down the doors; with sliding doors, lift the panels off the track first, and handle heavy pieces with two people.
4. Remove shelves, rails, drawers and fittings.
5. Unscrew the carcass from the top downwards, holding each panel before you release it.
6. Loosen the back panel and battens; cut through glued parts carefully instead of tearing them off.
7. Pull out screws and wall plugs from the wall, ceiling and floor.
8. Sort the waste into timber, metal and other materials and take it to a recycling centre.
9. Vacuum the dust and check the condition of the wall and floor.

• The whole wardrobe is gone, including battens, tracks and fixings
• No screws or wall plugs are left sticking out of the wall, ceiling or floor
• Surrounding walls, door frames and the floor are not damaged beyond the agreed scope
• Any cables are safely terminated and labelled
• Where masonry was removed, there are no new cracks in the surrounding walls
• The waste has been taken away and the room is vacuumed and swept
• It is clear which plaster and floor repairs come next