Demo

With design plans finalized for this Southwest Minneapolis dormer addition, it’s now time for demolition, where our crew will be responsible for clearing the upper level of any finish, fixture, or surface that will be replaced as part of the remodel.

Preventative planning means the back patio will stay in good shape.

Our client recently invested in a beautiful backyard renovation, complete with a new stone patio and pergola positioned directly below where we’d be removing half the roof. This meant our demo strategy needed to include protective measures to ensure the newly finished landscaping escaped any possible damage throughout demolition and beyond.

Despite the fact that the new dormer will face the back of the home, we opted to keep our demo staging area to the front and side of the home. Any items removed from the home will be taken down the stairs through the front door or through the side facing windows and then to the dumpster in the front yard. For an additional precaution, we’re using canvas tarps and plywood as protective barriers across the new patio—not as a landing pad for debris, but as insurance against any stray materials that might fall during the careful removal process.

With a solid demo plan in place, removal begins.

The demolition process began by gutting everything from the flooring up to the framing members. In just two days, our crew removed all the plaster, drywall, insulation, and lighting, working methodically through the space to clear the way for new construction. We started with the most accessible items first, doors, fixtures, lights, carpeting, and eventually flooring and walls. Most of the interior wall coverings—a combination of plaster and paneling—came out through a window and down to the driveway, then out to the dumpster.

Weather threatens the schedule, but our patience pays off.

While we originally scheduled the roof removal immediately after interior demo, our project manager made a strategic decision to adjust the planning when the weather forecast showed massive storms headed straight for the site.

Instead of rushing to meet the timeline, the crew used the weather delay productively, working on structural elements within the existing gable walls, like installing headers that would carry the load from the new ridge beam all the way to the foundation below. This flexibility allowed progress to continue while protecting the home from storm damage.

Weather delays are simply part of the reality of construction, and the best approach is planning for them rather than fighting against them.

Removing old insulation is the first step in improving temperature fluctuations.

Removing the outdated insulation and replacing it with modern spray foam will dramatically improve both the R-value and air sealing of the upper level—a major upgrade that will help resolve the temperature fluctuation issues our client experienced for years.

Demo Reveals the Path Forward

While demolition doesn’t exactly set a project up for success, it reveals exactly what we’re working with—and whether our carefully laid plans will work as anticipated. In this case, demo revealed that the structural elements were sound and nothing would prevent the team from moving forward with the new dormer construction.

Demo also exposes potential challenges that might need creative solutions down the road. The team checked for things like floor joist placement that could affect plumbing fixtures, or in this case, discovered that the existing ridge beam was positioned slightly lower than anticipated—requiring some adjustments to the final ceiling heights.

Next up:

We’ll follow the dramatic transformation as the crew removes the existing roof and begins framing the new shed dormer that will give our client the spacious primary suite she’s been dreaming of.