Demo day can be nerve-wracking for homeowners.  It is noisy.  It is dusty.  It can reveal unpleasant surprises in the form of problems that impact project cost and duration.  While it can't be avoided, there are some tricks that can minimize the disruption.

• DO take care when removing plaster, drywall or tile around plumbing.  Breaking a pipe will quickly cause a flood.
• DO have your disposal plan in place and remove debris as you go
• DO demo walls before the ceiling (since the walls hold up the ceiling on the perimeter, removing them first makes tackling the ceiling easier)
• DON'T try to muscle the old wall materials - use leverage to your advantage (a crowbar is essential)
• DON'T forget your ppe (safety glasses and N-95 mask)
  

When installing any tile but hexagon-shaped ones in particular, you need align the tiles in both directions (ie square).  Otherwise, your joints will be uneven and the tiles may end up interfering with each other, blocking installation.  As you can see in the first picture, I used my laser to line up my tiles parallel with the tub and then ensured that they aligned with the back wall as well.  I laid the tiles against the tub first so that they would be guaranteed to lie flush with the tub (the focal point of the room).  In the next picture, you can see that I continued laying tiles in a few vertical rows and then began doing so horizontally.  That way, I did not get boxed in.  You can see the final result in the last picture.  Beautiful!

This lakefront cottage had an old picture window in the living room.  Working together, the homeowner and I removed the old window and the existing lower wall. We then installed a 4-Lite door.  This added functionality, opened up the space and highlighted the beautiful water view.  When installing a door of this size, you need to ensure that the foundation below it is sound and level. Otherwise, it will not close properly.  The bigger the door, the less room for error you have.