How to remove the dowel from the wall?
In the process of repair work, not always everything goes well, especially for novice craftsmen, so you need to know how to behave in any situation. Very often you have to deal with the fact that the dowels remain in the wall if their size was incorrect, or the drill is too large.
To remove the dowel from the wall, there are a number of tricks that will help you quickly deal with a mistake without spending too much time.
Dismantling methods
The use of dowels is necessary for better fixing of fasteners in any surface. Dowels can be of different shapes, sizes and materials, therefore it is important to be able to work with them. In the event that the process of installing this element did not go according to plan, you need to know how to pull the dowel out of the wall. There are several reasons for such actions.
- The need to remove the dowel from the wall, if it is not necessary. The outer part of the product can protrude on the flat surface of the walls, which looks ugly in the case of gluing new wallpaper.
- Preparing walls for plastering and painting, for which the main factor will be the evenness of the surface, therefore all unnecessary needs to be removed.
- Using one item instead of the previous one... If a picture was placed on the wall, then a small dowel might be required to install it. When the picture is changed to a modern TV, more powerful mounts are used for fastening, so the old ones are taken out.
- Changing the design of the bathroom, when the hinged shelves are removed, instead of which more spacious cabinets are installed, and it becomes necessary to remove all unnecessary from the tiles.
- When replacing a wooden window with a metal-plastic one it is necessary to remove not only parts of the product, but also the dowels that hold the frame and window sill.
The reasons why it becomes necessary to remove dowels from different surfaces may be different, but most often they are associated with curvature or breakage of the product.
In some cases, a nail or a self-tapping screw may break off in the dowel, and if the broken object cannot be reached, this becomes the basis for removing the entire structure.
Since the procedure for removing dowels is quite common, it is important to know exactly how to do it. There are several popular techniques:
- hammering of fasteners protruding from the wall;
- using pliers or nippers that will be able to grab the edge of the dowel;
- melting the edge of the plastic part, which will allow you to remove it or deepen it into the wall;
- using a metal tube equal to the diameter of the dowel, stuffing the tube will allow you to remove the part from the wall;
- drilling a surface near the stuck object to loosen it and grab it with wire cutters.
Depending on the material of the dowel and the surface from which it is removed, the sequence of actions may vary.
Sequencing
To remove a stuck dowel, you must have certain tools with you and use them correctly. Useful for work:
- screw of the right size or corkscrew;
- hammer or punch;
- pliers, wire cutters, or nailer;
- rather sharp knife and chisel;
- soldering iron;
- Bulgarian.
To remove a wooden dowel, you need:
- using a self-tapping screw, try to screw it into a wooden product, which will help to remove the entire structure;
- another option is to split the product into smaller parts, which may require a hammer, knife or chisel;
- take out those fragments that have broken off and do not sit tightly in the surface;
- due to the absence of some of the elements, it will be easier to loosen the remnants of the wooden dowels and remove them completely.
After the wall is cleaned of wood chips, you can putty and completely level it.
To remove the plastic dowel from the wall, you need:
- select a self-tapping screw for the dimensions of the dowel and screw in so as to capture a part of this part;
- if you don't have a self-tapping screw at hand, you can try to take a corkscrew and screw it into a plastic part using the same principle;
- as soon as the object is captured, you can gently pull it towards you;
- if the product does not go and sits tight, you can widen the hole near the dowel so that you can loosen it and move it.
In the event that it was not possible to remove the plastic part, or the self-tapping screw broke during the extraction process, you can try to drive everything into the wall in order to putty the surface, leveling it.
To work with metal dowels, you should use other measures:
- if the edge protrudes from the wall, you can hit it from different sides with a hammer to loosen the entire structure, which will help an easier exit;
- if the surface is too hard, and it was not possible to stir the metal part, you can drill several holes near it and repeat the first procedure;
- in case both options did not work, then it is necessary to cut off the edge of the dowel with a grinder and putty this area.
If in the process of driving the dowel part of it broke off and the base remained inside, there is no point in removing it, it is much easier to drive this part deeper and use another element.
Leaving metal parts in the wall, it is important to remember that over time they can give rust on the surface, so you should take care of drowning an unnecessary object as deeply as possible.
Precautionary measures
To pull out an old dowel from the wall or replace one that has broken, you need to know not only the sequence of actions, but also have the necessary tools. It is important to understand the safety precautions of performing these actions. Depending on which tool you have to deal with, you need to use protective devices. Using a screwdriver and a self-tapping screw, usually there are no problem situations, but in the process of removing the dowel, you should be concentrated and not distracted so as not to get hurt.
A hammer in skillful hands is an effective and safe tool, but an amateur and a beginner can have incidents. Most often, they hit their fingers with a hammer, therefore it is important to keep them away from the hole with the dowel and not be distracted during the work. The most dangerous tools are a soldering iron and a grinder. Using a soldering iron, there is a risk of injury if you accidentally touch the skin, in addition, this is a power tool, therefore it is important to observe safety precautions when working with it. When using a grinder, it is advisable to wear protective gloves, as well as a mask that will protect your face from sparks and small parts that can fly apart during work.
The procedure for removing the dowel is not a particularly difficult task, but even it must be handled correctly, minimizing any risks, which will allow you to quickly complete the work without risking your health.
Useful Tips
During the repair process, situations may arise that require the removal of the dowel, which is in the wall. If you cannot screw the self-tapping screw inside due to the fact that a fragment of the old remains inside, then you can use a soldering iron. Heating the tool, its edge touches the rest of the self-tapping screw, which leads to heating of the entire structure, and the dowel begins to melt. Once the plastic is soft, you can use tongs to remove everything from the wall.
In the event that nothing helps to remove the dowel from the wall, you can try to drill it out. It is best to take a steel tube, the thickness of which will be as close as possible to the dowel. To drill out a stuck part, several cuts, similar to a drill, are made at the end of the tube using a needle file. In the process of actively turning the tube, its metal will begin to heat up, which will allow it to pass through the dowel faster, cutting it off as much as possible from the inside, and in some cases even burning it out.
In order to avoid situations when in the process of work it is necessary to remove a broken or poorly inserted dowel, it is important to adhere to several recommendations:
- use only high-quality materials and tools;
- choose the right drills so that their diameter does not significantly exceed the size of the dowel;
- work slowly and collected so as not to make mistakes.
If the master works confidently and correctly, then the percentage of his errors will be minimal, and in other cases, knowledge of how to remove dowels and other items that were installed incorrectly will be required.
For information on how to remove the dowel from the wall, see the next video.
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