Whether you’re replacing a smaller commercial space with a mall or deciding to build a new family home from scratch, you might have to learn a thing or two about demolition. If it’s your first time, it might seem quite intimidating but rest assured that demolition is quite straightforward as long as you understand what needs to be done. Without further ado, here is what you have to know about demo.
First of all, you should know that there are a few approaches to demolition. The fastest and most affordable solution is mechanical demolition. This involves renting a hydraulic excavator and other heavy machinery that will tear down the house. The debris is later hauled away. Then, there is deconstruction. During this approach, you and anyone helping you will strip and deconstruct the property with the intent of saving whatever is possible, like lumber, beams, cabinets, doors, windows, light fixtures, pipes, tubs, and so on. This is a bit more expensive and time-consuming. Lastly, you can combine the two approaches. You will start by salvaging as many materials as you can and then have the structure demolished with heavy machinery and debris hauled away.
If you decide to demolish a property, you will first need to have it inspected by a professional. They often look for mold, lead paint, asbestos, and other hazardous materials. When a home contains lead paint or asbestos, you will have to follow certain procedures before you can demolish it. For instance, you might have to bring on more people that specialize in asbestos removal that will ensure the house can be demolished.
Before you can start the demolition, you also need to get some permits. As the permits you might need depend on your city or country, it’s best to check with the local city hall to make sure you’re within your rights. Rules concerning noise, hours of demolition, notifications, and disposal of the debris might be in place so keep an eye out for those.
Something else you must take care of before you get to the actual demolishing part is utilities and various services. Make sure you disconnect the water, electricity, gas, and sewage prior to demolition. If they are still active, they can pose a dangerous health risk, especially gas and electricity. Moreover, if you don’t disconnect everything properly, you are potentially damaging the surrounding supply sources. The nearby homes could lose gas, power, or water and the infrastructure could be affected as well. Keep in mind that you should give your termination request to the suppliers a few weeks before demolition.
Additionally, you also want to protect the neighboring buildings and pathways from all sorts of debris that the demolition will produce by putting up temporary fencing. What is more, it’s also recommended to have a conversation with the neighbors and let them know when the work will start.
While you might be thinking you could save money by doing everything yourself, if this is your first demolition, you might want some professional help. With that in mind, you should find a licensed and insured demolition company that specializes in this type of work and knows how to handle both residential and commercial spaces. Meet with them to see all the options at your disposal. Perhaps you will be able to do the deconstruction part if you want to gain some experience while they will handle the demolition and removal. Don’t forget to check whose responsibility it is to get and pay for the permits.
If you choose to have certain materials saved, decide who will do the deconstruction. While you and the company you’ve hired can handle it, you can also donate the materials to Habitat for Humanity, for example. They will even send their own professional team to do this for you. This approach can also save you some money in demolition costs and taxes.
Once everything has been salvaged, it’s time to tear down the house. If you’ve hired a company for this, they will have their own equipment that will take care of this. If you’re doing it on your own, you need a large, hydraulic excavator that can knock down the house and put all the debris into a truck or dumpster. For the latter, you also need to check if you need permits and licenses to operate the heavy machinery and if you need to hire a person to operate it.
Finally, when all the debris is in a truck or container, you need to take it away from the site. You also want to remove the house’s foundation and all the dirt that might be left behind. You can haul the waste away on your own if you already have a truck but you might also have to hire a dumpster or a junk removal company.
There you have it – everything you need for a demolition project, from start to finish. Now, it’s time to start building.
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