When people think about demolition, they usually come up with the images of bulldozers flattening houses and buildings. However, there is much more to demolition than just bulldozing. You should know that because there will probably come a time in your lifetime when you will need the services of a professional demolition contractor. There could be a large number of reasons as to why you would need these services. Perhaps you will want to remove a certain part of your old home. Maybe you will want to completely raze your old home, so as to create the necessary space to build a brand-new one from scratch.
Residential vs. Commercial demolition
There are two basic kinds of demolition, commercial and residential. Commercial mainly deals with the demolition of large corporate buildings, hotels, etc. Residential demolition is mainly oriented towards servicing clients who want their houses, garages or some smaller objects removed. Even though residential demolition is simpler and less costly than commercial, it is still not something you should think about doing on your own. A residential demolition project requires vast expertise, a lot of planning, manpower, as well as supplies, equipment, and safety precautions. Also, every single demolition project slightly differs from the others and requires the right techniques and safety measures. All of this is way too much for someone who prefers DIY approach. If you are one of those, your best course of action would be to hire a professional demolition contractor, such as Next Day Demolition, which would efficiently handle the demolition task with professionalism and all the necessary manpower, equipment and machinery.
As mentioned above, there are two types of services, residential and commercial. For residential purposes, heavy machinery is more than enough to demolish a house or a small apartment building. For commercial purposes, more is required. Tearing down sky-scrappers and multistorey corporate office buildings require much more planning, safety measures, manpower, machinery, and most importantly, explosives.
A complex activity
At first glance, demolition appears as a quite straightforward activity. This is far from the truth, as it requires much more than just simply tearing down a house or a building. Aside from the crucial planning process, it also necessitates a number safety precautions, that must be carried out before the actual demolition. These can include:
- Safe removal of any hazardous materials
- The development of safety work plans
- Obtaining all the necessary permits
- Rodent baiting and asbestos abatement
Appropriate methods
Once these precautions and requirements have been taken care of, the process of the house or building demolition can be carried out using 4 methods, in accordance with the type of the structure.
- For small and medium-sized buildings, a demolition contractor will use cranes with wrecking balls
- For smaller objects, like houses, bulldozers will be used for the demolition
- A contractor can also opt to use hydraulic excavators equipped with rams, which are necessary for the removal of concrete blocks
- 4.For large, multi storey buildings, a contractor will most likely use explosives
When looking for a contractor, make sure to contact some them. Familiarize yourself with their methods and inquire about the total costs of the project. Make sure to consult with them about the best approach, depending on the type of your property and its location and their safety precautions.