Inheriting a piece of real estate could leave you with an older, unliveable home. If this is the case, demolition is an ideal answer. However, you need to know a few things about the demolition process before you begin. Specifically, you need to know how to prepare the home and the property for the demolition so everything runs smoothly. Here are four of those preparation steps:
CHOOSE MECHANICAL OR HAND DEMOLITION
The first thing you will need to do to prepare for the demolition process is determine the method for demolition. The mechanical option is the most common form of demolition used on abandoned homes and buildings. The process is quick and works to take down the building and everything in it with the use of machines and hydraulics.
The hand demolition option is considerably slower but has some advantages. If you want to save counters, fixtures, doors and windows, then hand demolition is the ideal option. Another option uses a combination of both and allows you to do hand demolition first and then mechanical when all the wanted items are removed.
GET BLUEPRINTS
If you have inherited the property and building, you will likely not have the blueprints to the home. This means you could be working on the memory of others regarding upgrades the house has had. These upgrades may mean that you can’t see sealed-off rooms, passages and crawl spaces. You may also have pipes and electrical work that is no longer used and sealed off.
As a preparation step, you should pull the blueprints for the home for the original layout and any changes. You can also pull property appraisal records to determine if you need to know what’s behind the walls or under the home. Blueprints will help avoid dangerous issues during the demolition, such as hitting an old gas main or electrical bundle.
EXTERMINATE PESTS
If the house has been abandoned for a long duration of time, animals may be burrowed in the home. These animals can range from cats and strays to mice and other rodents. If residential homes are nearby, you may want to consider extermination processes before the demolition. Several reasons make this step a good idea.
The first reason extermination should be considered is to remove the chance of animals running into neighbouring buildings. The fleeing of the pests to other buildings can cause an infestation to those residences that can be traced back to your demolition process.
The second reason is that the extermination process can also make the demolition process safer and reduce animals and pests from biting you or your workers and causing health issues.
PLAN FOR RUBBISH REMOVAL
When you plan for demolition, you may overlook certain aspects of the process. You could believe that the demolition process includes rubbish removal as well. Keep in mind, most demolition companies will not remove the rubbish. Some companies will remove the rubbish if it meets certain criteria such as construction rubbish like siding and framing.
Make sure you plan on a way to have rubbish, especially larger pieces, removed. One way to do this is by using a skip bin hire. They can deliver a skip bin to the location and have you fill it at your own pace. Once the skip bin is filled, they can remove it from the property. If the rubbish has asbestos, you will need to plan for proper and safe removal.
These are just four ways to prepare an abandoned home for demolition. If you are ready for the demolition process, contact DIG IT and we can help with pricing and with other ways to prepare the home for demolition. We can also help with questions you have about proper permits and zoning for the demolition to take place.