Whether you are planning to demolish your old shed or have another plan for the space, you will still likely need to demolish this outbuilding. There are proper and safe ways that you can do to demolish your shed. With this, it is important that you know and understand the process before you attempt to do the job.
Before you start to tear down this backyard eyesore, there are some important preparations that you need to follow. And these required preparations are the following:
Permit to Demolish a Residential Shed
Tearing down structures even if you own it will surely need compliance to local ordinances. If permits are not needed in your area, it is still recommended that you inform your municipality about this. Usually, a simple phone call or visiting the website of your official city can lead you to the right direction. So, even if they will still not need permits, it is still just that you inform your neighbors regarding your plans. By doing so, they can prepare to the noise that the demolition activity will make.
Prepare for the Mess
Before demolishing your shed, it is important to account for the debris that you will need to haul away. If you have a small shed, having a pickup truck can surely suffice this already. But in most cases, renting a small dumpster would be necessary so that all debris will be accommodated adequately.
Also, do consider recycling the shed’s debris as this can help you save money.
Gather the Necessary Tools
To increase the success rate of your project, it is important that you obtain the right tools. A shed demolition is not different from other demolitions. These tools will include the necessary safety gears both for you and your assistant.
Recommended Safety Gears
- Steel-toed work boots
- Work gloves
- Long-sleeved work shirts and long pants
- Eye protection
- Hearing protection (in case there are more extensive power tools)
Recommended Demolition Tools
- Screwdrivers
- Pliers
- Ladders
- Chisels
- Hammers
- Crowbar
- Roofing shovel
- Reciprocating saw
- Adjustable wrench set
- Some of 2x4s
Removing Utility Hazards
If the residential shed that you’ll be demolishing has plumbing or electrical lines, you should ask a professional in cutting these off.
Organizing the Space
Before you begin with the demolition, you must make sure that you remove the items that inside the shed. Know that the fewer items you leave stored in the shed, the lesser hassle it will be for you to haul everything in a dumpster later. Also, make sure that you treat correctly any hazardous materials and follow the local ordinances. These hazardous materials include paint, oil, chemical, old batteries, and a lot more.
Remove the Things that can be Removed
You can make the demolition easy by starting with stripping out the things that can be taken from the shed before it comes down. Remove doors, windows, disconnected electrical fixtures, and shelves. You must first remove anything that are non-structural. This includes non-loadbearing wall panels.
Work Top-Down
You may be tempted now to drop the shed quickly and just haul larger chunks away. Know that this strategy will surely result in a dangerous working condition. Hence, will make moving those elements as a back-breaking venture. Plus, you must know that the shed structure now will become unstable as you proceed with the demolition. Because of this, it is easier and safer if you start the demolition top-down.
Roof Removal
Start with the topmost part of the roof. Use a crowbar or a roofing shovel and a hammer in removing the shingles. Make sure that you are not on the shed’s roof when doing this. In its place, you must stand on a ladder or a ground. If you are not comfortable in working at this height, then you should consider hiring a demolition professional.
You should have the dumpster close to you so that you can easily throw the discarded shingles and debris. Know that doing this will help you save a lot of time and reduce the mess. Once you are done with the shingles, you can now start prying the sections of the plywood underneath it. If you are dealing with a metal roof, what you must pry up are the sheet metal from its rafters.
Wall Removal
In removing the shed’s siding, you can opt for the sledgehammer and knock down the non-loadbearing siding from the inside. Note that this must not be done with load-bearing walls. On the other hand, you will have to work from outside-in so that you can avoid injury.
After removing and discarding the roof in the dumpster, you’ll now need to start to demolish the walls. Start with the walls that are least load bearing so that you can remove those load burden on supportive walls. The walls that are usually the least load bearing are those that have windows and doors in it.
You can start in destabilizing the shed by removing the connecting screws or nails, ensuring that you work from top-down. Always evaluate the structure’s stability as well as your location so that you can avoid premature collapse.
Safety Check
As you start to take down the supportive walls, those that remains starts to become more load-bearing and less stable. If someone is helping you, this person my have to hold up some of the walls as you start dismantling the other walls to ensure safety. If you work alone, lean the 2x4s against a wall with an angle that helps the shed frame in maintaining its structure til you are ready for this to come down.
Floor Demolition
In removing the wood floor from the shed, there are two things that you can do. You can either cut this using a reciprocating saw or use a crowbar in prying up the floorboards. If you have a concrete floor that you plan on reusing, you will not have to do anything about this. Removal of a concrete slab may need the assistance of a professional.
When do I ask for a professional’s help?
Some homeowners can handle this job by themselves with the help of others. While in some individuals, they will prefer to seek the help of a professional. An experienced demolition professional can remove these unwanted structures quickly and safely. So, if you want this job to be done perfectly, you better think through your options. For professional demolition services, you can call Conway AR Demolition Contractor.
When dealing with electric wires, it is important that you are aware of the 7 Electrical Safety Tips for Your Demolition Projects.