How to demolish old garages?

[numbah9]

I have two old garages - a 20x20, built 1921, and a 22x14, built 1950. I'm looking to knock them both down and start fresh with a 22x26.

What's the easiest way to demolish them? I've got a couple quotes from excavators, but they want $2k+ to do the job. And that's money I could spend on a lift and a beer fridge! I was thinking of just using a reciprocating saw and cutting a line around the entire perimeter of the building, then attaching a large eye-bolt and to the structure and then cabling it to a truck. And driving off


Is that a decent way to go about doing it? The older garage is balloon framing, the newer garage is regular truss framing. They both have concrete slabs which I'll be busting up with an electric jackhammer.

The other idea I've had is to rent an excavator and have them come knock down and bust up as much **** (using the excavator) as they can in 4 hours (which is the minimum they'll work for). Then I can spend the rest of the time throwing stuff in a 30-yard dumpster myself. But an excavator is still about $140/hour. How can I do this on the cheap? I'm not afraid of a little hard work!

 

[Bull]

I have torn down some large old farm sheds here in the last ten years, the most recent being one this summer that was about 50' long by maybe 20' wide by maybe 10' at the peak. I've never used more than a recip saw, wrecking bar/prybar, cable or chains, truck, and a sledge. I start by pulling off the siding to expose the framing, then I attack the framing members one at a time. These buildings just have the siding boards nailed to the studs though, no sheathing. If I was dealing with sheathed structures, I'd take off as much as I could ahead of time, then make holes in the sheathing for a cable or chain to pass through and loop around something. Then, I'd use the truck to pull.

I use the recip to cut the debris into smaller enough pieces to load the dumpster neatly. I don't just throw **** in there randomly, I stack it and compress it. I want to get as much in there as I can.

Obviously, common sense needs to prevail in terms of where you put your body during this whole process, i.e. not deep inside some roofed structure that you have already pulled major supports from.

I wish I had a backhoe for these demos. That would be so quick, easy and fun!!

 

[rsanter]

How about you offer to let someone come in that will salvage the siding and wood framing for restoring old houses?

Bob

 

[numbah9]

Thanks Bull! That's great advice. And you're not too far away.. want to a road trip?

Bob: To be honest, I'm not sure how much of the building is worth saving (it is rotting significantly), and I don't know who to ask about taking it away. I do like the idea but I'm just not sure it's practical. The structure isn't aesthetically pleasing, historically important or otherwise unique

 

[Gregishome]

Let your local fire dept burn them as training practice.

 

[some zilch]

rent an excavator, or a largeer mini excavator with with a thumb for a weekend, and go to town. load it all in one dumpster. $500 for the hoe, $500 or less for the dumpster.

 

[Ron Lombardo]

I agree with Greg ... call the fire dept ... and bring your beer and pretzels

 

[numbah9]

Let your local fire dept burn them as training practice.

This would be a great idea.. but the buildings are literally 3' from my setbacks. I'm not sure they will think it's safe - but I'll ask!

rent an excavator, or a largeer mini excavator with with a thumb for a weekend, and go to town. load it all in one dumpster. $500 for the hoe, $500 or less for the dumpster.

How big a difference does the thumb make? Looking at this rental list or this list, I don't see any thumbs. Just buckets or hammers. Of course, these aren't the only players in town - but they're the big ones. Actually, I think I misunderstood what the thumb is, so I presume these'll have one.

 

[power wagon]

any pics of the garage , we are always looking for buildings to recycle,

 

[green.bubbly]

Just be careful that thing does not fall on you. They can come down quick once you start taking the siding off.

 

[numbah9]

any pics of the garage , we are always looking for buildings to recycle,

Here you go! Clicky.

 

[Ray-CA]

This would be a great idea.. but the buildings are literally 3' from my setbacks. I'm not sure they will think it's safe - but I'll ask!

3 feet from the setbacks? Are there structures close or fences to be concerned about? You might want to consider anchoring a chain with some tension on it pulling the demo AWAY from nearby structures once you start removing supports. If it decides to fall, you want to control the fall away from anything that you might have to repair.....

Ray

 

[numbah9]

3 feet from the setbacks? Are there structures close or fences to be concerned about? You might want to consider anchoring a chain with some tension on it pulling the demo AWAY from nearby structures once you start removing supports. If it decides to fall, you want to control the fall away from anything that you might have to repair.....

Ray

There's a fence, but it's a chain-link. If I pull it, I'll be pulling it in the "good" direction - down the driveway and away from the fences.

 

[power wagon]

first thing check with your code enforcement officer first before any work is started,i looked at your pic, looks like a fairly easy fix and an easy tear down

 

[power wagon]

maine has some loose building codes, my town has none ,we go by state codes so if i had to take a building down i would need to file for a permint, but iam so isolated they would never know, we havnt had an assement in 20 years

 

[Gregishome]

This would be a great idea.. but the buildings are literally 3' from my setbacks. I'm not sure they will think it's safe - but I'll ask!

How big a difference does the thumb make? Looking at this rental list or this list, I don't see any thumbs. Just buckets or hammers. Of course, these aren't the only players in town - but they're the big ones. Actually, I think I misunderstood what the thumb is, so I presume these'll have one.

Disregard my post to burn as I just looked at your pics. Just tear it down in reverse of the way it was built. Rip off shingles, roof sheetings, rafters, ceilings joists, on down etc. I have torn small houses down by hand when I was 20 y.o. some forty years ago. The pull down with a truck thing is fun to watch on TV, but leaves a tangeled up mess of lumber with a lot of nails to step on and to puncture limbs reaching in.. Tear it down orderly, it goes in the dumspter easier, or someones recycle truck better. good luck.

 

[DaleK]

I'd put a cable or chain up through either the door or the window depending on the angles to the back top of the bulding, tie it to the most solid thing you can find, and pull down the driveway. It looks like it'll probably domino right down the driveway. If not, cut a few supports and try again.

 

[power wagon]

Disregard my post to burn as I just looked at your pics. Just tear it down in reverse of the way it was built. Rip off shingles, roof sheetings, rafters, ceilings joists, on down etc. I have torn small houses down by hand when I was 20 y.o. some forty years ago. The pull down with a truck thing is fun to watch on TV, but leaves a tangeled up mess of lumber with a lot of nails to step on and to puncture limbs reaching in.. Tear it down orderly, it goes in the dumspter easier, or someones recycle truck better. good luck.

ageed, take your time its less of a mess,

 

[numbah9]

maine has some loose building codes, my town has none ,we go by state codes so if i had to take a building down i would need to file for a permint, but iam so isolated they would never know, we havnt had an assement in 20 years

Portland aint loose brother. I wish it was!

Disregard my post to burn as I just looked at your pics. Just tear it down in reverse of the way it was built. Rip off shingles, roof sheetings, rafters, ceilings joists, on down etc. I have torn small houses down by hand when I was 20 y.o. some forty years ago. The pull down with a truck thing is fun to watch on TV, but leaves a tangeled up mess of lumber with a lot of nails to step on and to puncture limbs reaching in.. Tear it down orderly, it goes in the dumspter easier, or someones recycle truck better. good luck.

Where do I look for someone to recycle it? I don't even know where I'd start.

 

[power wagon]

check your portland paper,

 

[dreamingmuscle]

Where do I look for someone to recycle it? I don't even know where I'd start.

Craigslist is your friend. My friend. Put it in building materials and the free section.

Glen

 

[PCO6]

Let your local fire dept burn them as training practice.

We demolish a fair number of houses, barns, out buildings, etc. where I work in land development. We used to ask the fire departments if they needed buildings to "practice" on. Some did it but they don't any more for environmental reasons. Buildings burn down every day of course but they no longer want to burn them down on purpose for environmental reasons ... lead paints, asphalt shingles, unknown materials, etc. ... that's what they tell us anyway.

We do work with the police forces however who run simulated drug busts and similar excercises. They pretty much wreck the places before we have what's left of them torn down.

 

[kbs2244]

I would talk to the local high school foot ball coach.
For a tax deductible donation for uniforms you might have 30 strong boys on a Sat.
Pizza and Coke for them.

You have to provide the gloves and dumpster.

 

[D.J.]

Check with your local fd and see if they want to practice forcible Exit or forceible Entry. Talk only to the chief and the training officer. Maybe ask if they need to practice with their building construction portion if their training, alot can be learned by deconstructing a building with fire department hand tools. Halligan tools, Axes, Recip saws, plaster hooks, etc. Larger departments have a vast array of tools that they need to be proficent with as well as using the SCBA Cylinders to remove themselfs from the interior of a structure when the **** hits the fan. Just a thought.

 

[MoparTrucks]

Interesting thread but I looked at your pictures and your existing garage looked pretty aesthetically pleasing to me! Unfortunately I understand about cost and functionality though, I have a great old barn that needs lots of TLC and we are limping it along but even if it was in pristine condition its really not very functional and right now its a money pit.

Good luck and I will be following this thread.

 

[Detroit cc]

Ever since a firefighter died in a practice burn in Michigan, training house fires are no longer allowed.
A shame really, as I had an ideal house that required destroying this summer and would have been perfect.
Well, at least I had fun in the excavator.

 

[Brad54]

That doesn't look like more than a couple day's worth of work with a wrecking bar, a couple hammers and a dumpster.
Start at the top and disassemble it.
There's a lot of good wood left there that, if you can't sell it on Craigslist, someone will haul it away.
I'll bet those original 2x4 studs are true 2x4s. The planking in the ceiling would be nice for someone too.

-Brad

 

[03protege]

Where do I look for someone to recycle it? I don't even know where I'd start.

Put an ad on Craigslist and you will have so many people calling - you may consider blowing your brains out.

One thing to consider is the liability of some idiot squishing himself tearing it apart.

 

[03protege]

Just looked at your pictures, around here people would pay for the wood on the non-painted structure. I would love to find stuff like that for free to make some coffee tables out of.

 

[camarotoolman]

You might be able the reuse or sell the trusses. I also agree with Greg, I'd park the dumster close beside the garage, so you could pitch the junk right off the roof etc. Get some jungle boots with the steel plates in them to protect from nails. Around here they recycle concrete, check into that too.

 

[Lippyp]

It about cost versus time, there aint much you can't take apart with a big enough hammer and pry bar and enough time, probably the safest way too if its close to stuff you don't want it to fall on!

 

[bczygan]

Why would you want to demolish nice structures like that? Fix them up.

 

[skloon]

I have posted an ad on kijiji or equivalent and usually have a farmer appear the next day and either drive a grain truck inside, jack it up and bolt it to the truck and drive away or cut the walls and roof off and pile it flat, longest time was 2 hours to see these guys do it and no work for me- plus some brought pie and coffee

 

[numbah9]

Interesting thread but I looked at your pictures and your existing garage looked pretty aesthetically pleasing to me! Unfortunately I understand about cost and functionality though, I have a great old barn that needs lots of TLC and we are limping it along but even if it was in pristine condition its really not very functional and right now its a money pit.

Good luck and I will be following this thread.

The pictures look better than the structures are - they were taken almost a year ago now. It doesn't look too bad, I guess, but considering our house has vinyl siding (as does every other house in the neighborhood) it doesn't exactly match

That doesn't look like more than a couple day's worth of work with a wrecking bar, a couple hammers and a dumpster.
Start at the top and disassemble it.
There's a lot of good wood left there that, if you can't sell it on Craigslist, someone will haul it away.
I'll bet those original 2x4 studs are true 2x4s. The planking in the ceiling would be nice for someone too.

-Brad

Some of the studs are dimensional and some are rough lumber. Some hardwood and some softwood. I think I'll start at the top and disassemble it, rather than just cutting it into tiny chunks. Believe it or not I am a bit of a conservationist, so I'll save what I can!

You might be able the reuse or sell the trusses. I also agree with Greg, I'd park the dumster close beside the garage, so you could pitch the junk right off the roof etc. Get some jungle boots with the steel plates in them to protect from nails. Around here they recycle concrete, check into that too.

They're rafters right now, and I don't think the wood will be useful to me. But I'll keep it in mind! Getting good boots is a necessity. The only part of the job that worries me is climbing up on the roof to take it apart.

Why would you want to demolish nice structures like that? Fix them up.

Unfortunately they're both worse than they look, and they're too small for what I want (hence my desire to combine them into something bigger). Apart from the fact that some lumber is dimensional and some isn't, the sills are all rotten, the sills aren't secured to the pads, the pads are broken, the foundation is going... it's just not cost-effective to fix. If it had historical value I'd consider it, but it doesn't.

 

[some zilch]

a thumb on an excavator lets you "grab" onto things and hold them; think like a grapple or "pinchers". you can literally grab onto a 2x4 and pick it up and drop it in the dumpster. the thumb hydraulically swigs up out of the way, and the bucket functions like a normal digging excavator. i cant imagine manually demolishing a builidng when you can rent a mini excavator that can be towed with a 3/4 ton truck, or easily delivered.

 

[power wagon]

iam 4hrs away, may be interested in taking down before winter tho

 

[numbah9]

a thumb on an excavator lets you "grab" onto things and hold them; think like a grapple or "pinchers". you can literally grab onto a 2x4 and pick it up and drop it in the dumpster. the thumb hydraulically swigs up out of the way, and the bucket functions like a normal digging excavator. i cant imagine manually demolishing a builidng when you can rent a mini excavator that can be towed with a 3/4 ton truck, or easily delivered.

How much is a mini-excavator to rent, roughly?

iam 4hrs away, may be interested in taking down before winter tho

Could you wait until the spring?

 

[1948]

damn, thats some good dark wood right there.... please dont just pitch it would be a nice garage to rebuild. just carefully knock all the boards out. lay them all out flat maybe just trim off the bad parts and replace a few things. put it back up. be cheap, but not easy

usually you can give th boards a bump and then have someone on the outside pull the nails. some of that wood, would also make some real nice flooring with a little sanding and staining.

 

[power wagon]

How much is a mini-excavator to rent, roughly?

Could you wait until the spring?

spring is fine , roads from here to portland can get hairy during winter, my work truck has military tires and they **** in the snow

 

[pendragon1998]

I recall seeing an ad on craigslist some time back where the guy said he had a small building, free to anyone who wanted to demolish it, but whomever agreed to take it had to give him $500 to hold until the job was finished. That was presumably to make sure nobody picked over the structure for the good bits (copper wiring comes to mind) and then left the guts. After it was cleaned up, they could have the full amount back. That's probably what I would try to do if I was in your position. Or I might possibly be careless with a lit cigarette and a bucket of linseed oil-soaked rags..."Oops! Now it's on fire, oh no!" lol, just kidding.

Good luck!