garage destruction

[Kaizen]

Now that my new shop is up i have to take down my one car model T garage (12x24x10). Its stick built on a wood floor made out of 2x12s. As i built the new one myself i plan to take this one apart myself without machines. Should be an honorable death to this old girl.
Two questions i hope you can confirm for me.

1. What size dumpster should i get? surprisingly the people at these companies are not any help. If i have to take a few loads with my truck that's fine but don't want to do the whole thing like that.

2. the process. One wall is on the property line so that wall i want to cut and pull into the garage. Plan is to section out the roof in 2 foot x 4 foot pieces with sawzall from inside due to roof rot. Plan to support roof with 2x while cutting and walk out each piece to the dumpster. Start at the middle of the roof or at an end? Basically keeping the deck in place and drop roof and each wall to the deck. Sound like a good plan?
No i am not interested in taking out supports and pulling it so it lands all at once. too much rot to take that chance.

 

[nh_yota]

I would start with one 30-yard dumpster and get it swapped when full if needed. It's been a while since I priced dumpsters but it's usually cheaper to get one large dumpster than two smaller ones. 30-yard dumpsters have walls that are 6' high compared to 8' high walls on a 40-yard dumpster, so it's easier to lift things over the wall on a smaller dumpster.

My dad and I took down his old 8x12 shed a few years ago and it filled a 30-yard dumpster about halfway.

 

[Kaizen]

I would start with one 30-yard dumpster and get it swapped when full if needed. It's been a while since I priced dumpsters but it's usually cheaper to get one large dumpster than two smaller ones. 30-yard dumpsters have walls that are 6' high compared to 8' high walls on a 40-yard dumpster, so it's easier to lift things over the wall on a smaller dumpster.

My dad and I took down his old 8x12 shed a few years ago and it filled a 30-yard dumpster about halfway.

Thanks sounds like a 30 is a good choice based on your shed

 

[nh_yota]

It really all depends on how small you're going to cut up the pieces. It doesn't make sense to dismantle every single piece of wood but you want to cut it up into pieces that are easy to carry and stack in the dumpster.

 

[nadogail]

Why not call your local Fire Department and see if they would like a "Training Opportunity" and then write off the structure as a charity donation?

 

[Boilerhouse]

I cleaned out a couple 12 x 12 sheds, then ended up tearing one down, so 2 loads in total. Each time I rented a 20 yd, and each time it was full to the point that I wished I had gone bigger. I would get the biggest one available, usually the price uptick is not that big. Tipping fees based on weight of load (at least in my area), make the majority of the cost.
Your plan of using a sawzall, starting on one side of the roof, cutting out each individual rafter with sheathing attached, then repeating for the wall studs, then finally floor joists was how I did mine.

 

[Kaizen]

Why not call your local Fire Department and see if they would like a "Training Opportunity" and then write off the structure as a charity donation?

It’s 15 feet from my neighbors house. They don’t do that around here anymore due to liability


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[Kaizen]

It really all depends on how small you're going to cut up the pieces. It doesn't make sense to dismantle every single piece of wood but you want to cut it up into pieces that are easy to carry and stack in the dumpster.

Yea probably bigger pieces early in the day. Cutting between studs then chopping off a piece. Probably 4x4’ on average. Take my time should not be too bad.


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[Hilltopmasonry]

As stated before it all depends on how much you break stuff down and organize the dumpster I have seen 30 yard dumpsters fill up pretty quickly when guys throw things in there any ole way and half of it is airspace

If you stack and organize it a 30 yard dumpster will hold a lot of stuff


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[Kaizen]

As stated before it all depends on how much you break stuff down and organize the dumpster I have seen 30 yard dumpsters fill up pretty quickly when guys throw things in there any ole way and half of it is airspace

If you stack and organize it a 30 yard dumpster will hold a lot of stuff


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this is the key to this whole project. walking it in and stacking it in an organized fashion i think will be enough. i've seen guys taking apart similar with a machine and they dump big pieces in and then can't move them so it eats up the space fast.

 

[Dustball]

If you specify "construction debris" only and you make sure only construction debris goes in there, rates can be significantly cheaper than one for general trash.

 

[Stuart in MN]

There are places that will haul away old one car garages for resale, if they're in decent condition - I had mine removed before I built a bigger garage, and it saved me the labor and expense of demolishing it. They jacked it up, backed in a truck, lowered it down and drove away. Nice and simple. Check around to see if there's a similar place in your area.

 

[Kaizen]

There are places that will haul away old one car garages for resale, if they're in decent condition - I had mine removed before I built a bigger garage, and it saved me the labor and expense of demolishing it. They jacked it up, backed in a truck, lowered it down and drove away. Nice and simple. Check around to see if there's a similar place in your area.

nope. i've been patching this thing for 20 years. rot at ground level on a lot of it. and by rot i mean daylight. i half way expect it to just collapse when i take out a few pieces. when they builit it they used 1x sheathing in a few places from fruit boxes and such. might save a few of them. One has a stamp that says "the manhattan kid". might make a nice mosaic of sorts for the new garage.

 

[matt_i]

I'm somewhat cheap and the curbside trash company is not my friend (not worth going into the tale). But I would feed that to them 1 bin at a time, 1 week at a time, possibly some firepits along the way too. Suppose I can give them 1/2 cu yd per week, (the 96 gallon equates to roughly 1/2 cu yard). In about a year I could be rid of it more or less with a service I already am paying for and vastly underutilizing my end of it.

 

[Kaizen]

I'm somewhat cheap and the curbside trash company is not my friend (not worth going into the tale). But I would feed that to them 1 bin at a time, 1 week at a time, possibly some firepits along the way too. Suppose I can give them 1/2 cu yd per week, (the 96 gallon equates to roughly 1/2 cu yard). In about a year I could be rid of it more or less with a service I already am paying for and vastly underutilizing my end of it.

In the past i've left a case of beer on a big pile and they happily take it. My current town does not have curbside pickup. so either i have to take it to dump in 20 pickup loads or get a rolloff. probably same cost in the end for me.

 

[klassenl]

...
possibly some firepits along the way too.

This would be me. A big fire every Saturday morning

 

[Kaizen]

This would be me. A big fire every Saturday morning

have some workbenches and shelves that will be destined for the burn barrel but the rest of it has ten layers of paint and saturated wood floor with 100 years of oil would no doubt get the fire dept called. We are not supposed to burn construction debris here. clean stuff is fine but paint and pt make a heck of a stink.

 

[ddurrett896]

I knocked down a 14x24 and used a dump truck. Took 3 loads.

Recommend going that route so it's cleared and off site that day.

 

[engineer2]

Not sure if it applies for your antique garage, but "barn wood" or anything that looks like it is in high demand. You might be able to sell some of it.

 

[Kaizen]

Not sure if it applies for your antique garage, but "barn wood" or anything that looks like it is in high demand. You might be able to sell some of it.

Thanks. Not on this one. I am putting usable stuff on the curb for free to lessen my cost and keep it out of the landfill. I'm sure some people would like this old true dimension 2x4 framing but decided i'm not going to separate it and don't want the liability of others doing it.

 

[Jhoff310]

I have taken down several sheds and garages in my day.
I take a chainsaw to all of the studs halfway up all the way around, and push it over. Then grab the chainsaw and cut into manageable pieces for disposal. A 30 yd box will fit your needs just fine, as long as you stack it in and not "willy nilly" toss it in

 

[Kaizen]

I have taken down several sheds and garages in my day.
I take a chainsaw to all of the studs halfway up all the way around, and push it over. Then grab the chainsaw and cut into manageable pieces for disposal. A 30 yd box will fit your needs just fine, as long as you stack it in and not "willy nilly" toss it in

A wood chainsaw ?? Mine hits one nail and the chain is toast.


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[Monza Harry]

A wood chainsaw ?? Mine hits one nail and the chain is toast. [/url]

That's what rentals are for, or just go but the cheapest chain you can find for yours.
My back 20' of garage came home on a rented car trailer. Cut it in half as it was 14' x 20' garage, driveway is 13' [couldn't see that coming could you] so it came home as two 14' x 10' pieces. Rented a chainsaw to do the ...uhm we'll call it surgical slice. Had been in my house exactly 1 month, twenty five years later it's still not finished. It is closed in and roofed but interior, wiring, isn't complete and exterior still looks like it ... well you get the idea. Cut between the studs, the roofing will cut pretty easily with the chain saw wear a face shield with your safety glasses, and some sort of padded shirt/coat if you are worried about taking a nail strike. When I stripped the roof on the house it had like 4 layers, [that is actually 8 layers thick as they have a (more than) 100% overlap, top half is under the one above, lower is over the lower one] so I hit up Homo Depot and found some $3 circular saw blades, set the depth to the safe side and cut the shingles into ~2' Sq. pieces and carried them over to the edge for direct to bin deposit. Again same safety gear. I used only two of those trash blades on the ~800 Sq.Ft. roof. I wouldn't sweat the cutting, any of the three saws mentioned will make short work of the task at hand, but I feel pulling it over will be the safest, if it is that rotten you are looking for a nasty fall if it collapses while your on it, or even worse injuries if you are inside when it happens. Harry

 

[Skiff Builder]

Can the dumpster be set right in the shed?

 

[Kaizen]

Can the dumpster be set right in the shed?

No. Even if it could I can’t see how that would be very productive as you would be working around it. Hopefully will have it right next to the garage so a majority of it can be flipped in as opposed to walking it


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[Ray-CA]

Was that built back in 1929? If it was, you should have some really old growth true 2-by material. Possibly redwood, cedar or maybe even some old lumber that is not available anymore.

Maybe take it apart carefully until you see what you've got?

You can always cut it apart if you discover that it's not worth salvaging.

Ray

 

[Kaizen]

Was that built back in 1929? If it was, you should have some really old growth true 2-by material. Possibly redwood, cedar or maybe even some old lumber that is not available anymore.

Maybe take it apart carefully until you see what you've got?

You can always cut it apart if you discover that it's not worth salvaging.

Ray

You western boys don't know how good you have it with lumber. We use cedar for rich people's closets and ya'll use it for lawn furniture.
Its just pine. Foundation and floor are probably old growth but as i said earlier just not worth trying to save. honestly when i bought this place 24 years ago the inspector said it was a tear down. sad i know she has to go. I will take a look at the floor before taking the saw to it. if the underside is not rotten like the top i might be able to get some out of it. sometimes not worth it due to the amount of metal in them. i bought the frame of a barn a decade ago so i've had a lot of experience trying to re-purpose and clean old wood.

 

[Jhoff310]

A wood chainsaw ?? Mine hits one nail and the chain is toast.


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Yup! I have used my Echo CS-310 and taken down many. I but a 2 pak of cheap chains from depot for around $20 and go to town. Over the years I have only really mucked up 1 chain (took off several teeth). Other than that, I toss them in a bucket and when I'm ready for the next shed or demo job, I sharpen them up and get the job done.

 

[spudley]

I think Platonic Solid should come and get it...

 

[bczygan]

We have those 96 gallon curbside trash cans.

They hold a lot.

Bill

 

[bczygan]

Took down a 2 car in the neighborhood last year.

Removed all the horizontal board siding from the side walls and then on the back wall last.

This left the frame a parallelogram that was pulled over with a rope.

Then the roof was stripped in the ground.

Bill

 

[Kaizen]

Took down a 2 car in the neighborhood last year.

Removed all the horizontal board siding from the side walls and then on the back wall last.

This left the frame a parallelogram that was pulled over with a rope.

Then the roof was stripped in the ground.

Bill

This was my first plan. But if it goes any way then where I want it’s blocking the road or in my neighbors driveway and his woman’s rose bushes. And I’m afraid of her


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[Skiff Builder]

No. Even if it could I can’t see how that would be very productive as you would be working around it. Hopefully will have it right next to the garage so a majority of it can be flipped in as opposed to walking it


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Got it.Flipping in from all four sides was my thought, after using it as a stage to cut and drop the roof pcs in.

Sawzalls are too slow for me. 8.5" old Skil w/a demo blade and a chainsaw has helped me take down many a structure.
Be safe and have fun.

PS I got an entire 8x8 gambrel roof shed in my YukonXL in (12) 4x8 pcs. It was framed in 2x3 cedar,

 

[NUTTSGT]

Yeah, decent sized dumpster like a 30 should hold it all. Put in correctly, they hold more than a "ton."

I'd be seeing what I could save as kindling from the studs or what isn't painted.

Get yourself some good Diablo recip blades, gloves and safety glasses.

 

[bowhuntr311]

A friend of mine who used to drive rollback truck delivering roll off dumpsters told me to figure LxWxH/3/27 would give you a good idea of the amount of dumpster space you need. Now this was what he used to estimate structure demolition with a large excavator not dissembled by hand and neatly placed in the dumpster.

 

[driftpin]

Why not call your local Fire Department and see if they would like a "Training Opportunity" and then write off the structure as a charity donation?

"Live burn permits" are very-hard to come-by. Here in Florida there are all-sorts of criteria which need to-be in-place to allow such an event. These are municipal requirements as-well as state fire marshal requirements. I am a fireservice instructor III, State of Florida, and have done the Live Burn program. I have participated in live burns, there are easier ways to be rid of the garage.

Others have mentioned about prudently planning for the demo. Cutting things into appropriate sizes will both make it easier to discard into the dumpster, and also limit space used. If you choose to use a chainsaw, proper safety gear may save your **** when you catch a nail, and the thing bucks. A demo blade on a 8" Skil saw I think is safer. A good demo blade on a reciprocating saw (I've used ones called 'Torch' if you have a lot of metal, they work well and are durable in-use, Diablo brand) can make deeper cuts for footer and header plates, and king studs.

Don't do it alone, if something happens, you want someone to call 911. If you suspect asbestos, have PPE, and you probably are required to have special permits for that.

 

[captmoto]

You could use a chainsaw with a firefighting carbide tooth chain. We used saws for ventilation and search and rescue. We don't have time to look for nails. We cut right through roofing nails and staples without a hitch, We would swap out chains and soak in kerosene or diesel to clean tar and asphalt off the chains and wrap them back up and put them back on the truck.

 

[TractorJeff]

A friend of mine who used to drive rollback truck delivering roll off dumpsters told me to figure LxWxH/3/27 would give you a good idea of the amount of dumpster space you need. Now this was what he used to estimate structure demolition with a large excavator not dissembled by hand and neatly placed in the dumpster.

Yep! 27yd is below the top of the edge of a 30yd.
Open the door to carry in from the back, way easier on your body plus stacking neatly to minimize air space!
On an Excavator a Thumb crunches a building up to make the load density higher minimizing trucking costs.

 

[Kaizen]

"



Don't do it alone, if something happens, you want someone to call 911. If you suspect asbestos, have PPE, and you probably are required to have special permits for that.

What could go wrong?!?!? [emoji23]
All my neighbors home doing nothing I’m sure will be filming so they can call 911 before I bleed out.
Seriously I never ask people to do this stuff as I would feel horrible if they got hurt. I will be bracing up roof sections as I cut. Small structure so once I get that down the danger passes



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[Kaizen]

You could use a chainsaw with a firefighting carbide tooth chain. We used saws for ventilation and search and rescue. We don't have time to look for nails. We cut right through roofing nails and staples without a hitch, We would swap out chains and soak in kerosene or diesel to clean tar and asphalt off the chains and wrap them back up and put them back on the truck.

Never seen blades like that. Personally I don’t run my saw without chaps and the rest of the stuff. Can’t imagine doing that in this situation where the blade undoubtedly will get stuck. Sawzall at least if I let go will stop and not slice me. Maybe from a ladder truck or a lift but not from inside the structure which I have determined is the way to go.


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