The dump next door is finally mine

[TractorJeff]

I saw a larger one get taken down that the owner insisted $14k was too much. The Contractor told him he couldn't separate the Brick and Cement Veneer from the wood economically to lower the price. The Owner kept insisting, so the Contractor came back with Time & Material cost. Owner agreed to that price. Job was done, they sat down hashed it out and came back with $13,8k. Contractor basically didn't make a dime! Now before you start poopooing, remember this little fact. A new bigger house was going in on the lot, if you were the local Contractor would you want to lose 2 jobs on the same lot?

 

[dhubbard422]

I hope the DIY demo goes well! Please post your progress when you can.

 

[sac02]

The way I see it, my time is free. I am not a lawyer who gets paid for the time they may be thinking about a case. I only get paid when I am at work. When I am at home I don't get paid anything.

Your time is most definitely not free - you should Google and thoroughly familiarize yourself with the concept of opportunity cost. Is there ANYTHING that you would RATHER do with your time than demo this house (tinker with your car? Spend time with family/friends/kids/grandkids? etc.) If so, spending your time to demo the house is a cost, even if it isn't monetary.

 

[KenC]

Excellent!!

My concern is that the old studs will be hard as a rock. I have tried driving nails into old studs before with no luck. Ended us predrilling, that will bring a construction project to a crawl.

I have a lot of experience with that! My advice: spend a few bucks on a good nail gun. My Sencos will shoot a nail in most anything. Not only will you get to use some good, old lumber, but it will be faster and easier on your body!

 

[Kev442]

Seeing how no major work will be done until spring, I personally would spend a few hours a week over the winter pulling Sheetrock and salvaging the copper, etc. The real bonus would be if the neighbors you are on good terms with would let you top off their garbage cans on garbage day with sheetrock debris. 16 weeks times 5 garbage cans has to add up to something.

When I had to do a major cleanup of a commercial basement filled with construction debris and other junk, I ended up with 3 van loads of metal scrap, two van loads of wood scraps I burned in my wood stove and about 5 weeks of filling 5 90 gallon garbage bins after the regular garbage was put in. Seeing how it was a project done when nothing else was going on, the 5 week timeline was perfect.


GJ has always been a blend of people who like to spend money and others who like to save it. You've heard from both, Good Luck!

 

[skcj213]

Thanks for the good thoughts Kev442.

I had thought about trying to do a little interior demo while it is cold out. Won't be able to put in garbage though, the disposal services typically won't take construction waste in any quantity without paying an extra fee. I'll probably try getting rid of the appliances and water heaters though.

 

[CNGsaves]

I'd be surprised if "city" will do any work on YOUR lot for sewer line. Generally, anything past the alley/easement is on homeowner nickel. Also, why not plan for your new shop having full bathroom !!

Also, have got to recommend buried electric to the new shop. Nothing better than no aerial electric lines to destroy look of new garage.

My recommendation is plan ahead, plan ahead, plan ahead !!

 

[Tallted]

PICS!!!
I say DIY. My question though, are the studs even worth salvaging? The impression I got is that this house is practically falling apart as is. I may have the wrong impression but I would pull metals/decorative woods and, knock the rest over and scoop it into a dumpster to be hauled off. I would want a project like this to be over asap so I could start on the shop

 

[Justanoldguy]

Sorry, it's dark when I leave in the morning and dark when I get home. Just gonna have to wait until the weekend.

PICS!!!

I guess you missed that post.

 

[Tallted]

I guess you missed that post.

Saw the post, missed the timeline

 

[Boiler]

Do it slowly. Apparently guys hide cash in every nook and cranny...

 

[MN4x4]

Several comments, but I'll try to be brief:

1. I see no issue with you doing it yourself, even if it takes a while. Big city people (of which I are one tend to be a lot less patient than small town folks.

2. I agree with salvaging what you can, BUT - and this 'but' is as big as the one on Kim Kardashian - know when to stop. Urine soaked floors? Pass! Old studs most likely are not standard dimensions and will either have to be resawn (which will cost you more in damaged saw blades than the wood is worth) or used as is - if that's even possible. Pass! In other words, pull the easy and valuable stuff out, but forget about salvaging much usable building material. It just isn't there.

3. If you're gonna do it yourself, buy BOTH a dump trailer and a tractor/backhoe or bobcat. You don't want to handle all of that material by hand even if you ARE young and strong (you didn't say?). If you don't need 'em when you're done for snow removal or other work you can sell 'em - maybe even for more than you paid for them since you'll likely have fixed them up some, what with being a GJ member and all.



Once you get the valuables out you can carefully weaken the structure (if that's even necessary) and then use a chain to pull the structure over and away from your house, or carefully push it with the loader. Once it's on the ground you can pick up bucket-fulls at a time and sort through things if you want.

Plus, it's a GREAT sense of accomplishment to see the structure on the ground. It always looks a lot smaller and more manageable to me, and seems easier to clean up.

Good luck in whatever you decide to do, but remember:

 

[skcj213]

PICS!!!
I say DIY. My question though, are the studs even worth salvaging? The impression I got is that this house is practically falling apart as is. I may have the wrong impression but I would pull metals/decorative woods and, knock the rest over and scoop it into a dumpster to be hauled off. I would want a project like this to be over asap so I could start on the shop

Actually, structurally, the house isn't in bad shape. It is the wiring and plumbing that are shot, and of course the animal urine soaked floors are disgusting. As previously mentioned, we had considered renting it for a couple of years but it is just too nasty and getting it to a point that we could rent it with a clear conscience would cost too much.

As for salvaging the studs, joists, etc., once I get into it if they are odd sized or don't look to be worth the effort I'll reconsider. Also might see if I can list them on CL, even if I have to give them away. Each dumpster that doesn't go to the landfill is $350. And I'd be savings a tree!

 

[sublime68charger]

I like the idea of doing it your self.

will be looking for Pics on Monday Morning for this.

good luck.

 

[kamlung]

best of luck... i am a big DIY guy, but i'm not sure i can demo a house over a year... i would get bored quickly and frustrated...

 

[ryan77]

buy or rent a highlift and dump truck, and DIY, quicker and fun, driving a bulldozer or highlift is the most fun you can have with your pants on!

 

[Blk88GT]

As a previous neighbor (in the country) to a guy who did a DIY house demo, please, for the love of god, get it over with quickly.

I ended up selling my home and leaving the area 2 years ago, it's still not done. Going on year 5 or so of him burning all kinds of **** (ie: everything) on weekends when my family would like to be outside enjoying the outdoors.

I'm all for burning stuff and DIY, but this was a total mess and he was not prepared to deal with it AT ALL.

I'm so glad I moved.... lol

 

[browntown]

Check with you local habitat for humanity. In college our group did a couple trips down south and they did complete demos, keeping any salvageable materials.

Our fraternity got in trouble when I was in college, and they ordered all 50 brothers to do a philanthropy project to get out of trouble. We demo'd just such a house for a urban renewal project. The city had dumpsters, tools, and heavy equipment to help though. Plus I'm sure someone was (or should have been) insured in case 50 hung-over amateurs with crowbars and hammers got hurt.

Maybe the city you live in has some sort of clear the slums program that they can help with.

OR if it is manpower you need, there are always boyscouts looking for an Eagle Project. Mine was cleaning up and replanting an urban lot that had turned into drug alley, into a nice park-like area. 20 yrs later, and now there is an orthopedic surgeon's office there.

But to the original question of getting all the material out, I have no experience on this, but I gotta think one or two big dumpsters would get you down to studs. Drywall, flooring, roofing and insulation would be the bulk of the mess. Depending on type of siding, that may be an issue too. Once down to studs, and your electric / plumbing recycled -- knock that place down.

 

[skcj213]

We roach bombed it this afternoon. Don't want the bugs moving into our place when they run out of food.

 

[Dan in Pasadena]

Any chance the house - the WHOLE THING - could be used as a second garage?

Just take down the non weight bearing partition walls. Or is it too **** ugly to consider something like that?

 

[skcj213]

Too **** ugly. It has to go.

 

[theoldwizard1]

We roach bombed it this afternoon. Don't want the bugs moving into our place when they run out of food.

Good idea !

 

[Charles (in GA)]

Be very careful of the chimney, many people have been killed when chimneys have come down unexpectedly during demolition. The old bricks may be worth something however, and there may be some good heavy wood beams in the house that are worth something too.

Get someone to shove it down with a track hoe or large loader and then start picking up the pieces and putting them in a construction dumpster.

Dont forget to disconnect the water, gas and power at the street first!

Charles

 

[dwaynerz]

When you get it down to where it is just the basement left, be sure to bust out basement floor as well. That way, if it takes a year or more to build your new garage or shed, it won't be a swamp from all the rain and snow melt that had nowhere to drain to. Old basement hold a surprising amount of water even when backfilled. I found an undisclosed foundation on a piece of property that cost a small fortune to get dug up. After bbasement floor was broken up, I just collapsed the rest in on itself and then backfilled. End of forever wet spot in the yard.

 

[JDMopar]

I don't think you'll have any problem doing it yourself. Remove as much of the interior stuff as you can over the winter. I wouldn't bother with the old studs. Cut those suckers into firewood length, and put a free firewood ad on Craigslist. Any other debris that can be put into trash bags, can be disposed of in the regular trash, steadily as you go. Your neighbors that are happy to see it go, may be willing to let you dispose of a bag or two per week at their place. After you get the roof off of it safely, walls will come down easy with a Craigslist chainsaw! Just look at every section, and make a good safe plan. Then move on and repeat. Just work safe. I only wish I was closer so I could help, cause I just LOVE tearing $hit up!! LOL.

 

[Charles (in GA)]

Plaster with asbestos in it? or other kind of interior walls such as beadboard tongue and groove?

Charles

 

[RVDan]

In my experience salvaged lumber doesn't always work well. The 30 year old 2x4's I was trying to work with were so hard I couldn't pound nails in without bending them or jamming a nail gun and 3" screws broke off before getting all the way through.

 

[MScott]

In my experience salvaged lumber doesn't always work well. The 30 year old 2x4's I was trying to work with were so hard I couldn't pound nails in without bending them or jamming a nail gun and 3" screws broke off before getting all the way through.

Probably depends on what type of wood was used. Back in the day, lumber was not always made from spruce, pine or similar softwood. I remember dismantling an old building on my property that was made entirely of oak and maple. Used the lumber to build a beautiful tree-house that my two girls played in for years. It took a bit of extra time pre-drilling holes but once you realized what you were working with it was worth it.

 

[BJ42LX]

I would tear it down myself just to say I did it.

As others have said getting rid of all the materials is going to be your problem. Stay safe, work hard, post lots of pictures...

 

[skcj213]

OK, so here is the simplified plan:
1. Remove interior (drywall, planelling, etc.), mechanicals and flooring if worth salvaging.
2. Remove siding from exterior
3. Remove roof and sheathing
4. Remove rafters and roof framing
5. Remove second story framing
6. Remove second story floor
7. Remove first story framing
8. Remove first story floor
9. Deal with basement

Anything I am missing? I may look at pushing the thing over once down to framing, haven't decided yet.

 

[BJ42LX]

Got any pics? It may help to see the lay of the land.

 

[skcj213]

Been asked that before, see posts #78 and #79.

 

[LB-1911]

Anything I am missing?

Based on age there may or may not be Vermiculite in the attic and walls.

http://www.idph.state.il.us/envhealth/factsheets/vermiculite.htm

 

[bazzateer]

Screw the pics, I want video of the place biting the dust!

 

[skcj213]

LB,
Thanks for the heads up. I haven't been in the attic yet so not sure what is up there. I'm hoping for a box or gold coins or something like that.

 

[skcj213]

Screw the pics, I want video of the place biting the dust!

It would have to be a time lapse video. It's going to be a slow demo not an implosion.

 

[bazzateer]

It would have to be a time lapse video. It's going to be a slow demo not an implosion.

Aw go on! Do one of those, "Hey Dude, hold my beer and watch this....." videos!

 

[sublime68charger]

OK, so here is the simplified plan:
1. Remove interior (drywall, planelling, etc.), mechanicals and flooring if worth salvaging.
2. Remove siding from exterior
3. Remove roof and sheathing
4. Remove rafters and roof framing
5. Remove second story framing
6. Remove second story floor
7. Remove first story framing
8. Remove first story floor
9. Deal with basement

Anything I am missing? I may look at pushing the thing over once down to framing, haven't decided yet.

sounds like a good plan of attack for me.

maybe talk to your town tax guy and find out where it has to be at to come off the tax roll if you don't have the roof by *** date then no tax bill for the year.

that way you have a goal and deadline to work with and don't get your tax bill

id put down dates for when to have this done by to keep you working towards that goal of avoiding the tax on it for the upcoming year.

good luck
sublime out.

 

[skcj213]

Aw go on! Do one of those, "Hey Dude, hold my beer and watch this....." videos!

That would be fun..........but not likely to happen!!

 

[SteveCh]

LB,
Thanks for the heads up. I haven't been in the attic yet so not sure what is up there. I'm hoping for a box or gold coins or something like that.

This is almost certainly what you'll find up there.