Three Critical Preparation Elements before Home Demolition

If you want to build your new home in place of an old structure, you will need to undertake a demolition project. You can choose complete or partial demolition, depending on your worksite requirements. Partial work is ideal for major refurbishment tasks such as building extensions or changing the floor plans. Complete demolition is ideal for buildings that are old or have been declared unsuitable for habitation. When planning for any type of demolition project, there are some preparation aspects that you must assess to promote worksite efficiency and safety. Here are the most critical factors that you should discuss with the demolition contractor before the work commences.

Asbestos Management

Older homes were built with asbestos as part of their structure. The material was commonly incorporated into building features like walls, plumbing features, roofing and flooring. Asbestos was favoured because of some intrinsic properties, including fire retardant characteristics, chemical resistance and thermal insulation. Unfortunately, this fibrous material is also highly hazardous. If the particles are released to the air during demolition, they will contribute to illnesses such as lung cancer after inhalation. Therefore, the asbestos must be managed before the building is disturbed in any way. Ideally, you should hire an inspection consultant early to sample suspect asbestos materials in your building. If the results are positive, the material can be carefully eliminated before the actual demolition.

Demolition Permits

There are some legal regulations and restrictions imposed on demolition work in residential areas. Therefore, you might require a permit from the local council that approves of the work before commencement. Not all demolition projects require this document, but it is always advisable to talk to your contractor or visit the building authority offices for guidance. Generally, a permit will not be required if you plan to dismantle or remove a structure as part of an already approved building project. Moreover, localised partial demolition work that does not affect the structural elements of the building might not be subject to the permit demand.

Options for Site Clean-Up

You should consider the cleaning repercussions of demolition because the process can be as difficult as or even more difficult than the tearing down. There are construction waste disposal companies that can provide large skip bins for rubbish collection and disposal. If you have recyclable materials, you should collect them and sell them to an approved recycling company. You can also recover some building materials like wood and bricks that are in good condition and reuse them in your new construction project. 

For more information, contact a company like Roach Demolition & Excavations.