It’s one of the most frequently asked questions we have to answer here are US Industrial Demolition. If a building is just too dilapidated to restore or renovate, should it be demolished to taken apart and deconstructed for salvage?
When it comes to demolishing a site, the procedures are pretty straight forward. First, you need to test for and then safely remove any hazardous or toxic materials before then going ahead and knocking down the existing building. The remaining crunched up contents will either make it to landfill, masonry rubble could end up in a clean fill site, while certain valuable metals may be pulled aside for recycling.
What about deconstructing a site though as opposed to demolishing it?
There are essentially two key types of deconstruction; selective versus whole house. Here at US Industrial Demolition, we like to refer to deconstruction as “unbuilding.” By that, we mean that in essence, you are reverse-engineering the original construction of a building in planned out stages.
With selective deconstruction, also referred to within the industry as soft strip or skim, a team of highly skilled experts will go in before the demolition takes places and remove anything that’s of apparent high value first. That’s likely to include properties such as solid interior doors, lighting fixtures, glass windows as well as hardwood flooring.
With whole-house deconstruction, the process of soft stripping still takes place, but the professional team will also try to salvage as much of the structure as possible too, which will include lumber framing and potentially even bricks.
How do you assess whether to deconstruct or safely demolish?
Whether your site requires deconstructing or demolishing will need to be determined following a comprehensive building assessment by a fully qualified and experienced team of professionals.
Overall, and where financially and practically viable, deconstructing is far better for both the environment as well as the local economy. It results in greater reuse and recycling of materials, less waste disposal plus it can create lower-cost reusable building materials that can be used in local projects, that in turn helping to fuel the economy and create job opportunities.
If you’re still unsure as to which clearing solution is best for your business, then get in touch with US Industrial Demolition today for a comprehensive quote and assessment. From removal to demolition, deconstructing to decommissioning, we offer a wide range of specialist services for both interior and exterior sites.