Challenges and Solutions in Residential Demolition

Residential demolition is the process of safely removing existing structures of a home by tearing down parts to make way for new rooms or new buildings. Taking down a house is as critical as building one. It is essential to choose reliable professionals to ensure that your demolition project will be safe and successful from start to completion. No matter the size of the demolition, Modern Handymen offers secure, efficient, and precise residential demolition services in Brentwood and Nashville, TN. With safety as its top priority, its commitment to speed and quality helps homeowners achieve a successful demolition for their property's future endeavors.

Since residential demolition is a critical project, it has familiar challenges. Every day, homeowners and contractors may face different challenges as the demolition progresses. But with the right team to handle this, like Modern Handymen, you may overcome these challenges with less pressure and hassle.

How to Overcome the 9 Common Challenges in Residential Demolition?

1. Environmental Impacts

More than 90% of construction debris comes from demolition projects. Demolition generates significant construction debris, such as concrete, wood, glass, and some hazardous wastes, such as lead and asbestos.

Solution: Proper disposal and recycling practices promote sustainability in the industry. Demolition contractors must implement Waste Management appropriately to prevent debris like bricks, concrete, metals, and hazardous substances such as lead and asbestos from polluting the environment and affecting local air quality. Worse, such harmful wastes may also lead to water pollution once runoff from demolition sites reaches the surrounding waterways.

Fig. 1. Debris from a decorative wall demolition by Modern Handymen

2. Safety Risks

This nature of work involves a higher risk of accidents due to structural instability during demolition. There is a risk of unintentional collapse of the demolished structure, and workers are exposed to the risk of being buried under the falling materials. Health risks are also considered due to the excessive or toxic dust or fumes during demolition. Some common hazards in the demolition site are installed scaffoldings and ladders. They are working at heights on these while the demolition is ongoing, posing higher risks of falls due to ground shaking.

Solution: Homeowners and contractors should have strict implementation of safety protocols in the workplace to maintain a safe working environment and protect the persons involved in the demolition project by using personal protective equipment. Proper safety training will significantly help promote safety awareness in the project.

3. Confined Spaces

Entering confined spaces poses a danger to workers' lives due to the lack of oxygen inside and possible exposure to harmful and toxic gases.

Solution: Properly ventilate the area to increase oxygen content in the confined space. Demolition companies must implement work permits to monitor every entry inside the confined spaces. This will make rescue operations easier in cases of accidents. Preventive measures must be strictly implemented, like checking the confined space's atmospheric content before entering the area.

Fig. 2. Sample of confined bathroom space with ongoing demolition by Modern Handymen

4. Government regulations and compliances

Government agencies may implement new and stricter demolition rules whenever necessary to regulate construction projects.

Solution: Demolition companies should be prepared and flexible enough to change regulations to remain compliant and avoid possible penalties the project may incur if the project does not follow any of these regulations.

5. Mistakes and Defects on Machinery and Equipment

Knocking down a building is usually done faster using heavy equipment such as an excavator. Equipment may become unstable when overloaded or overheated, and overpressure due to excessive use, such as chipping guns, may cause them to break down and hamper the ongoing demolition activity.

Solution: Ensure regular preventive maintenance services of equipment and machinery to detect defects early before use. Immediate replacement of defective parts or preparation of spares may ensure a continuous flow of demolition activities. Proper training and orientation of equipment operators also help care for and safely handle equipment and machinery and avoid untoward incidents that may arise during demolition.

Fig. 3. Use of chipping gun and manual chipping during interior residential demolition

6. Possible Harm to Neighboring Properties

If not properly managed and implemented, demolition poses a high risk of damage to adjacent properties. These include breaking glass windows, wall and slab cracks, scratched paint, roof dents, ground settlement, and other possible effects of ground disturbance or vibrations.

Solution: Pre-demolition inspection should be done with a schedule of conditions of neighboring buildings. This report or schedule will document the present condition of nearby properties. Identifying if these properties were adversely affected after the demolition has been completed will be easier. These nearby properties can be re-inspected after the demolition, and necessary rectifications can be agreed upon. This schedule of conditions will also protect the contractor from false claims of damage from nearby owners. The closer the neighboring property is to the demolition, the more detailed the schedule of conditions should be.

7. Soil Erosion

Soil erosion is wearing down of soil on a slope once disturbed by water, wind, or human activity such as demolition. Some demolition involves excavations and working on slopes. Deep excavations and trenches during demolition risk soil erosion in the area. The collapse of soil and structures resting on slopes due to erosion significantly threatens workers. One cubic meter of soil weighs approximately more than a ton. Being struck even by a small chunk of soil or material can cause limbs or legs to break, internal organs to crush, and suffocate.

Solution: Provide proper slope protection for working spaces. Although allowable slopes for working spaces vary depending on the soil type, a 1:1 slope is generally considered a rule of thumb. This means that for every 1-meter depth, 1-meter width is considered for safe working space. Proper shoring should also be done using boards or steel panels. Use diagonal or horizontal braces from side to side to keep the panels in place.

8. Noise

Noise from equipment, machinery, and tools makes communication at the demolition site difficult. Miscommunication can put workers at risk during critical demolition works, and frequent exposure to excessive noise can permanently damage workers' hearing.

Solution: Wearing ear protection, such as earplugs and earmuffs, during excessive noise is necessary. Radio communication with coding can also make communication more straightforward and more transparent. It is essential to remain alert and observant despite the noise to avoid accidents.

9. Traffic

Ongoing demolition can significantly impact traffic. Demolition activities can take up road space, leading to lane restrictions, detours, and road closures for safety and access purposes. Traffic congestion is a significant cause of delays and disruptions that affect pedestrians, commuters, and businesses.

Solution: Contractors must implement comprehensive traffic management plans and measures to mitigate the demolition risks to traffic. Traffic signage, safety barriers, and detour signals should be visible to drivers and pedestrians to avoid dust, noise, debris, and even frustration caused by traffic congestion caused by demolition. Mobile apps can also help inform motorists of real-time traffic updates and propose alternative routes to avoid further delays due to traffic congestion.

Unforeseen circumstances are the biggest challenges in residential demolition. Connect with the right partners for your demolition needs; call Modern Handymen at 615-200-8071 to discuss your small-scale to large-scale demolition plans. Relieve yourself from stress and leave that messy demolition job to the experts in Modern Handymen. Safe and quality demolition services by Modern Handymen keep your residential demolition smooth and incident-free from start to finish.