Myths About Commercial Demolition
Posted on: 6 June 2022
Commercial demolition services bring to mind all those videos of hotels and large skyscrapers collapsing after large explosions and emitting banks of dust clouds that enshroud several blocks. In most cases, though, commercial demolition is not that spectacular. If you need to demolish a commercial structure but have all these scenarios running through your head about pricing, explosions, waste, and more, you might have more than a few myths running your beliefs about demolition.
Your Building Will Be Imploded
If you want to demolish a multistory building, then obviously the demolition crew has to bring in explosives, right? That's one of the bigger myths about commercial demolition. While you do see many larger structures implode through the use of well-placed explosives, most of the time, the structures are taken down through a combination of machines (like a wrecking ball) and manual removal. Implosion is done only in specific circumstances, and it creates so much dust that spreads out so far that demolition companies try to use machinery and manual removal whenever possible.
If You Don't Remove It, It Will Become Trash
How do you demolish your old office building without adding to the heaps of trash in the local landfill? Would it be better to try to remodel the space or just deal with it as is? A common myth about demolition is that you end up with heaps of materials thrown away in a rapidly filling landfill, adding to environmental pollution. That's not the case; one of the last stages of demolition is to go through the material and look for anything salvageable or recyclable. For commercial buildings, this can include wiring and cables needed for utilities as well as a lot of fixtures that could be reused in other offices and stores.
You Can Tear Things Down Yourself to Save Money
It's just a wall, right? Just a room attached to a strip mall office? So, maybe you think you can turn off the electricity and gas and take a sledgehammer to the walls to save money, but that is a major myth. Demolition, especially of commercial structures that are subject to different building codes and permits, has to be done by a demolition company whose workers can determine if there is anything there that needs special care.
For example, they may be able to determine that the paint is old enough to potentially contain lead or that the building materials are old enough to potentially contain asbestos. In both cases, you'd need special remediation and removal processes done before the demolition could continue. The workers can spot load-bearing walls that you might not realize need to stay up. Don't try to tear down anything by yourself — get a demolition company to do it, especially for commercial buildings.
Share