DISMANTLING SERVICES

Demolition: The most common method of disposing old buildings by far.  Heavy equipment is used to flatten the building and break up the foundation (concrete/stone) into manageable pieces.  Waste is either disposed of on-site or hauled away.  Demolition is the quickest option of disposable and most wasteful.

 

Dismantle: The alternative method of demolition is growing in popularity and promotes responsible rural wood waste management.  Valuable antique wood is carefully salvaged by hand often starting from the top down.  The wood waste is greatly reduced because the salvaged material(wood/hardware) finds new life on the reuse market. 

Hand tools and small equipment such as skid steers, man lifts, and telehandlers are used during the dismantle process.  On average, a standard 30’x60’ barn will take 7-10 days.  It does take longer then demo and is much more labour intensive.

 

                            

Dismantle Process and What To Expect: 

 

1. Fill out and submit the Building Dismantle Request Form

2. Scheduled in person meeting

3. Landowners agreement /contract signed & Schedule start date

4. Remove all wood that is not structural from the building

5. Remove roof either by hand or small machinery.

6. Remove loft floor (flooring and floor joist)

7. Separate salvaged wood dimensions and beams

8. Waste wood disposal either onsite or haul away

9. Foundation disposal either onsite or haul away

10. Final site inspection by landowner

 

Average Cost

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The average cost to dismantle an average barn or house ranges from $2,500 - $8,000 CND.  This includes equipment needed, debris management, and the actual deconstruction of the building.

 

Cost saving occurs depending on the situation and largely how resourceful the landowner can be.  For example, if the landowner has machinery to be used or is willing to manage the foundation and or wood waste then the cost will be significantly less than the average mentioned above.

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The amount of salvageable wood will also be taken into consideration but generally can’t be determined until the end of the job.  The reason for this is that much of the wood is not immediately visible until salvaged and inspected.

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Dismantling a building for the purpose of salvage is a practiced skill.  While researching your options choosing an inexperienced contractor could cost you hundreds if not thousands of dollars more than anticipated in incidentals, miscommunication, and other unforeseen circumstances.

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Factors That Affect Cost

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The average cost to deconstruct a building varies from project to project and are determined on a case by case basis.  Some of the most common factors that influence price are listed below.

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1. Size of building

2. Location

3. Salvageable wood vs waste wood

4. Equipment requirements to do the job safely

5. Foundation removal and disposal method

6. Wood waste disposal method

7. Who is hired to complete the work

8. Cleaning out and disposal of stored items in the building (junk)

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Debris Management

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Although deconstruction does save the majority of the wood from old buildings there will still be waste.  This includes boards that have rot, cracks or badly weathered or other factors deeming it to be unsalvageable.  Often the roof boards and flooring fall under this category.  The most common method of disposal is by fire either on site or in a designated area off site.

 

The attractive aspect of dismantling debris management is that the volume of waste has initially been dramatically reduced in the first place.  If fire is use to get rid of unwanted waste then this process is very manageable and take considerably less time and easier to manage then demolition.