does anyone know the best way to remove an exterior brick wall to prepare for an addition.
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Get yourself a 400lb red neck and a big hammer.
TOOLS
Edited 9/7/2005 11:53 pm ET by TOOLS1
Demo hammer, gloves, eye protection, Ear protection,
start at the top...
You can probably rent the hammer
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Yours is the safer way. But what's the fun in that.Did some demolition, beat up, rip out and haul off, on a few projects and found that in some situations we made faster progress by either/or beating paths, actually we could usually remove whole bricks once we got the run going. vertically every three feet or so. Then reaching behind with tin snips and cutting the links to the wall behind. Then we would have one guy hold a flat cart against the wall and two of us would fold the upright section of brick wall down onto the cart in one piece. Last bit comes with a bang. On a 10' wall we would start at the bottom and drop the first five feet or so. The upper five feet we would drop flat onto the first. The bottom of the top section was at about five foot off the floor and target, a section laying flat on the cart, at about two feet. So the three foot drop wasn't as dramatic as it might otherwise seem. As Buzz said: 'It's not flying. It's falling with style'.We could usually get four sections, about 3' by 5' single withe sections of brick onto the cart without too much trouble. Unloading into the dumpster, as we were dropping from a dock level with the edge, was down hill so a couple of spud bars slid the sections in quickly. Sure bet having to beat it to gravel and shovel it out. Less dust and noise also.When we couldn't drop sections, like with clay tiles, we would beat it to bits starting at the bottom. The idea being that if you work top down the bits pile up and get in your way. You have to stop and remove the debris to get to the lower sections of wall.Bottom up the debris piles up but, because it is spread on a wider area, never outruns the unbroken edge. Means you can beat the entire height of the wall without stopping to clean up.Of course Doing it this way takes some care and judgement. Wouldn't increase productivity to have a 3' by 5' section of brick fall on the help. And working bottom to top can trigger a section to let go all at once. If you keep your eyes and ears open you can usually spot the critical point when you need to jump back. Missing this you get to find out how a roach feels getting stepped on.Once the foreman learned we could drop sections without anyone getting killed he stopped freaking out. That we would clear more work than the other crews made it OK, at least as long as none got seriously hurt. For over a year we did this and none got more than a minor injury. Mostly cuts and bruises. This isn't so much a recommendation as it is a reminiscence and a pondering of the options. Something to consider.
When salvaging brick I start from the top and cut at the mortar line using rotary hammers I can cut the top and bottom mortar line while on the wall making the brick near clean and easier to stack.I have kept three men busy standing behind me loading wheelbarrows.If I am not salvaging I like to cut 2-3 rows at a time getting 6-10 bricks at a time makes for less mess. Never thought of cart loads of wall at one time will reevaluate my technique next time.
ANDYSZ2I MAY DISAGREE WITH WHAT YOUR SAYING BUT I WILL DEFEND TO THE DEATH YOUR RIGHT TO SAY IT.
Remodeler/Punchout
For no salvage, a backhoe with a hydraulic thumb is quick.
These are all good ideas for the middle of the area you're removing. Pre-cut the edges with a diamond saw to get them neat and straight, and reduce or eliminate repair work on the part you're keeping. An important part of demo is not effing up what you're not demoing. ;-)
-- J.S.
I prefer to use a cheap $15 air hammer with the chisel attachment. You can make a lot of progress if you have a good source of air.
One tip that I learned a long time ago in demo work: don't handle the debris twice. When you remove a piece, put it in the transport vehicle (wheelbarrow, garbage can, or dumpster). There's no sense in beating the wall into a huge pile of bricks, then picking them up after the fact. Just keep it clean as you take it down.
blue
One tip that I learned a long time ago in demo work: don't handle the debris twice. When you remove a piece, put it in the transport vehicle (wheelbarrow, garbage can, or dumpster). There's no sense in beating the wall into a huge pile of bricks, then picking them up after the fact. Just keep it clean as you take it down.
And one of the most important. Also the most difficult to get the help to do.PAHS Designer/Builder- Bury it!
how about leaving in as much as you can.
Use a masonary blade in a skill saw. I use a full size masonary saw but that's cause I have one.Set the depth on the saw at just below the the brick and cut out sections with it. Pull them out with a wrecking bar. Make your sections managable sizes. Real quick and clean.
Always trust your cape./