Building an Home Extension

Do you intend to pull down your home for renovations? Well, demolition works should be well planned to minimise the risk of accidents. Therefore, your contractor should come up with a demolitions plan detailing all aspects of the planned exercise. Below is a short guide on what to include in a demolitions plan.

Home Inspection

The contractor should inspect your home to determine the scope of works. During the inspection, the contractor will be on the lookout for hazards such as low-lying branches and electrical cables that might cause accidents at the site. A home inspection will also identify the presence of dangerous materials such as asbestos that need abatement before demolition works commence.  

Method of Demolition

Demolition equipment includes excavators, wrecking balls, high-reach arms and bulldozers. The type the building will determine which machines and attachments the contractor will require. He or she may decide to use implosions to bring down the building. The method involves the use of strategically placed explosives that will collapse the structure once detonated.

Site Preparation

Remove personal items such as seats and electronics. If you no longer need these items, you can donate them or dispose them at an appropriate landfill. The contractor will then remove fittings such as curtain rods, bathroom fixtures, cabinets, doors and windows. Most of these items can be reused; hence, there is no need to damage them during demolition.

Execution

Some safety measures to observe during demolition include:

• The demolition equipment must be inspected to ascertain their mechanical condition.
• All personnel on-site must have protective clothing, including boots, helmets and gloves.
• The contractor must effect an emergency plan to be followed in case of an accident—contacts to emergency services such as the fire brigade and ambulance services are a must-have.
• Workers and plant operators should have a standard communication technique—for instance, they could use flags or hand signals. 
• The contractor should use an effective dust suppression system to minimise demolition dust—he or she may opt to wet surfaces or use atomised sprays. 

Demolition Waste

The contractor should determine the best way to handle the demolition debris. Some of the waste can be recycled. For instance, concrete and bricks could be crushed and used as aggregate for road construction projects. Metal bars can be sold as scrap while wood products can be used as fuel. Alternatively, the contractor should transport the waste to a landfill that accepts demolition waste. 

A demotion plan minimises the risks of accidents during demolition. Work with a professional demolition contractor that has adequate insurance cover, highly skilled personnel and modern demolition equipment.