You should have seen the location of this house. The house in question sat in South Tampa, just far enough from Dale Mabry to be insulated from the hustle and the traffic while also being just close enough to enjoy the unique shops and restaurants within a short walking distance. For a certain kind of person, the location was perfect – but the house was lacking. With the help of our demolition crew, it was time for an upgrade.
Demolition Day Begins
The house that was lined up for demolition appeared to have been built around the mid-century. It was concrete block top to bottom, which made it sturdy and reliable but a little bit cold. The yellow, single-story home sported three (small) bedrooms and two adorable-but-outdated bathrooms. As rooms had been added over time, the floor style and height began to diverge in places.
On demolition day, our CAT 323 arrived bright and early in the morning, towed by one of our senior truck drivers. The demolition crew arrived shortly after, ready to get the action started before the full heat of the day arrived. They stepped into the home, inspecting the structure to get an intimate lay of the land so that they knew what to expect once they started making a mess. Taking a few minutes to plan at the beginning allows them to build a mental map of which sections are concrete, estimate where the bulk of the wood sits, and plan for the most efficient path through the building.
Strategic Residential Demolition
Map in mind, the crew stepped back from the structure and the operator entered the excavator. To begin this residential demolition, he rammed the sharp end of the bucket through the roof of the house, over and over, shattering the wood beams and tearing apart the structures that once held this home together. He left the concrete walls of the home intact for a time, giving his full attention and effort to the non-recyclable construction waste – products such as insulation, shingles, wood, and drywall that would never find another use. The concrete outer walls contained and corralled these waste products as he scraped each section of the house clean. As it turns out, residential demolition requires a fair bit of strategy and precision.
Only once the waste materials were mostly separated did he turn his attention to the concrete walls. We take all of the concrete from our local demolition jobs (Pinellas, Hillsborough, Pasco, Manatee, etc) to our recycling yard, where we process it into gravel, base rock, and other construction products. This means the excavator operator has to pay special attention to keeping the concrete clean, and separate from any metals or debris. This is why he handled the waste material first, and it is also why we try to always have at least one “picker” on the ground during a demolition job. This person stands in a safe area near the excavator and works in sync with the operator to remove debris and mess from the concrete pile before he loads it onto a truck. He darts in and out, removing small scraps of wood, metal brackets, pipes, and so on that the operator might not be able to see or grasp. This extra effort ensures a clean, pure recycled product that we can then offer to construction projects down the line.
Finale
The last steps of the demolition are to pull up the foundation of the house, and to sweep the lot clean. Our CAT 323 Excavator makes ripping up foundations look as easy as tearing a sheet of paper. This is the last of the concrete to be sent away from the job site. When it is gone, the crew supervisor, the picker, and the excavator make one last fine-toothed sweep of the site to pick out any remaining trash, debris, or buried pipes they may have missed. When that is complete, they call the transportation team to pick up the excavator and drive off to their next demolition job. The homeowner is left with guaranteed clean slate, ready to build his dream house.
If you or someone you know are ready to remodel or upgrade your home – or even demolish it entirely and start over – then call AAA Service Company. Our residential and commercial demolition crews are among the best in Hillsborough, Pinellas, and Pasco counties, and they are ready to take on any demolition project you can throw at them. When you reach out to us, one of our professional estimators will visit you at no charge. He will help you understand the process and make sure that we offer you a fair, honest, and accurate quote the very first time. So what are you waiting for? Let’s demolish something together!