Demolition Services Celbridge / Leinster / Ireland

There are many steps involved in the demolition process and many considerations about this industry as well that most people don’t know. The capabilities, methods, and other aspects of demolition contractors, demolition companies, and building demolition services discussed in detail below.

 

DEMOLITION CONTRACTORS, DEMOLITION COMPANIES, AND BUILDING DEMOLITION SERVICES – DIFFERENCES

First, let’s find out the differences between demolition contractors, demolition companies, and building demolition services. All these types of professionals perform demolition tasks and are experts worthy of hiring. In general, however, the three different terms refer to the size (and consequent scale capabilities) of the companies. Demolition contractors tend to be smaller operations, focused primarily on residential or smaller office jobs. Demolition companies are often larger and may include full-building demolition capabilities. Building demolition services providers are often the most extensive scale with the most substantial heavy equipment, as well as explosive and crane expertise to dismantle large-scale office or residential buildings entirely. 

 

On the smaller end, typical equipment used might include saws, sledgehammers, or jackhammers. In the intermediate range, heavy equipment like bulldozers, excavators, dump trucks, and cranes come into use. In the end, when it comes to full-building demolition, explosives are often the choice. These distinctions roughly parallel the differences between these three types of demolition service companies.

 

However, these rough guidelines between the differences in demolition contractors, demolition companies, and building demolition services may vary regionally but can be useful to consumers in searching out and picking the right kind of company for a given job. After all, a demolition service company that specializes in bringing down 15-story buildings is probably not going to be the best choice to remove a staircase railing in a residential house. 

 

DEMOLITION CONTRACTORS, DEMOLITION COMPANIES, AND BUILDING DEMOLITION SERVICES – WHEN TO USE       

There is no one rule as to what types of projects may require the specialized talents of demolition contractors, demolition, or building demolition services companies. In some cases, such as a home remodel, a general contractor or another type of company may entirely be suited to do minor demolition work as part of the project. In other cases, such as the intentional collapse and demolition of an office building, there’s no question that one requires a professional in destruction.

Some examples of typical projects or situations that are best served by demolition contractors, demolition companies, and building demolition services include:

 

• Home remodel requiring the destruction of the wall(s), interior or exterior
• Upgrade or installation of new, substantial, semi-permanent features like exterior stairs, basement/concrete elements, slate or concrete patios, and similar
• Precision work, such as destruction of a wall part, stairway, floor, roof, or other feature, while leaving the rest untouched
• Installation of basement waterproofing like drain tiles or a sump pit
• Water damage recoveries, such as the destruction part of a ceiling following a burst pipe or overflowing toilet
• Recovery following human-made or natural disasters, such as fire, earthquake, flood, hurricane, tornado, or similar
• The annexation of adjacent home or office space to be merged with existing structures
• Any task that requires jackhammers, pickaxes, wrecking balls, cranes for heavy lifting, or explosives
• Destruction of old structures on a site and remediation for new construction
• Full-building destruction or collapses

A good rule as to whether a project requires demolition specialists is whether it seems like something that a homeowner could do on their own with the right equipment and no specialized training. If the answer is yes, it may be a minor job that can be done by a general contractor as part of the building project. If the answer is no, then it is best to leave the work to a trained professional demolition contractor, demolition company, or building demolition service. After all, when removing walls, features, supports, and other structural elements of a home or office, a lot can go wrong very quickly. 

 

DEMOLITION VS. DECONSTRUCTION SERVICES

Sometimes, the words demolition and deconstruction are used interchangeably, when discussing demolition contractors, demolition companies, and building demolition services. However, deconstruction services are not the same thing. Deconstruction services usually refer to a much more labor-intensive, manual process of precision deconstruction work, and are often employed when most of an existing structure is to remain intact. An example of deconstruction service would be the removal and reset of one floor of an office building, to allow for custom-build work for a new tenant. All the interior structural supports and similar must maintain, and no damage can incur during deconstruction to adjacent floors or the rest of the building. However, walls, offices, rooms, and the overall floor plan may change drastically, meaning much careful deconstruction of what’s currently in place.

 

Another aspect of deconstruction vs. demolition services is that in deconstruction, often the primary concerns (aside from completing the job carefully and precisely) focus on retrieval and maximization of the recycling content of the demolished material. While most demolition services have significant recycling content that can be used to generate revenue for the owner or the demolition contractors, demolition companies, or building demolition services involved, it is often a secondary consideration in demolition and often a primary concern in deconstruction. As the names imply, demolition services are more about destruction and removal, while deconstruction services are more about the ordered breakdown of existing construction.

 

DEMOLITION PROCESS – MORE THAN JUST SMASHING THINGS     

While it is easy (and fun) to think of demolition contractors, demolition companies, and building demolition services as focused on using tools and equipment to smash or crush or blow up structures, that is only a part of what they do. Indeed, a lot of demolition service work is precision – the full-building demolition where demolition contractors can “go to town” is a rarity. While no two jobs are alike, the general processes of what goes into any given demolition task can outline as follows:

 

• Site/job survey to determine the best equipment and methods to use in demolition
• Planning for the demolition job
• Structural dismantlement and demolition
• Site clearance, which can also include the recycling/sale of material at this or a later stage
• Environmental remediation
• Salvage, recycling, and industrial recovery (if not undertaken at an earlier stage)

As should be evident, this is a far cry from the mental image most people have of demolition contractors, demolition companies, and building demolition services as just a bunch of people smashing things!  There’s real engineering, math, planning, heavy equipment expertise, project management, materials science, and a host of other disciplines involved. 

 

DEMOLITION CONTRACTORS, DEMOLITION COMPANIES, AND BUILDING DEMOLITION SERVICES – SOME OF THE ORIGINAL RECYCLERS

Even before recycling and reclamation was a mainstream concept in everyday people’s lives, demolition contractors, demolition companies, and building demolition services have been practicing this art. No matter how big a particular job is, there are often large amounts of debris generated that fall into many categories.  Most of this debris can either directly or indirectly be recycled or reused by the industry for future projects. The growth of recycling and environmental concerns has only increased the value and versatility of the materials that these demolition service companies can recover during a demolition job. Typical categories of recycling materials that demolition contractors, demolition companies, and building demolition services can recover include:

 

• Concrete, stone, and other aggregates can be reprocessed and turned into gravel, tile, and other structural or functional elements
• Valuable metals from structural members as well as wiring, piping, and electronics, including steel and copper (most common), brass, bronze, iron, gold, aluminum, and more
• Insulation materials
• Ceiling and flooring tiles and materials
• Wood
• Roofing
• Soils and organic materials

All these materials have a place in the recycling or up-cycling stream and can bring in various levels of some income for either the site owner or the demolition contractors, demolition companies, or building demolition services involved in a project, depending on contracts and terms. 

 

DEMOLITION CONTRACTORS, DEMOLITION COMPANIES, AND BUILDING DEMOLITION SERVICES – CONCLUSIONS

As should be evident, there is a lot more to demolition work than meets the eye. The demolition contractors, demolition companies, and building demolition services experts need to have skills and knowledge of not only their equipment and abilities, but of architecture, physics, engineering, materials science, explosives, safety, recycling, reclamation, remediation, and more.  No matter how big is the job, interior or exterior demolition or full-building demolition is a process that best left to the professional demolition contractors, demolition companies, or building demolition services providers.

 

 

About Concrete Removal 

Removing concrete – it’s easy, right? Hit it with a hammer, put the rubble in the trash can, done! At best, that’s merely an oversimplification of concrete removal services; at worst, it’s a dangerously neglectful take on a project that can be unsafe for both people and the environment. Concrete demolition contractors trained in not only efficient and safe demo work but also have the tools and know-how to make the work look as though it’s as easy as swinging a hammer. This article will explain how taxing and complicated this job is and help you know what to look for when searching for concrete removal services.    

 

CONCRETE DEMOLITION CONTRACTORS

First, what exactly do concrete demolition contractors do? They break down and often remove, structures, including entire buildings, made of concrete. As concrete structures age, the concrete degrades and destabilizes, making concrete demolition contractors and concrete removal services key to a successful project.

Typical demolition projects that require professional concrete removal services include:

• Swimming pools
• Chimneys
• Driveways
• Entire homes or single rooms
• Office buildings
• Decks and patios
• Sheds

If you attempt one of these projects on your own instead of using concrete removal services, you would need a team of friends plus, a jackhammer, a pry bar, and a mattock. One would also need a type of pickaxe, bolt cutters for concrete reinforced with steel mesh, a reciprocating saw if there is any rebar, a heavy-duty wheelbarrow, and an industrial trash container. You can’t dispose of concrete at the end of your driveway on trash pickup day, and a plan for disposal and recycling of the rubble. Concrete demolition contractors would already have all these tools and have tried and tested methods for concrete removal services. 

 

Concrete demolition contractors can use one of many methods for getting the job done. For smaller projects, manual demo and removal would be sufficient. However, for more massive structures, they would need heavy machinery such as excavators, cranes, loaders for demolition and concrete removal services as well as specialized techniques. These techniques might induce collapse by strategically dismantling specific parts of a structure, or, they might use some explosive force. These more involved projects require not only tools, but the knowledge and expertise that only experienced concrete demolition contractors can carry out successfully and safely. 

 

SIGNS THAT YOU NEED CONCRETE DEMOLITION CONTRACTORS

Concrete degrades as it ages, and specific conditions indicate the need for concrete removal services instead of repair or concealment with decorative techniques used to hide imperfections. These conditions include:

• Long, deep cracks, often seen where heavy trucks are frequent
• Sunken slabs due to improper preparation or excessively wet conditions
• Buckled concrete, usually due to extreme cold and repeated freezing
• Excessive surface pitting

Additionally, remodeling often requires concrete removal services as the slab or foundation itself needs to remove to accommodate new plumbing or electrics. These projects can require even more specialized concrete removal services to avoid the hazardous fumes that one can create during demolition within an enclosed living area. 

Precision is also high among the qualifications for concrete removal services when only part of the structure must demolish. Special skills are needed to cut around those areas without damaging the structure which will remain. 

Once the project evaluation and the project scope determined, concrete demolition contractors will then decide which demolition method is best suited for the project, and one should prepare to deal with surprises that arise as concrete removal services provide. Surprises are rampant in concrete work and might include approved or unapproved changes to the original design that occurred during construction, hidden materials within the structure, and unknown weaknesses of materials used during construction.

 

HOW TO SELECT CONCRETE REMOVAL SERVICES

When searching for concrete demolition contractors, look for concrete removal services that have proven experience in demolishing. They will be able to build on the experience of their prior projects to complete yours quickly and with finesse. A wide range of experience ensures the concrete demolition contractors will be able to deal with any circumstances that come up during a project. 

 

Beware of any concrete demolition contractors who cannot provide verifiable references or are evasive about putting all the details in writing. And, be especially cautious of concrete removal services that require more than 50% payment upfront. These are red flags that one should not ignore. 

 

Ask friends and neighbors for suggestions of a concrete removal services firm. If no one can help you with any concrete removal services, take a trip to your local hardware store for recommendations of reputable contractors. 

 

Additionally, the concrete removal services that you use should be appropriately licensed. Check with your local municipality for requirements and ask potential contractors for a copy of their license. 

 

Finally, look for concrete removal services that understand the local permit procedures. This process can be a maze of paperwork, and its importance cannot overstate. Before any concrete removal services begin, you must determine which permits are necessary for work to start. Most local and state governments require permits for any project to ensure they can monitor the process for public safety concerns and environmental regulations, including disposal of hazardous materials such as asbestos. 

 

A WORD ABOUT PERMITS

Usually, governments allow owners to apply for the necessary permits if they occupy the residence. For more massive structures, however, the government might require the permit application to be completed by a professional concrete removal services firm or concrete demolition contractors. 

 

While the demolition permit itself is usually inexpensive, there are often related fees for additional services such as water, sewer, and electric services that will become affected by the projects. Local and state governments usually require an inspection before demolition can begin to verify that all utilities should adequately disconnect. A broken pipe or severed electric line can be dangerous, expensive, and time-consuming to repair. Experienced concrete removal services will be able to identify and avoid potential problems like these. Further inspection after the concrete removal services are complete might be required as well. 

 

Finally, ensure that the concrete demolition contractors that you select can develop a disposal plan with you before starting the project. It might be an onsite dumpster or disposal at a concrete recycling facility. Discuss the options with the concrete demolition contractors and be sure to understand the costs that will come with each option. 

 

CONCRETE REMOVAL SERVICES AND RECYCLING

The Environmental Protection Agency estimates that concrete and demolition debris make up over 50% of the contents of landfills. The cost alone of hauling these materials warrants a different solution, not to mention the impact on the environment. The concrete demolition contractors that you choose should ideally provide concrete removal services after the structures are torn down.

For larger projects, look for concrete removal services that can provide on-site processing and clean fill material. It saves time and money that might spend on concrete removal services, such as hauling waste and purchasing fill later in the project. 

To recycle concrete, some concrete demolition contractors can put rubble through a crushing machine onsite, filtering out any contaminants such as trash or wood. The smaller pieces one can use as gravel in the construction process. The larger pieces of rubble one can use to prevent streambed erosion, or, with careful control of quality, concrete demolition contractors can use these recycled pieces of concrete for landscaping stonework or mulch in flower beds.

Recycling as an integrated part of concrete removal services saves landfill space and reduces the cost of concrete demolition contractors and new construction. If the project is too small to justify onsite recycling, concrete removal services can haul the rubble to a recycling facility to avoid paying fees for disposal at the dump, which are often per ton and very expensive. 

 

CONCLUSION ABOUT CONCRETE REMOVAL

Concrete demolition contractors are a fundamental part of a construction project. They safely remove timeworn concrete structures to make way for more modern facilities. At the same time, concrete removal services make way for the new structure by removing the debris or reusing the rubble to save on project costs significantly. When your next project rears its head, save yourself – and your friends – an aching back and hire concrete demolition contractors to do the work for you. Your friends and your pocketbook will thank you for it.

 

 

About Asbestos & Lead Removal 

Asbestos is a natural silicate mineral. Its name in the Greek language means “inextinguishable,” and this characteristic is the main reason why asbestos is widespread in many areas, including building insulation, hotplate wiring, and electrical insulation. Back in the 19^th century, due to its physical properties such as sound absorption or fire and electrical resistance, asbestos was one of the most common building materials. However, by the middle of the 20^th century, scientists discovered the correlation between asbestos and several severe illnesses. Luckily enough, asbestos is utterly harmless if left undisturbed. But minor damages, or an improper abrasion, can lead to inhalation of asbestos, which associated with many lung diseases, including cancer. By the end of the 20th century, manufacturers and builders turned to other materials with similar physical properties.

 

Therefore, asbestos and lead removal from a backyard are some of the most important things one can do regarding health. However, dealing with hazardous waste material is a job for professionals from dangerous waste removal service companies.

This article aims to provide sufficient information about asbestos, lead, hazardous waste material removal services.

RECOGNISING ASBESTOS IN YOUR ENVIRONMENT

Asbestos comes in different shapes, sizes, and colors. Several colors exist and can be found in nature.

Unless found in its natural form, asbestos is not recognizable when used in the building material. But several steps can be taken into consideration.

The first step is checking a home building certificate out. If the observed building built before 1995, there is a possibility that it contains asbestos. If the building process took place even before the 1980s, the chances of finding asbestos are higher.

The next step is looking for joints on the outside of buildings since asbestos sheets usually combined with aluminum runners. This specific design can be indicative enough.

The final step is to look at surface patterns. Small dimples or hollow craters can recognize asbestos materials. Newer materials that are asbestos-free are usually smoother. That is not a specific method of identifying asbestos material but combined with the previous two measures; it can be decisive.

Hazardous waste management services will handle asbestos materials in the best way possible. The removal of lead, asbestos, and other dangerous, hazardous materials must be managed adequately with professional equipment.

COMMON PLACES WHERE ASBESTOS CAN BE FOUND

The fact that asbestos was widespread before the potential health risks were known to the public makes asbestos present all around us. You can find it in some plastics, paints, joint compounds, roofing tiles, siding tiles, floor tiles, soundproofing applications, attic insulation and casings for wires, etc. 

Unprofessional asbestos removal is threatening. Safety equipment, such as gloves, goggles, and full-face respirators are mandatory. The process itself requires washing and depending on the nature of damage -even steam cleansing may be necessary.

Handling with asbestos waste material must be under constant precautions. After the asbestos removed, one should do safe, correct disposal. Asbestos materials must be placed into waste disposal bags. Locating special disposal facilities and dropping off the disposed of material are two final steps.

LEAD REMOVAL AND LEAD-BASED PAINT IN HOUSEHOLDS

Just like it is the case with asbestos, lead also was widespread in manufacturing before the potentially harmful effects were discovered. Lead cannot be found or recognized without the help of product labels or lab analysis. Luckily, today, lead can mostly be found in colors, which does not make it easier or safer for removal without professional help, but encounters are predictable. The lead was banned from commercial use in paints at the end of the 1970s, so if the observed house was built later, there should not be any lead dust or lead-based colors. If the house was built earlier, it most likely has lead-based colors, so lead removal is therefore advisable.

 Handling lead dust requires caution, but if one were to do it without the help of hazardous waste management services, the following measures should be taken.

• Acquiring tools for lead removal. Getting DIY, a test kit is the first thing on the list of required tools. Be sure to check if a reliable institution certifies the acquired toolkit. A half-mask respirator is an essential part of the equipment. Lead dust is extremely toxic, which makes lead removal a dangerous job to do. All the other tools, such as duct tape or rubber gloves, can usually be found in households. Use plastic covers for the floor since nobody wants to spread the lead dust around the house.
• Acquiring protecting clothes for lead removal. Besides the already mentioned half-mask respirator, one should get shoe covers and some glasses/goggles for eye protection. Wearing adequate clothing helps with localizing the contaminated area.
• Preparing the area for lead removal. You should remove all the furniture from the room where lead removal is taking place. Cover the floor, and turn off, cover all air ventilation devices, ducts.
• Actual lead removal. When all the necessary tools and clothes are acquired, the lead removal process can begin. Following steps should be undertaken:

Wetting the walls

Moisturizing the walls or other interior surfaces painted with lead-based paint is the first step in lead removal. That should ensure that the surface is ready for scrapping, which is the next step.

 

Scrapping the lead-based paint off

Scrapping the lead-based paint off is the next step. It is advisable to do that from the top to the bottom of the painted surface. It is an important step of lead removal; one should continue with wetting the area. It is also highly advisable to use a HEPA vacuum cleaner to clean the debris up as soon as it is noticeable on the floor.

Notice that the lead removal process can last for several days. The clean-up required after every workday.

 

Clean up

Once the paint removal is finished, the final clean-up is required. Use a HEPA vacuum to remove all the dust. HEPA vacuums can be obtained at most hardware stores, and only they can vacuum lead dust efficiently. Ordinary vacuums are not sufficient.

Once vacuumed, the area should be washed with a mixture of cleaner and water, and in the following step rinsed with clean water.

Be sure that not a single particle of lead dust ends up in the renovated room; one more cleansing is advisable. 

Hazardous waste management services are trained to do this job. Asbestos and lead removal associated with some permanent and even lethal diseases. If the cleaning process not done accurately, there is a chance that health problems may occur.

Many hazardous waste management services deal with different kinds of toxic and non-toxic materials that are not biodegradable. Lead is just one of them. Another reason why hiring a hazardous waste management service is advisable is that they are obliged and know how to dispose of the waste safely and in accordance with local laws. This process can be done by recycling or by biological treatment. All these services intended for human and environmental health keeping.

CONCLUSION ABOUT ASBESTOS AND LEAD REMOVAL

Dealing with asbestos and lead is dangerous. Improper handling of asbestos and lead waste is more dangerous than not reacting at all – especially if the area is undamaged. Damaging products and materials with asbestos will release toxic dust. However, throughout history asbestos was even used in toothpaste, and as a substitute for snow on movie sets. Since a naked eye cannot observe asbestos and lead, product labels should be checked out especially if used in insulation.

Another common dangerous substance that can be found in households is lead. Although it was banned a long time ago, a lot of homes, schools, and other buildings painted with lead-based paints. Now when the harmful effects of lead dust are a sort of collective knowledge, people around the world are renovating facades. Extended lead exposure is related to diseases of the heart, kidneys, and reproductive system. Lead removal, therefore, must be appropriately handled.

Hazardous waste management services are there to ensure the safest possible environment before the renovation process. Their job is to secure the contaminated area and dispose of the waste materials once their task is complete. Hazardous waste materials must be disposed of in a specific way. In most countries, hazardous waste management services must be obligatory certified by the state or some other relevant institutions.