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Whole House DemolitionHow to have a successful tear-out process in it's entiretyWhen it's time to begin the whole house demolition process, make double sure of just what exactly it is you're trying to tear out and what you have to do get rid of the mess you're going to generate. And make no mistake - you will generate a lot of debris to be dumped. If you plan on performing the demo work yourself, you will need to do some planning for a safe and legal demolition process. (Keep in mind this is hard work, and not for the faint-of-heart. Hire some cheap labor to help you do this) Legal you say? Yes, you read it correct. You see, in most municipalities, you have to get what is known as a dumpster permit for your site. Some towns even require a demolition permit if your project happens to be near, or in the public right-of-way. In other words, any falling debris that can inhibit or endanger any vehicular or pedestrian traffic, you have to get an O.K. from the local officials. Kind of a hassle, but makes perfect sense nonetheless, especially if you are renovating a building within a city block sitting right on a street. You would be required to keep the area safe and clean at all times. Doing The Dirty WorkTypically, in older homes built in the 1800's and early 1900's, you have thick, heavy plaster on the walls that generally are supported by strips of quarter-inch thick wood called lathe that run horizontally (to the floor) along the space of the wall that form the support structure to hold the plaster (see picture). 
As you can imagine, you will generate a large amount of rather thick (and very unhealthy!) dust that you will have to deal with. As you tear out the old stuff, always sweep up enough to fill about 2 five-gallon bucket's worth of material, and throw in dumpster. This will keep you somewhat fresh from tiring out too early hauling a heavy wheel barrow full of debris (you know, the one that you fill to the brim and can barely move). That would definitely wear you out in a hurry!Keep It SafeAlways wear protective eyewear, goggles, leather gloves and hard hat when tearing out old plaster (or anything for that matter). This stuff is heavy and thick. You'll know it soon enough during whole house demolition if you're not wearing a hard hat and a chunk falls and conks you on the head. Probably the most important piece of protective wear is the ventilator mask to put over your face to keep you from inhaling the dust and fine particles filling the air around you. Any mask will do, but we recommend spending a few more dollars for the really good masks. They may take a little bit to get used to, but in the end are very effective. Wear long-sleeve shirts and long pants as well to protect your arms and legs. ToolsYou'll be using a wrecking bar ang sledge hammer to remove all the old lathe and plaster. A sawzall is also effective for cutting out whole pieces of lumber and other structures that need to come out without spending a lot of time. An excellent push broom and plenty of 3-mil thick plastic garbage bags (usually referred to "Contractor" bags) are essential to keeping the area swept and clean. Speaking of DumpstersYou should have on site a 30-yard size container to handle all the debris you'll generate. For a normal 1250 square foot home, you can expect to haul away about 2 - 3 full (30 yard) dumpsters of stuff. This assumes you're throwing out all the walls, ceilings, old trimwork/doors, cabinets, and old toilet fixtures. In other words, pretty much everything. Also ... check out our dumpsters page for more detailed information on renting, and different types and sizes for whole house demolition. Of course you could always hire someone to perform the demo instead of doing it yourself. You will spend somewhere in the neighborhood of $2500 - $5000 to have this process done by contractors who specialize in whole house demolition and debris removal. Prices will vary depending upon the size of the project. Ahh ... good results generally come at a price. 
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