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5 Misconceptions About Demolition Contractors

April 29th, 2013 | Posted by admin in Demolition-Junk-Removal-Services - (0 Comments)

Demolition and demolition contractors are surrounded by misconceptions. People tend to think of demolition as a business of brute force and big bangs. When in reality being a demolition contractor requires a knowledge of the law, technology, and best workplace practices. 

1. Demolition Contractors Just Blow Things Up.

Implosion (and technically buildings are imploded, not blown up) account for less than 2% of all demolitions. Actually most commercial demolition contractors do not do implosion demolitions. And residential implosion demolition is almost unheard of.

2. Demolition Contractors Just Dump Everything in a Landfill

This used to be true but more and more demolition contractors recycle at least some percentage of construction debris recovered from a demolition project. Depending on the project that number can creep as high as 90%. Demolition contractors recycle because recycling saves them money and preserves the environment.

3. Demolition Contractors are All the Same

Demolition is a skill. A demolition contractor who is inexperienced can cause massive and sometimes unrepairable damage to a home. So no, not all demolition contractors are alike. 

4. Demolition is Dangerous.

A good demolition contractor knows how to limit the dangers of a given demolition project and control the risks. While demolition is never 100% safe, most demolition contracts spend a lot of time and a lot of effort minimizing the dangers of demolition.

5. Demolition Contractors Don’t Pay Attention to the Law

Demolition contractors actually need a very thorough knowledge of the law to do their jobs. From work place laws to basic contractor laws. A good demolition contractor is one who is a student of the law.

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What Is Deconstruction Demolition?

April 26th, 2013 | Posted by admin in Demolition-Junk-Removal-Services - (0 Comments)

Deconstruction is a type of demolition that has gained more and more traction across the country. More and more demolition contractors are opting to use deconstruction methods instead of full on demolition.  But what exact is deconstruction?

Deconstruction is  a demolition service where parts of a building (or all of a building) is un-constructed or deconstructed. A demolition contractor looks at a building and says, OK, how can we slowly and methodically un-construct this building? Then asks, how many of the building materials can be reused? Then a demolition contractor begins a slow process of recovering materials from a home.

An experience demolition contractor removes fixtures from a home. A demolition contractor may also remove tile and flooring to be reused elsewhere. Beams and lumber can be recovered as well. So can copper piping and even wiring. Anything that isn’t damaged (and even a few things that are) can be recovered from a building or home under deconstruction.

Deconstruction is a slower process than traditional demolition. But demolition contractors often realize substantial savings from deconstruction because they can oftentimes reuse or resell items in other projects. Deconstruction is also more environmentally friendly than traditional demolition techniques that dump huge amounts of construction debris in landfills. Some cities (the city of Los Angeles for instance) are even offering expedited permitting for those who choose deconstruction over demolition. 

Is deconstruction for you? It’s hard to say. You should consult with your demolition contractor. Not every building or house demolition is a candidate for deconstruction. Your demolition contractor can advise you further about the advantages and disadvantages of deconstruction.

 

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5 Demolition Services You Can Probably Do Yourself

April 24th, 2013 | Posted by admin in Demolition-Junk-Removal-Services - (0 Comments)

When it comes to demolition there are a lot of demolition services you can’t or shouldn’t do yourself. For instance you probably won’t want to do your own house demolitions. But there are plenty of demolition services you can do yourself. These are the top 5 demolition services you can do yourself.

5. Small structure demolition — Often times small structures like sheds and free standing garages outlive their usefulness and become broken down beyond repair. Luckily these structures are often fairly easy and straight forward to teardown. Save yourself money and tear down a shed yourself.

4. Kitchen demolition — Kitchen remodeling is actually fairly straightforward do-it-yourself project. The key to kitchen demolition is a Go slow approach and a patient hand when removing cabinets, counters, and fixtures.

3. Bathroom demolition — bathroom demolition is much the same as kitchen demolition. Bathroom demolition requires a bit more knowledge of plumbing but can be easily accomplished by a do it yourselfer 

2. Concrete demolition — concrete removal is easy and hard work. 

1. Swimming pool demolition — At first glance you wouldn’t think you’d be able to do your own swimming pool removal but with the right equipment swimming pool demolition becomes an elaborate concrete removal job.

 

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Do You Need a Permit for a Swimming Pool Removal in Los Angeles?

April 22nd, 2013 | Posted by admin in Demolition-Junk-Removal-Services - (0 Comments)

Swimming pool removal in Los Angeles requires only a grading permit. A grading permit in Los Angeles can typically be obtained for a few hundred dollars. Either you or  your pool removal contractor  can obtain the proper permit. Most pool demolition contractors obtain a grading permit for a job and then pass the cost of the permit along to you.

However, if you live in a gated community or a community that has a strict homeowner’s association, you should check with your Homeowners Association before beginning your swimming pool removal. Your Homeowners Association may have specific by-laws about how a swimming pool can be removed in your area.

Never do a swimming pool removal with the proper permits and permission. Demo’ing without a permit can lead to extra costs if you are later forced to legalize your swimming pool removal, and can also result in fines from the city of Los Angeles.

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10 Tips for a Proper Swimming Pool Demolition

April 19th, 2013 | Posted by admin in Demolition-Junk-Removal-Services - (0 Comments)

Whether you are doing a complete swimming pool demolition or a partial swimming pool removal, swimming pool demolition is one of the simpler demolition jobs you can do. Here are 10 Tips to help you in your swimming pool demolition.

10. Use heavy machinery … While you can do a swimming pool demolition with a jackhammer I would highly recommend using heavy equipment to demo a pool. Either a bobcat with a hydraulic drill attachment, or a backhoe. Either one can quickly break up and bust up concrete. 

9. Obtain a permit … Typically you would need some type of permit for a swimming pool demolition. For instance, in Los Angeles, you only need a grading permit. Other municipalities may require a demolition permit or a series of permits. Obtaining a permit now ensures that your swimming pool removal is legal from the start.

8. Make a plan for construction debris disposal … Even if you are filling in your pool you can expect a certain amount of construction debris. Develop a plan beforehand on how you are going to dispose of that construction debris. Whether you are renting a dumpster or calling a hauling service, when, etc.

7. Get rid of pool accessories in advance … Pool toys, pool furniture, and portable pool filters can all become flying projectiles during a swimming pool demolition. 

6. Cover your windows … If you have glass doors and windows overlooking the pool, you may want to cover those doors and windows with heavy duty plastic or plywood boarding to prevent them from damage.

5. Lock up the cat, board the dog … It should go without saying that you need to isolate and lock up your pets during any kind of demolition work. 

4. Drain your pool… Before you begin your pool demolition be sure to remove the drain plugs and completely drain your pool. You may want to use a compressor and hose to drain the pool completely.

3. Drill drainage holes … Drill an array of drainage holes in the bottom of the pool so that once the pool has been filled in ground water will drain normally.

2. Buy extra fill … You will need fill dirt to layer on top of the demolished pool once the top layer of concrete so make sure you have some dirt on hand to complete the fill in. 

1. Recruit friends … doing your on swimming pool demolition can be a herculean effort so get some friends to help you. 

If you use these tips your swimming pool demolition will go smoothly.

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How to Find a Pool Demolition Contractor in Agoura Hills

April 17th, 2013 | Posted by admin in Demolition-Junk-Removal-Services - (0 Comments)

Pool demolition is a fairly straightforward form of demolition. But you still need to hire a qualified pool demolition contractor that knows the proper way to demolish a pool. Hiring an inexperienced pool demolition contractor can damage your property and cost you a lot of money in the long run. So how do you choose a pool demolition contractor in Agoura Hills? 

Pick a pool demolition contractor that has a lot of experience, both in general and specifically when it comes to pool demolition. You want to find a pool demolition contractor who has a couple years of experience under their belt. You also want to only hire pool demolition contractor that is licensed by the state of California, bonded, and insured. You also want to find a pool demolition contractor that has current and verifiable references.

The easiest way to obtain a lot of this information is to get an estimate. Actually you should obtain at least three estimates from pool demolition contractors. Use these estimates like you would a job interview. Ask lots of questions and take the opportunity to get a feel for how your pool demolition contractor works.

Be wary of any pool demolition contractor that refuses to openly provide you with standard information like California Contractor’s license, proof of insurance, or written estimates. Legitimate pool demolition contractors are more than used to providing this sort of information to potential customers. 

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Warning Signs of a Bad Demolition Contractor in Los Angeles

April 15th, 2013 | Posted by admin in Demolition-Junk-Removal-Services - (0 Comments)

There are a lot of demolition contractors in Los Angeles. Choosing the right demolition contractor can seem daunting. Here are a few warning signs of demolition contractors. 

1. A demolition contractor in Los Angeles that does want to give an estimate, will only give a phone estimate, or charges money for an estimate. Doing an estimate is a standard part of demolition contracting. Be wary of a demolition contractor that won’t give you a written estimate, or will only do an estimate over the phone. Also be wary of demolition contractors that charge for estimates. Charging for an estimate may not be out of line for particularly large demolition job, but in most cases a estimate ought to be free.

2. A demolition contractor in Los Angeles that doesn’t have or will not provide his contractor’s license. Every contractor is required to have a license to operate in Los Angeles. There also required to keep it updated every X number of years. So if your demolition contractor does not have a license, walk away. If a demolition contractor’s license is expired, walk away. Using an unlicensed demolition contractor puts your demolition project at risk and exposes you to legal risks.

3. A demolition contractor doesn’t have insurance, or doesn’t have appropriate insurance. Some insurance policies limit the type of demolition services a demolition contractor can do. Some demolition contractors may offer these services even when they aren’t supposed to.

4. A demolition contractor that has bad credit. Demolition contractors who do not pay their employees or their subcontractors can leave you liable 

Most of these warning signs are easily detectable. A few require a bit of detective work, but doing your homework early will save you money in the long run.

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How to Clean Up a Swimming Pool Removal

April 12th, 2013 | Posted by admin in Demolition-Junk-Removal-Services - (0 Comments)

Most demolition (outside explosive implosion) isn’t hard. After all, it is always easier to destroy something rather than building something. The main challenge of any demolition project is keeping a demolition worksite clean. This is true of swimming pool demolition too. 

So, whether you are doing your own swimming pool removal or hiring a demolition contractor do it, you will be faced with keeping your work area clean and debris free. For this task you have two options: rent a dumpster or hire a hauling service.

The advantages of dumpster rental is that dumpsters rental is usually cheaper than hiring a hauling service (because you’re not paying for the extra labor). But dumpster rental is often riddled with red tape. For instance, in cities like Los Angeles, dumpster rental is controlled by a few companies. If you rent a dumpster for another company you may face fines or the confiscation of your bin.

Hauling services provide the labor and the truck to haul your construction debris away with. Hauling services do their jobs fairly quickly. Most can clean up a demolition worksite in a couple hours. Hauling services also speed up the pace of your demolition. The only real downside to using a hauling service is cost. Hauling services cost more than dumpster rental, but provide more upsides than dumpster rental when you take into account labor and time expanded.

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How To Demolish a Swimming Pool?

April 11th, 2013 | Posted by admin in Demolition-Junk-Removal-Services - (0 Comments)

Demolishing a swimming pool and filling it in is a relatively simple and straightforward demolition job. Demolishing a swimming pool is time and labor intensive however. If you plan on doing your own swimming pool demolition plan on renting some heavy equipment and recruiting some friends to help.

Step 1. Formulate a plan. Swimming pool demolition isn’t something you want to do on a whim. You should spend a couple weeks planning exactly how you are going to demolish and fill in your pool.

Some things to think about — Will I need a permit? Most cities will require some sort of permit to demo a pool. How will I haul away construction debris? Even if you are doing a partial pool demolition you will generate a bit of construction debris that you will need to dispose of. What kind of heavy equipment will I need to rent? Do I have enough space to bring in a bobcat with a hydraulic breaker or will I need to do it with jackhammers?

Step 2. Clear and drain your pool. Clear away all pool accessories from the pool, including toys, filters, and removable ladders or diving boards. Drain your pool. You will eventually drill a set of holes in the bottom of the pool to ensure proper drainage, but be sure you drain your pool normally before beginning any swimming pool demolition.

Step 3. Demolish your swimming pool. You are most likely doing a partial swimming pool demolition so this involves drilling holes in the bottom of the pool and then cutting away the top two to three feet of concrete. The concrete is then used as fill in the bottom of the pool. 

Step 4. Fill in the pool with more fill dirt and start compaction. After you’ve properly compacted the pool area begin landscaping.

If this all sounds too daunting there are many swimming pool demolition contractors that specialize in swimming pool removal. 

 

 

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Dumpster Rentals Vs. Junk Removal Services in Thousand Oaks

April 9th, 2013 | Posted by admin in Demolition-Junk-Removal-Services - (0 Comments)

When it comes to demolition work, whether you are hiring a demolition contractor or doing it yourself, you have to think about and plan for clean up. Keeping your worksite clean and free of construction debris is essential for your safety and the safety of your works. When it comes to cleaning up a worksite you have one of two options: hire a hauling service or rent a dumpster.

Renting a dumpster in communities like Thousand Oaks can be quite the chore. Dumpster rental is heavily regulated in Thousand Oaks. Because Thousand Oaks is a “franchised community” only a single company is allowed to rent dumpsters. If you get a dumpster from another, “un-franchised” company you run the risk of having your dumpster impounded by the city. Also you cannot place a dumpster on the street in Thousand Oaks without a permit.

Hiring a hauling service that serves the Thousand Oaks area avoids a lot of red tape that accompanies dumpster rental. Also hiring a hauling service to clean as you demo saves you time. Your workers can focus on demolition and won’t have to stop to clean up. This can result in money saved as well since your paying your labor for less time over all.

Except for some very specific uses we always recommend hiring a hauling service in the Thousand Oaks area over renting a dumpster.

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