# Forum Home Renovation Demolition  Diy House Demolition

## julaher

Hi folks
My partner and I are rebuilding and need to demolish a 10 sq cal bungalow and an expanse of concrete that currently stands on the block.  Had a quote for 5,5000 incl GST.  We would like to save the floorboards and casement bow windows and re-use them in the new house.  Any tips on the safest way to remove windows and floorboards and will we be saving $$ by doing it ourselves.  And what kinds of equip is required for such a job? Thanks Julaher

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## Pulse

salvaging floorboards - I spoke to a professional salvager after having difficulty rescueing cypress boards. T&G boards are difficult to remove becasue of the tongue. His method was to remove the walls then cut use a small crane to turn the entire floor over. The bearers and then the joists were pried from the bottom of the boards. 
A lot of heavy hard work 
Good luck
Pulse

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## ozwinner

Save yourself a lot of hard yakka and $5,500. 
Invite the local CFA around for some practice as they moniter the controlled burn of the house. 
Dont forget the marshmallows. 
Al  :Smilie:

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## Bluegum

You could always get a few of the forum members together.  Bung on a barbie a few coldies and we could get to work.   :Tongue:

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## bitingmidge

If you want to save a few dollars, you'll have to demolish the lot. 
Unfortunately unless you are geared to sell or otherwise dispose of the materials, tip fees will cost you pretty much all of that! 
If the contractor will allow it, get in and salvage what you want first.  Mostly we demolish houses with Monster Excavators and a fleet of trucks, very sad but true.  The cost of labour to save stuff just doesn't stack up in the big bad commercial world in which we live. 
Cheers, 
P

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## ozwinner

> Mostly we demolish houses with Monster Excavators and a fleet of trucks, very sad but true. 
> Cheers, 
> P

  I love this story.
A Kato rolls through the house, literally, bucket flailing, timber crashing.
Im getting goose bumps just thinking about it. 
Ive seen it a couple of times, and _ITS AMAZING_ to watch.. 
Al  :Smilie:

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## seriph1

WELCOME TO THE FORUM!!! (if I haven't welcomed you previously)  :Biggrin:  :Biggrin:  
To remove those things may affect the price you have been quoted as demolishers often resell those items and factor that into their price  -  if not, then you can hire flooring lifters ..... you cut around the room's perimeter and usually sacrifice one board to get started, then the lifters "mostly" will assist you in doing the rest.  
The windows: it really depends on what they are - if the home is timber, which I suspect it is in W.Brunswick then while you do need some preparation, they will be reasonably straightforward for a person with some building knowledge.  
I actually have to go to W.B. tomorrow to pick up two Kauri chests of drawers (want them?  :Biggrin:  ) - PM me with your Ph. number if you will be at the site as I would be happy to call by and offer some perspectives (part of my work is in restoration/renovation work on 1850's - 1930's residential architecture) - I am a real fan of CalaBunga's and would be keen to know what it is you intend replacing the building with. 
have fun!

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## seriph1

fairly busts my yarbles when I see damn good timber and rare building materials go down the tube .... totally understand why it does, but still.......

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## journeyman Mick

Don't know what the laws are in Victoria, but in Queensland you need to be licensed to carry out any demolition work. If you decide to demolish yourselves it would probably end up costing you more than $5.5K. Tip fees, truck, excavator, safety barriers, permits, insurances, traffic control, disconnection of services etc etc etc. If the demolition contractor will let you take stuff out yourself I'd be using a sabresaw to cut through all the fastenings holding the windows in place (after removing the architraves). They should then simply pop out. Floorboards are more difficult and are a bugger to reuse anyway as it's often very hard to get them to cramp together properly due to bent or damaged tongues or grooves that have broken off bits of tongue in them. 
Mick

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## seriph1

Laws are similar here in VIC I believe. Used to be anyone could do it, but we all know the world is a different place these days. I know one firm of demolishers very well and they get around 70% yield of flooring when they do a demo..... in my books that's pretty good, seeing as most homes are all done and dusted in a day or so.

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## julianx

make sure it's well insured, then torch it :Biggrin:

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## rod1949

I've just recently demolished my brick & tile house with timber floors. I held the licence, arranged the disconnections of services, exposed removed and filled the old septic system after it had been pumped out.  Right from the outset I wanted all the big timbers - bearers, joists, hangers, hips, ridges, rafters etc.  Most of the Demo mobs here in Perth were quoting $7k and up, even with giving them total salvage rights including the above timbers (which I have estimated to be worth $6k plus) it didn't make any difference. </O :Tongue:  I calculated that there was 60 cubic metres of brick walls and concrete footings. So I'll hire 3 x 30 cubic metre waste bins @ $700 each and hire a backhoe/loader. The waste bin mobs said no way, as they would not be able to lift a 30 cubic metre bin loaded with brick rubble. Their maximum bin would be a 10-12 cubic metre bin at around $400 ea.  I struck a deal with a mob called Capital Demolition who recycles brick/concrete/tiles etc for $4,400. I had to strip the house to be just the brick wall shell. I did this over a fortnight and I thoroughly enjoyed doing it. I also salvaged the copper wiring (stripped the plastic), copper pipes, bronze/brass plumbing fittings etc etc, for my troubles I collected $730 from the scrap metal dealer.  When the demolisher moved in the remains of the house was gone and site cleaned in 4 hours.  The flooring was short random length 65mm wide Jarrah and was unable to save as it was impossible not to damage the T&G's in removing, as has been stated above.

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## julaher

Thank you Seriph1 for the warm welcome to the forums, it's fantastic and just what I've been looking for when it comes to advice and different points of view on building and reno matters

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