Demolition of old house question

Okay, I have an old >100-year-old homestead home I need demolished. I have talked to three different small companies that say they will do it but can't seem to get them there to get it knocked down and haul away.

These guys owners of the company's I know personally, and all are very busy with other work than demolition jobs. The old ranch house is 28 long and 14 wide one story maybe 10 feet high. One third was an add on in early 40's.

So, other options I would have are burn it down and then clean it up or dig a hole and have someone push it in and burn than cover. The problem is getting someone there to do it.

Should I burn it down or what would you suggest. I would like to build back on the cement walls that are there now.

heat from a fire will be hard on 100 year old concrete

I would not burn it down,the heat from the fire could damage the concrete.

When I did my old farmhouse the cheapest option by far was to dig a hole, push it in and burn it, so that's what I did. The landfill fees would have been outrageous.
Also, that is probably the qucickest option for your contractor to complete so maybe they can work you in sooner.

If its in a safe place to burn, check with your local fire company. They'll sometimes burn them down for you, for training porposes.

See if a local fire department wants to burn it down and use the burning building for training purposes. My great-grandmother did that with a house on her property when I was about 13. Super fun to watch.

I hear, can't confirm, but I have heard that if you take the windows out and fill the entire house with brush 2 inch or less and really pack it in, that the fire will be so hot that the only thing left over will be the steel items. Supposedly even the fiberglass insulation will melt into a puddle.

some areas the only legal way is a track hoe, dump truck and landfill. not cheap. might could find somebody willing to tear it down for the lumber. that takes awhile to do even with 2-3 people.

Ckecking with the local fire departments is a good idea. However, when I checked they had a waiting list of old houses to choose from. They were in no hurry to do mine. Hopefully your local department won't have so many prospects!

Gas leaks I hear make them disappear, lol.

If you can rent an excavator with a thumb and have someone drop off dumpsters you'd be surprised how few bigt dumpsters it takes to get rid of a house.

Any Amish close by, maybe you could give it to them. Maybe you could rent a backhoe.?

Check with your local fire department.

Sometimes they are looking for structures to use for training. They will burn it down for free and do it 100% in a safe and controlled manner.



This was the trailer used for training firefighters. I was the last class who used it. The fire department just finished building a new training center , so I got to burn my school down. One item checked off the 'bucket list'....lol

I had a old farm house on the land I bought that we lived in till we built new.took everything out that was salvageable knocked it down and burnt it on a real foggy night. But it was a limestone basement that we didn't want to rebuild on.

Nothing around there for miles so safe burning would be a none issue. I'm not totally concerned if cement footer walls are not saved or not. I still would be able to build over top of that main bunk house.

The only real problem I could see if I burned it down is the carbon mess I would have when I rebuild on that site. It may not be that big of a deal but not sure.

I might have them dig a hole right beside the bunkhouse and push it in and burn. The other option some had noted is fire dept. for an exercise. I might contact fire dept. and give them 1500$ donation for burning it down and see what they say. I could deduct charity donation from taxes.

Open a propane tank in the basement then a half hour or so later use a remote igniter.
make sure you record it for Utube.

I would check with building department to see if an asbestos survey is needed first. A property-owner I trap on, demoed a house and the Labor Dept shut him down and fined him $25,000 for not doing an asbestos survey.

Unless it’s been recently re done I would not rebuild on 100 year old cement , fire or no fire.

Do you need to rebuild exactly on the same site? otherwise burning in an adjacent hole would probably suffice, your gonna need fill to level that spot anyway so no problem with the ash and burnt chunks

In my area, there are lots of people who tear down old houses and barns in exchange for the wood, brick, stone walls, slate roof and tin roof to resell to rich people who basically use the old materials as decoration. Even old windows often have value. Typically the contracts require the salvagers to haul off or bury everything left on site.

Old lightning rods and architectural iron can bring big money. Old wood floors can too.

You may have people in your area that also salvage old building materials.

Keith

I agree 100 percent. A new foundation should be done and will save you a whole lot of Headaches later. My place in WV had our old Grandparents house built in the 1800's and I know I was not there when it was built but the concrete Basement walls had to have been done by eyesight alone. Nothing was square.

You can not give an old house around here away but put a big price on it and say it has to be moved and people will beat you door down to pay you. Strange times we live in.

Most fire departments will require to remove asbestos / lead/ windows/ plastics/ composition roofing/ on and on

Same thing here in Nebraska. Has to be inspected for asbestos.... I'm told there can be some pretty hefty fines if disposed of improperly.

Often this applies to commercial properties or those within city limits, but may not apply to your rural property if you dispose of it on-site by burning and burying. Depends on your state and local laws and such.

MT has builder friendly code in most areas

I put a 24’ x 28’ in 4 roll offs at a total cost of $2400 to landfill. Bought my grandson the biggest wrecking bar I could find. Paid him $10 per hour to destroy it. He used my Skidloader for the biggest chunks. There is absolutely no trace.

He wants me to buy another tear down this summer !

Sounds like you should buy another tear down granddad.

If the structure is already gone you maybe able to get a dozer guy there faster as all they have to do is dig a hole and push the ash in the bottom and fill it.

Some great advice and I thank you. I'm still got high hopes one of those contractors will go knock it down for me.

A buddy of mine just had one knocked into the basement two miles south and two west of me. He had a problem getting people to do it too. It stood almost two years waiting on people that said they would do it. He kept asking and found a guy that showed up the next day. He is going to burn it and fill the basement with dirt.

I have the same plan with mine. The hoe with a thumb is $1600 for a week and dumpsters are just over $600 each. I think It will take 3 dumpsters. So around $3500 plus a day or two to do some site work.

How about stripping it to the bare walls and just adding on? Retain some original character in that part instead of all new chip board and plastic.

had a Tech school do a " hazardous waste" survey with their students as an exercise, then some training for the "heavy equipment" students in knocking it down.
There is a 25 mile joint agreement between Canada and USA boarder states to remove all structures that may harbour skunks( rabies) Manitoba west to the coast. Do you fall in this area ?

True, I thought about that also and great idea. The two room (100 year plus) is all hard wood floors. The 10 foot add on in the 40's is plywood floor. I just don't want to take the time or have the time.

Originally Posted by Donnersurvivor
If you can rent an excavator with a thumb and have someone drop off dumpsters you'd be surprised how few bigt dumpsters it takes to get rid of a house.

That is a great Idea and will most likely be my last straw if no will do it.

Run a air purifier in it for a week then get the filter checked for any mold issues is always a good option

My house is going to be demolished to make room for development. The developer has bids ranging from $20-28k.

Forget piecing it out.
Too many people/ Time involved.
Foggy day n burn it.
Simple n done.

Grass/ brush piles sometimes get outta control.

Yep, thinking very strongly about that option. I might see if local fire dept. would come burn it down and I would give them a donation to make it worthwhile for them.

Once you get someone involved and they decline, they will know about it.

Just do it.easy peasy

Yep, I thinking so too. Thanks

Here if you’re going to burn it we call it in as a controlled burned, so when people driving that see smoke and call it in, the fire department doesn’t show up and put it out half way through the burn.

Yep here also. I have done it before and yes that is requirement for a burn permit. They just want a location of burn and date/time and contact number.

It is a good requirement, so everyone is on the same page.

this is not the FIRST time I've been concerned about you...

seem like a small building, get a few highschooler kids and tear it down!, burn it in small piles?

That is a great idea!! The only thing with that it is so difficult to find anyone to work. I have placed an ad for anyone wants building or tear down and no takers

Good advice right here.
Depending on your zoning laws and building codes in a most cases a demolition permit is required. Here in our area an asbestos report is required which runs about $1500. Without the report demolition cost will triple and fines for demoing without a report and a permit can be in the thousands of dollars regardless of how it is done.
I personally would stay away from rebuilding on a 100-year-old foundation.