Demolition is a profession that means tearing down a structure. This is the most basic of explanations for the profession, and there are other ways to explain it. Looking at specific types such as commercial demolition services is essential in understanding how different methods and types come into play for different jobs. Commercial demolition simply means to tear down a commercial property such as a store, factory, office buildings, hotels, a church, or any structure which is not used primarily for residential statuses. Today we’ll be looking at an overview of commercial demolition to better understand this type of demolition, so you know if it’s the right one for your needs.

How is Commercial Demolition Done 

Commercial demolition is very similar to residential demolition. The most used method for commercial demolition is mechanical demolition, meaning the use of heavy equipment like excavators, bulldozers, and wrecking balls is used most often.  Residential demolition involves heavy equipment as well, but it’s used more often in commercial demolition due to most commercial demolition jobs being on larger structures that are on a deadline to be removed from the location or are too run-down for any type of deconstruction.

Another method that is used often (but not nearly as often as previously stated methods) is deconstruction. Deconstruction is a method of demolition (or vice versa) where a demolition company will go in and manually deconstruct the building to salvage as much as they possibly can for reuse.

When it comes to commercial demolition, some steps need to be followed to complete a job properly. These steps are surveying area, health and safety inspection, permits, planning, demolition, clean up. This is a simplified version of what the process is, but it shows how demolition isn’t just the act of demolishing a structure but also demolishing a structure safely and efficiently.  Professional demolition companies are professional for this reason. It takes experience and proper equipment to do a demolition job the right way and hiring a demolition company for your next project is suggested for this exact reason.

Professional demolition companies know what to look for when surveying the area, whether it’s pieces of the structure that could be pulled for reuse, or health and safety issues that require specific inspectors to look at. From there they have a health and safety inspection undergone, to see if any safety hazards need addressing before they can work. Then they plan out what they’re going to be doing, when, where, how, and then they get the necessary permits required to do the job. Then the demolition is undergone. This is where different equipment comes in and all other steps beforehand helped outline what type and method of demolition would be necessary for the specific job. Once the demolition is complete, the cleanup is done. This part is very important and most don’t think about it. Clean-up must be done afterward. Demolition isn’t a clean job, it’s messy and the demolition site will have debris that needs to be cleaned up. Demolition companies know how to dispose of specific waste and where to dispose, further showing why a demolition company is necessary.

How Much Does Commercial Demolition Cost

The average cost of commercial demolition is approximately $5 – $10 per square foot in Canada. It’s a larger average than most other demolition methods since there are many different commercial buildings of all shapes and sizes. The larger a structure is, the more expensive the demolition job will be. Also factoring in the location of the structure, along with the permits that may be necessary due to the location, can change the price to be on the higher side of average. Safety and health issues also cause this, but this is because of the additional cost of the workers either removing the health hazard or working in this environment. Demolition is a very inexpensive profession of the construction industry, but many different factors can still cause the prices to go up. It’s a dangerous job and it requires the utmost care to do properly, so any health and safety risks only present a larger risk that the workers must be compensated for fairly.

Where does Waste Go After the Job?

This is one of the reasons why demolition is best to be done by professionals, the waste. Waste management after a demolition job can be quite an endeavor if you’re lacking the proper channels to dispose of waste. Demolition companies have these channels and know where the waste will be going. They know how to separate and recover as much material as possible to cut costs and natural resource use. They only do this if it’s safe to do so, however, as no amount of money is worth risking safety. A few examples of where waste goes is

Concrete 

Concrete is often crushed into gravel, which is often used in new construction projects.

Steel 

Steel and similar scrap metal is normally processed and recycled to create new materials

Interior Doors and Beams 

Demolition companies know to bring this to salvage companies as they’re normally interested in materials that are still in a decent condition such as wood doors and beams.

Sinks and Toilets 

If there are any sinks and toilets still in usable condition, they too are brought to a salvage company. If they’re not usable, the porcelain sinks and toilets are typically recycled with concrete, and other stainless-steel fixtures are recycled with scrap metals.

This is just a small view of the amount of waste that comes from a commercial demolition job. Commercial demolition normally yields large amounts of waste due to commercial buildings being typically large.

Commercial demolition is quite similar to residential but has its differences in how it’s approached, how it’s cleaned up afterward, and how it’s planned. Many different permits are required, more than a residential job would require. Larger machinery is used due to the size of commercial buildings, and the cleanup requires a bigger effort since it’s normally larger. If you require demolition services in Windsor, Ontario then contact RKS Services Group Inc. Services covering all of Windsor, Ontario to Southern Ontario with demolition services, offering both residential and commercial demolition.