What Happens to Home Demolition Waste? A Guide
If you are thinking about having your current home demolished so you can build a new property in its place, you may be wondering what a home demolition contractor will do with the waste material once the job has been completed. This article explains everything you need to know.
Brickwork and concrete
Bricks can take a considerable amount of energy and many hours of skilled labour to produce, so it is vital to reuse as many bricks as possible following a home demolition. This will reduce the damage the bricks would otherwise cause to the environment if they were disposed of improperly. The demolition of a house may include all or part of the brick and concrete work. This includes the fireplace and chimney, as well as any other ornamental elements such as arches (over doorways), windows, etc. These are often restored after demolition because they are an important part of the house's history. If you do not want to use any of your existing bricks on your new project, you can sell them back to builders' merchants or salvage yards for reuse in other buildings. Many brickwork materials such as concrete can be reused as hardcore in road construction if they are in good condition.
Metalwork
If you remove all the exterior metalwork of your property, such as doors, window frames and locks and fittings, you can sell the metal back to builders' merchants or salvage yards for reuse on other properties. If there is not much demand for these materials, they are usually taken away by specialist recycling companies.
Window frames and fittings
If you have wooden windows, frames and fittings, they can be sold back to builders' merchants or salvage yards for reuse on other properties. If there is not much demand for these materials, they will most likely be taken away by specialist recycling companies and disposed of in an environmentally friendly manner.
Decorations and finishes
Any plasterwork that remains after demolition can be given away to contractors for reuse elsewhere. Some people find it hard to part with their decorative finishings. If you are lucky enough to have these, you can sell them back to builders' merchants to recover some of the money you have spent on the demolition.
If you would like further advice or info about how material generated during a home demolition can be reused, resold or recycled, you should get in touch with a local company today.