Block wall take down - best technique ?

[HawkEye244]

Hi all,
I'm taking down a cement block built shed.
Fortunately only the outside was rendered.
I've chipped away at most of the render which was a really horrible job; really defacing most of the blocks on that side.

However, on the other side they still look pretty good. Good enough to use on another project somewhere.

Before I start prizing the blocks apart at the joints, I'm curious to know if anyone has any special technique for this sort of thing ?

I'm using an sds drill on hammer with a flat head chisel, and occasionally use a point.

Any tips most welcome. Thanks

 

[johnny2007]

Break a corner with the sds, then a few blows with a sledgehammer and the whole thing will come down.

 

[HawkEye244]

Break a corner with the sds, then a few blows with a sledgehammer and the whole thing will come down.

Great suggestion Johnny.
I must have known this intuitively because I started breaking out the corner. Finding it to be a really horrid job tbh but will keep at it.

I'm contemplating a skip hire because carting this lot back and forth to the dump would probably cost about the same in gas haha.

 

[Koolpc]

Dynamite

 

[SFK]

contemplating a skip hire

Find a Grab Hire company - and put it on your drive (in reach of the claw of course) to be collected.
Typically much cheaper than a skip.

Grab hire collection - Google Search

 

[johnny2007]

Great suggestion Johnny.
I must have known this intuitively because I started breaking out the corner. Finding it to be a really horrid job tbh but will keep at it.

I'm contemplating a skip hire because carting this lot back and forth to the dump would probably cost about the same in gas haha.

Why is it a horrible job?
I find exterior demolition therapeutic.
Take the corner out with the sds by chiselling in the mortar joint from the top block.
First block is the most difficult, then you get an edge to lift the other blocks.
Once the corner is out, get a clubhammer or a sledgehammer, whatever you feel more comfortable with, and hit each block in the face, again starting from the top where you've taken the adjacent block out.
Work your way along and you'll be done in no time.
Then, pay someone £100 to take all the rubble in the skip while you sip a cold beer.
No worth breaking your back if you ask me.

 

[HawkEye244]

Why is it a horrible job?
I find exterior demolition therapeutic.
Take the corner out with the sds by chiselling in the mortar joint from the top block.
First block is the most difficult, then you get an edge to lift the other blocks.
Once the corner is out, get a clubhammer or a sledgehammer, whatever you feel more comfortable with, and hit each block in the face, again starting from the top where you've taken the adjacent block out.
Work your way along and you'll be done in no time.
Then, pay someone £100 to take all the rubble in the skip while you sip a cold beer.
No worth breaking your back if you ask me.

Thanks for the help on this Johnny.
I didn't find chiselling the mortar to be very easy so drilled holes in the joint instead and then gave them a wack.
Got through two bits unfortunately but got the job done.
I was able to push the wall over on the long section once the corner was out as you described .

Sometimes I wasn't straight when drilling the joints and ended up coming out the block on the other side which was annoying.
Intention was to preserve as many blocks as possible for whatever project is next, although I can't think of much use for blocks other than a base for a water storage tank on the allotment or something haha.

I've cleaned up loads of them with a scutch and hammer but the majority of them are defaced enough for nobody to want them.

In hindsight I probably would use an angle grinder at the joints if I had to do this again.
I didn't choose this method out of consideration for the neighbours but it would have been a lot tidier and cleaner for the blocks this way.
Anyhow.. live and learn

 

[johnny2007]

Well, the wall is down.
That's one in the bag.
Tip from an old timer: I'm all for reuse and recycling material, in fact, a lot of my projects are made with reused stuff, especially wood.
Said this, I had a couple of hundred new bricks and as many roof tiles in my garden for over a decade, thinking that the would be useful one day.
I ended up "selling" the lot for £50.
So, unless you have an idea about what to do with these blocks, give them away on freecycle or gumtree.
If nobody wants them, in the skip they go.
They'll be recycled for aggregates if you're worried about the environment, or returned to earth in a landfill.

 

[Tigercubrider]

Ok so it’s down now but wouldn’t it have been easier to angle grind the mortar from inside?
noisy for the guy doing it but better or neighbours.
Then from the outside use a bit of ply and a hammer to break the wall and cause the blocks to all into the shed footprint?

That way the internal face is semi protected.

plenty of people would want blocks that are ok on one side? For stuff like planters or even a new shed with the rendered side inside to be covered up or not?