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Posted by mm on September 25, 2007, 1:32 am
wrote:
> Mortar is not a
>'glue'.
The guys who buillt my house got mortar over a lot of the bricks, and
extra mortar at the edges of where it was supposed to be also.
I got loads of it off with a box cutter with the blade in sideways**
so it was a scraper. This worked better than a dedicated single-blade
razor scraper, because the blades didn't break anywhere near as often.
You're right that the extra mortar barely stuck to the bricks and the
hard part was where it was attached to more mortar, and even that part
wasn't very strong.
**There are two designs for the simple two piece, very flat box
cutter. Only one design can be used also as scrapers. You can tell
by the inner piece. It holds the razor at one end as a box cutter,
and at the other end, the two pieces of metal when viewed from the
side form a sharply pointed triangle, like a thumb and forefinger
holding something
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Posted by SteveB on September 25, 2007, 2:21 am
> On Sep 23, 3:37 pm, l...@adore.lightlink.com (Lacustral) wrote:
>> How would you demo a small cinderblock wall? It's about 20 cinderblocks
>> long, not attached to anything except to a section of wall I want - but
>> there's a crack between the section I want to take out and the section I
>> want, so that may be fine. It's about 3 cinderblocks high, the bottom
>> cinderblock was apparently halfway buried in the ground as a footer.
>> It's
>> mortared. I don't know if it has any metal reinforcement, it probably
>> doesn't need any.
>>
>> Laura
>
> Well, I have read the entire thread. Seems hardly anyone has actually
> removed a block wall. I have, several of them.
>
> Unless the cores have been poured or there is reinforcing embedded in
> teh mortar joints, it is a simple job, not requireing power tools.
>
> Your top course may give you problems that a few easy thumps with a
> sledge hammer will take care of. After that course the rest will
> probably just pick off or only require a mild tap. Mortar is not a
> 'glue'. Once the blocks are free, a chipping hammer will usually
> remove any remaining mortar with a few taps. Try the simple way first
> and you will be surprised at how minor a job it is.
>
> Harry K
>
Apparently you missed my post where I had removed 100' of six foot wall with
rebar, footers, and poured cells. The top part is usually easy, with most
of it falling over with a few slaps from a big hammer. It's just when you
get down to the bottom course when you find out if it is truly an easy job.
If you have a large footing, it gets complicated from there.
Removing a cinderblock wall of any size is no simple job. And the longer it
has been in place, the more the indication is that it was put up strong with
a lot of reinforcement.
I do hope the OP keeps us posted as to just how easy/hard it was.
Steve
Steve
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Posted by CS on September 25, 2007, 2:13 am
> How would you demo a small cinderblock wall? It's about 20 cinderblocks
> long, not attached to anything except to a section of wall I want - but
> there's a crack between the section I want to take out and the section I
> want, so that may be fine. It's about 3 cinderblocks high, the bottom
> cinderblock was apparently halfway buried in the ground as a footer. It's
> mortared. I don't know if it has any metal reinforcement, it probably
> doesn't need any.
Seems most folks think a sledge hammer will do.
It may. I tried a few whacks on the cinderblock walls I was tearing down.
No fun. Hard to do, chunks of concrete flying in the face, hard to get at
the stuff in the ground, created more rubble than easy-to-grab chunks,
inaccurate...just a big pain in the rump.
I rented a demolition hammer for a couple days and tore the hell out of
those walls. It's basically a small, handheld jackhammer. Plug it in, rest
the tip against the cinderblock, and pull the trigger. Once you take out a
couple blocks, you'll have the hang of it, knocking out good size chunks you
can deal with. If you end up with too-big chunks, just bust them up with
the demo hammer. You can easily get at the stuff under the ground after you
brush some of the dirt out of the way. Dig a little hole next to the block
where you want to start, so the chunk will have somewhere to go, then just
knock out one block or so at a time.
Oh, and it's fun as hell, too.
Turned out some of the cinderblock wall was 'repaired' at one time with real
concrete, high strength stuff. It was tough to take out even with the demo
hammer. Forget using a sledge on that.
Some Home Depots rent them. Last one I rented came from United Rentals. I
think it cost something like $45 a day. Sounds like a lot, that is, until
you find that using a sledge sends one too many chunks of concrete smacking
you in the forehead.
One of the contractors I had in for another job stole my sledge. I was
grateful.
CS
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Posted by on September 25, 2007, 2:33 am
On 23 Sep 2007 18:37:08 -0400, lark@adore.lightlink.com (Lacustral)
wrote:
>How would you demo a small cinderblock wall? It's about 20 cinderblocks
>long, not attached to anything except to a section of wall I want - but
>there's a crack between the section I want to take out and the section I
>want, so that may be fine. It's about 3 cinderblocks high, the bottom
>cinderblock was apparently halfway buried in the ground as a footer. It's
>mortared. I don't know if it has any metal reinforcement, it probably
>doesn't need any.
>
>Laura
Use a chisel on the mortar and pry them apart. Save them if you can,
someone can always use them. Sure, a sledge hammer can do lots of
demolition, and you can work your ass off and do the job a little
faster at the expense of excessive sweating, but then you got to clean
up all the busted blocks and find a place to dispose of the junk. I'd
rather spend a little more time separating the blocks, and reusing
them, or giving them to someone else to use. It's easier to move 60
whole blocks than pails and pails of busted up junk.
Oh ya, if you are a redneck hillbilly and get really drunk. Slamming a
car into the wall is a great way to wreck the car and your
marriage. :)
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Posted by SteveB on September 25, 2007, 10:11 am
> You cracked me up :) Especially the oldfart@flatulence.com. I do not
> have, nor have ever had, a manicure.
>
> At least some of the blocks do have the centers filled with concrete.
> Yes it would be better to get the blocks out whole. I know I can give
> those away or sell them, and trying to get rid of a mass of concrete
> chunks is a real disposal problem. Dumping them in the woods seems
> rather antisocial :) So it sounds like the idea of renting
> a concrete saw is the best. There are cracks in the mortar here and
> there - there are huge changes in temperature here. So some of the
> cinderblocks might come out with a big prybar, I have one of those
> (a dangerous instrument!)
>
> There are windows nearby and I've thought, probably best to protect them
> with a sheet of drywall.
>
> That silly "decorative trim" wall really gets in the way ... maybe it is
> fairly easy to just get rid of the thing ...
>
> Laura
>
>
You will only know AFTER you have taken it out. Please advise us as work
progresses as to how easy/hard it was to take out.
Steve
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