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5 Common Mistakes in Home Demolition Projects

Home demolition projects are fun – at least according to some homeowners. There’s something satisfying about demolishing some aspect of your home in order to pave the way for a new idea, a new construction, a new renovation.

But before you run out and grab the sledgehammer, you might want to stop and read this list of five common mistakes people make in home demolition projects. You might be able to prevent yourself from making a similar blunder!

1. Destroying electrical wiring

This is one of the worst mistakes you can make when doing your own demolition work. Running into electrical wiring, whether it’s with a saw or a sledgehammer, is never safe. It’s extremely dangerous, and not something you want to expose yourself to – or anyone else, for that matter. Always be super aware of where the electrical wires in the building are before you start demolition. And if there’s ever any doubt, continue your research or contact an electrician or professional home renovator to give you peace of mind before continuing.

2. Hitting the plumbing

Always be keenly aware of where the plumbing is in your home or apartment building before you begin any DIY demolition work. The history books are filled with eager homeowners who didn’t know they were about to run into live plumbing – and the results are never pleasant. A great big miss and a hefty expense later, your problem might be solve and you’ll be able to continue on with your renovation.

3. Demolishing a structurally-important feature

One thing you never, ever want to do is start demolishing something that’s structurally important to the home. If you’re not sure, it’s always best to have a professional come and check the situation to make sure your demolition ideas are safe and viable. Otherwise, you could be putting yourself and your family in danger – not to mention wreaking havoc on your house!

4. Causing aesthetic problems

You might not cause structural problems with your DIY demo work – but you might knock off some trim you didn’t mean to knock off. You might destroy part of a wall or floor that you mean to preserve. When you’re talking about fine edges and details, it can be difficult to get your demolition project exactly right. This can end up costing you in the long run, as you scramble to fix those aesthetic problems you’ve created.

5. Hiring a bogus contractor

This one speaks for itself – unfortunately, there are contractors out there whose reputation precedes them in a bad way (or who have no reputation at all). Always make sure to hire someone reputable and dependable.

To sum it all up

Home demolition may be one of those areas where you don’t think many mistakes can be made. After all, you’re generally just destroying and tearing things down. What could possibly go wrong? A lot, actually – everything from safety to structural concerns can become a problem in home demolition projects, whether it’s tearing down a wall or bringing down an entire house. If you look at the statistics, there are huge number of demolition projects that take more time, energy and money than they should – all because the demolition work wasn’t done carefully.