When Should A Building Be Demolished?

Demolition, whether of a small structure such as a garage or part of a home extension, or of an entire building, car park or skyscraper, needs to be undertaken with intense care to avoid causing unnecessary environmental damage.

Part of this is being cautious with demolition techniques, ensuring that debris is kept to a minimum and demolition clearance is quick, efficient and comprehensive.

The other part is ensuring that demolition is the right option for the building, as avoiding demolition reduces the cost of materials, but these savings could be immediately offset if expensive, specialist repairs are needed to ensure the older building meets updated building regulations.

Here are some of the questions to ask yourself when considering the demolition of a building.

What Is Its Current Use?

Often a building was originally constructed with a specific purpose in mind, but if that purpose changes, the design may no longer be suitable.

For example, if a former workshed has been converted into a home office, it can be a less than ideal size and shape, with poor insulation, since it was not designed to be worked in for long hours.

A larger-scale example is often seen with former factory buildings being converted into offices or flats. In some cases, rather than try and extend and modify an unsuitable building, it is more prudent to start over with a blank slate.

What Is Its Current Condition?

Condition is often the key deciding factor, as fixing underlying problems with foundations, electrical systems and structural integrity can sometimes make converting a building difficult if not impossible, and with difficulty comes added expense.

What Changes Are Required?

Sweeping changes are expected over the next decade to ensure that homes are greener, which can include changes to central heating, electrical systems and the installation of heat pumps.

Identify present and future changes that will need to be made to abide by building regulations, and see how viable these changes are compared to demolishing the building and starting over.