Sometimes during construction the question arises of how to disassemble brickwork without damaging the brick. Redevelopment of an apartment and its renovation are quite important measures designed to create additional comfort and coziness, as well as significantly improve aesthetic qualities. In some cases, carrying out such actions may require demolishing any of the walls or changing its shape.
Careful dismantling of the brickwork will help preserve the brick for future use.
The need to demolish brick walls while preserving the material and the stages of upcoming work
Construction apartment buildings Soviet period was carried out using bricks and cement mortar, which made it possible to achieve excellent strength and durability characteristics of the building. Today, similar houses have long expired, but due to their increased strength and stability they are still used for living. In an effort to give our apartments a modern appearance, many people are trying to remodel their homes.
The purpose of such work is to expand the free space of the house and optimize it. In turn, the implementation of such an undertaking may require the demolition of some walls, and the material that is their basis can serve to achieve other goals. Some people dismantle walls using mechanical devices, others prefer to do all the work manually - both of these solutions will help bring a positive result and not only remove the unnecessary partition, but also obtain a sufficient amount of material that can be used in the future.
It is best to moisten the brick with water before dismantling.
In general, dismantling a brick wall is quite simple, but you should follow certain rules, allowing you to speed up this process and keep the material intact. Analysis of the wall of a brick building consists of the following steps:
- preparatory work;
- collection of tools;
- dismantling the partition.
The above stages fully describe the nature of the work and its structure. Moreover, each of them is of particular importance and contains its own subtleties that must be taken into account. This is the only way to achieve a positive result and dismantle a house or brick wall in the shortest possible time.
Dismantling a brick wall: preparatory work
Preparatory work is almost the main stage, which involves disassembly brick wall.
This stage consists of carrying out a whole range of measures aimed at optimizing future work. It is based on the following principles:
Before starting work, it is necessary to turn off the electricity at the site.- Such work is often carried out in premises that have already been renovated and equipped for human habitation. In such conditions, the safety of surrounding objects and coatings plays an important role, and a fallen brick can easily damage any interior detail. Therefore, it is initially necessary to remove all items and cover the floor to avoid damage.
- Dismantling the wall must be safe, so you must first turn off the power supply to the site and remove all sockets and lighting fixtures.
- Getting to the base of the wall, much less dismantling the brickwork, is not as easy as it might seem at first glance. In our apartments there is always some other coating on top of the brick. It could be plaster, ceramic tile, putty or ordinary wallpaper. Therefore, to carry out the work, you first need to remove all these materials, leaving only a bare brick plane.
- It is also very difficult to dismantle a wall and remain clean. Therefore, the brickwork must be thoroughly moistened with water. This step will make it possible to get rid of large quantity dust, which is an integral part of repairs. During work, you should periodically wet the surface with water, ensuring minimal spread of dirt and dust in the air.
All these steps must be completed immediately before starting to dismantle the wall, which will ensure optimal conditions for carrying out work and preserving the brick.
Dismantling brickwork: list of tools and sequence of work
How to dismantle brickwork without damaging the material? The answer to this question is quite simple: having collected all necessary tool and knowing how to use it, doing the job and preserving the brick is quite simple, although it may take quite a bit long time. The list of required equipment may include the following tools:
To dismantle you need to prepare tools.- pick;
- jackhammer;
- perforator;
- sledgehammer;
- chisel;
- a set of metal wedges;
- hammer;
- gloves.
Depending on the structure of the wall, one or another tool may be necessary. To demolish thick walls consisting of several rows of bricks, you will need a hammer drill and a jackhammer. In turn, disassembling the partition can be done using a chisel and sledgehammer.
To dismantle the wall, first disassemble the top row of bricks. The brick that forms it is unlikely to be preserved, but such a step will allow access to subsequent rows. Using a sledgehammer, knock out the top few rows of brick, freeing up space for further work.
Next, using a chisel or metal wedges, depending on the quality of the cement mortar, you must carefully remove each subsequent row of masonry by knocking out each individual brick. If necessary, in particularly difficult areas, you can use a sledgehammer, hitting it between the bricks directly on the petrified mortar.
The remaining concrete is removed from the brick with an ordinary hammer and chisel. This is how it is made complete disassembly the entire wall, and the material forming it remains intact, which makes it possible to reuse it for the construction of any other buildings or partitions.
To dismantle it, they begin by inspecting its walls. The brick must be free of cracks and fallen areas, otherwise there is a danger that it will not be able to be removed from the wall intact. According to the rules of masonry, the grade of cement mortar must be lower than that of the brick - in this case, during dismantling, the mortar is destroyed, but the brick remains intact. However, in Lately In buildings, bricks of a grade lower than that of the mortar are often found, and it is impossible to extract it from the wall - it begins to collapse already during operation. Then a grid of seams with the remains of brick between them clearly appears on the wall of the house.
Before dismantling, the house must be inspected by a designer or architect. He will clarify which elements are worth saving. It is also necessary to invite specialists to carry out the work. Dismantling is dangerous for an amateur. Besides, similar works require knowledge, skills, use special tools. Depending on the size of the building, the number of workers and the availability of equipment, dismantling takes 3-7 days. To save as much as possible Construction Materials, many works are done manually.
How to dismantle a brick house for re-construction
If possible, dismantling begins with those elements that are in good condition. First of all, doors, windows, floor elements, baseboards, cornices, interior wood trim etc. Then they remove engineering Communication, machinery and equipment, dismantling the roof and partitions. For dismantling wooden beams floors may need a winch, reinforced concrete slabs ceilings are removed using a crane. IN last resort disassemble load-bearing walls.
- Dismantling brick walls can be done manually or by impact, for example using an excavator bucket. It depends on how you plan to use the brick and on the strength of the masonry. High quality brick try to dismantle piece by piece using hand tools. This is not difficult if the masonry is done on lime mortar or on low quality cement. If the solution is too strong, then the wall can be broken into blocks with blows and not further crushed.
- Dismantling the foundation is particularly difficult. Specialists have their own methods for this, for example, influencing concrete using hydraulic equipment. But, as a rule, it is not profitable to dismantle the foundation, especially since in a new house it can differ significantly.
Simultaneously with the dismantling of the house, the resulting materials are sorted. It is better to store everything that is intended for reuse under a canopy to avoid damage from exposure. sun rays or due to getting wet.
Re-building a house: what comes first - the material or the design?
When designing a house intended for construction from used materials, you must first find out what size slabs or floor beams can be purchased, what standard size old lintels, windows and doors. Having received this data, the project should be adapted to it.
The new house design may well differ from the old one, but in order to use floor and roof structures, it is necessary to maintain the dimensions of the spans between the load-bearing walls and the roof slope angle. With a larger area of the designed building, it will not be difficult to supplement the existing kit with new materials.
Cleaning used bricks
Used bricks (ceramic and silicate) can be safely used for laying walls and partitions. Its quality is usually better than modern ones. To use, the brick is cleaned of mortar residues using a chisel and hammer. There are also chemical methods cleaning. When using brick large blocks It is enough to give their ends a more regular shape. Blocks are best used for outbuildings, combining them with piece material.
Today there are many sources of information on how to properly build a house and make repairs or Finishing work. But sometimes it happens that a person does not need information about the construction, but information about the demolition or dismantling of the building. Many people think that demolition of a building does not require much knowledge, but this is not true.
First of all, you need to understand that incorrect actions during dismantling can pose a threat to human health and even life. In addition, if the building is disassembled correctly, some materials can be preserved intact and can be reused. The Techno-Digger company, whose experience is confirmed by many years of practice, will provide you with high-quality demolition and dismantling of any buildings or walls.
Brick building - material features
The most delicate dismantling is considered to be the dismantling of brick buildings. You always want to save a brick for reuse, and it is easily destroyed by powerful mechanical actions. For high-quality dismantling of a brick structure, the following important details must be taken into account:
- fastener that was used during construction. If the fastening mortar is not very strong, the building can be dismantled several bricks at a time, separating them with a metal stake;
- quality of the brick - if the brick crumbles, you must be careful not to break it. If it is strong, it will be easier to separate them from each other;
- volume and specificity of the work - if you are going to demolish the building completely, this is easier to do, but if you need to remove only one wall, you must adhere to the rules of caution so as not to violate the integrity of the entire structure;
- place of construction - if the building is located away from other buildings, it is easier to demolish or dismantle it. And if there are other buildings nearby, you need to make sure that there is no collapse that could destroy them.
Ways to dismantle a brick building
Today, there are several ways to dismantle or demolish a brick building:
- manual is a method of dismantling a building using any available means to separate bricks;
- mechanical - involves disassembling using various mechanisms and devices;
- demolition is the most severe way to demolish or destroy a structure using micro-explosions on separate areas building. During this process, it is difficult to save materials for reuse.
The most important thing when performing dismantling work is caution and compliance with all safety standards. If there is a need to demolish or dismantle a brick building, it is better to contact specialists; this will help protect yourself and others, as well as save the necessary materials.
Demolition of a brick building using special equipment - in this video:
Sometimes during the renovation process it is necessary to dismantle the old brickwork. Dismantling of masonry can be done using various instruments. Using a jackhammer can speed up the process, but the bricks are more likely to be damaged.
In order to disassemble brickwork you will need:
- jackhammer with a blade-shaped working part;
- crowbar or pickaxe;
- chisel;
- hammer or sledgehammer;
- steel wedges;
- respirator;
- gloves.
Start dismantling the brickwork from the top of the wall. Turn on and point the jackhammer at a horizontal joint in the masonry. Throw the broken bricks aside or lower them down the chutes installed for this purpose. Disassemble the masonry in horizontal rows.
Use a crowbar or a pick if you don't have a jackhammer, aiming the blows of the tool at the points where the masonry is held together. If necessary, you can clear the bricks from the mortar immediately using the sharp end of a pick.
Dismantle the old masonry with loose bricks using a chisel and hammer according to the same principle: in horizontal rows, starting from the top. Place the chisel on the horizontal seam of the masonry and simply hit it with a hammer. Having dismantled one row of bricks, proceed to another.
Brickwork made on durable cement mortars, disassemble this way. Drive steel wedges into the horizontal joints at the top of the masonry (in several places), and, if necessary, into the vertical ones. It is more convenient to do this together: one person installs the wedge in the holder and points it at the masonry seam, and the other hits the wedge with a sledgehammer. Then, using a crowbar or jackhammer to hit the horizontal seams between the hammered wedges, begin to disassemble the masonry, separating the bricks.
If you need to make an opening in a load-bearing brick wall, do this. Mark the position of the opening. Knock out the top brick with a scarpel or sledgehammer, and then those nearby. Then proceed to the next horizontal rows. In cases where the wall masonry is thick, punch holes first on one side of the wall (half its thickness), and then on the other.
Dismantle the masonry of old brick buildings using technology, if you have such an opportunity. Hang a metal core or blank weighing two to three tons from the crane boom and lower it onto the building from a height until it falls apart. Pieces of masonry can then be used for various purposes or divided into individual bricks, clearing them of cement. The integrity of the bricks with this method of dismantling the masonry will be low.
For the purpose of expansion usable area premises or its redevelopment, the dismantling of a brick wall is often used. At the right approach to the point, you can remove any part of the building, be it a load-bearing wall or a simple partition. It is also possible to partially dismantle a section of the wall to install an additional door or window.
But dismantling a wall implies partial or complete destruction of one of the supporting points of the structure, and therefore entails a certain danger. To avoid the formation of cracks on adjacent walls, or the complete destruction of the building, it is necessary to carry out this procedure with extreme caution, always observing all possible safety rules.
To dismantle a brick wall you will need the following tools and devices:
- Heavy hammer
- Sledgehammer
- Chisel
- Special pliers for removing bricks (optional)
- Special supports (for dismantling a load-bearing wall)
- Protection against dust and falling bricks
You should not use cheap and low-quality tools for dismantling. For example, a hammer drill, which is designed for small-scale work, will not withstand long-term loads and will not provide sufficient impact force to destroy high-quality cement mortar.
Removal of any wall should begin with consultation with a specialist. It is better not to touch some walls, especially load-bearing ones, unless it is possible to really assess the degree of risk. As a last resort, it is better and safer to entrust the dismantling of such an area to professionals.
Immediately before starting disassembly, you must remove all electrical wiring off the wall. As a last resort, if the wiring is hidden and you do not know the system for its location, you can simply turn off the power to the entire line in the room.
Next, you need to ensure protection floor covering, since falling bricks can damage it irreparably. For this purpose, you can use any springy material, for example, pieces of foam rubber or old blankets. If there is furniture in the house, then it is covered with a film to protect it from dust.
If brickwork finished with plaster, then it is covered. This can be done using a hammer, ax or other tool.
You should start dismantling the brick wall from the top row. It is knocked out using a hammer drill or sledgehammer. This should be done very carefully, avoiding large areas of destruction and cracks. Further work to dismantle a brick wall consists of prying off each subsequent row using a hammer drill or hitting a chisel with a hammer. To speed up the process and more accurately disassemble, specialists use special pliers. The principle of using this device is as follows. Several adjacent bricks are clamped simultaneously with tongs. Then, using a lever, the clamped bricks are broken out of the masonry. The advantage of this method is that the dismantled bricks do not break when dropped. This makes it possible to reuse them.
If a load-bearing wall is being dismantled, then special supports must first be installed to hold the floor slabs.
Also applies phased dismantling load-bearing wall.
In these cases, part of the masonry is removed from the ceiling to the floor, then a support is installed in place of the masonry.
This process is repeated for each safe section. Typically, load-bearing walls are rarely dismantled due to the associated hazards.
But in case of emergency, for example, for overhaul buildings, is still practiced.