When you plan on going through with a total building demolition, you might envision the entire building and everything in it getting knocked down and all the debris making its way to the landfill. But that doesn’t have to be the case. In fact, a lot of the materials that make up a building are reusable for other building projects or can be recycled to make new materials. The truth is that salvaging materials oftentimes saves money, since refuse disposal costs are typically high.
Do you want to be earth-friendly, but don’t know where to start? First, contact a professional wrecking crew like Midland Wrecking Inc. for services, and read through this list of materials and fixtures that can be recycled after commercial demolition in Kansas City:
- Metals: Most commercial buildings are made of a variety of different metals to ensure that structural failure does not occur. The most common metal salvaged from demolition projects is steel. Steel is a strong metal that won’t break down in the landfill, so it’s better to recycle it to live another day. Another metal that’s recyclable is copper wiring found within walls and connected to large electrical units—the scraps from copper wiring pulled from wrecking sites can be recycled and then reused.
- Concrete: Mixing and pouring concrete is hard work; so is breaking it and tearing it up in order to complete a demolition project. Since commercial buildings are sizable, you can bet there’s going to be tons of concrete knocked down from walls, the foundation, walkways and driveways and even concrete rooftop decks. The good news is that you don’t have to waste old concrete. With the right equipment, concrete chunks can get crushed into gravel to use in other building projects.
- Beams and partitions: Before or during a commercial demolition in Kansas City, a salvage crew can remove still-usable wood beams and posts from the structure—especially if your building’s architectural style is sought after or it has historical significance. Also, you can reuse good quality wood or metal office partitions for your new building, or sell them. If salvaged wood turns out to be unusable, you can still send the materials to the recycling plant.
- Doors and windows: Most of the time, because of their good condition, business owners may remove commercial building doors and windows prior to demolition. They can be reused in a number of projects or sold to pay for newer ones.
- Fixtures: Many business buildings likely have bathrooms, kitchens and sometimes even showers installed. If any fixtures—such as toilets, shower doors, sinks, large kitchen appliances and countertops—are still good, they shouldn’t end up in the debris pile. Even if they can’t be reused, many materials, including porcelain, stone and metals, can be recycled just like steel and wood materials and fixtures.
If you need to hire a company to handle commercial demolition in Kansas City, look no further than Midland Wrecking Inc. Our team also specializes in complete debris removal and cleanup and salvaging building materials to reduce waste. Call today!