Disassembling a small house

[rScotty]

Back when I wore a younger man's clothes, I tore down 4 houses. I did it for the lumber.

Sounds like you are getting paid to do it?

Your plan of attack is logical. Buildings closely set next to other buildings are torn down daily without encroachment.

I agree that the owner knew what he was buying and the hassles involved. Start wrecking.

Yep. That's how we built our house. We had enough money for the land, but nothing left over for a house. My wife and I disassembled some old cabins and outbuildings. It didn't take long at all. Kinda fun and had a lot of friends stop by to help for a few hours along with being able to take whatever material that they needed.

BTW, a lot of rural Colorado backs up to Forest Service land and we've fount that if both the Forest Service and the private property owners use common sense in maintaining a reasonable setback from the property line it will go a long way toward preventing the problems having to do with property rights.

I know nothing about the laws East of the Mississippi, but they do seem different than we do in the Western US.
That may be why a lot of the advice here on TBN is regionally specific.

 

[TractorGuy]

A couple of men can take it down by hand. I had a job when I was younger tearing down old houses for salvage. You do it just as you have planned. We took them apart one board at the time.

 

[ovrszd]

A couple of men can take it down by hand. I had a job when I was younger tearing down old houses for salvage. You do it just as you have planned. We took them apart one board at the time.

In my day it was lathe/plaster houses. I still can taste/smell that.

 

[quicksandfarmer]

Yep. That's how we built our house. We had enough money for the land, but nothing left over for a house. My wife and I disassembled some old cabins and outbuildings. It didn't take long at all. Kinda fun and had a lot of friends stop by to help for a few hours along with being able to take whatever material that they needed.

BTW, a lot of rural Colorado backs up to Forest Service land and we've fount that if both the Forest Service and the private property owners use common sense in maintaining a reasonable setback from the property line it will go a long way toward preventing the problems having to do with property rights.

I know nothing about the laws East of the Mississippi, but they do seem different than we do in the Western US.
That may be why a lot of the advice here on TBN is regionally specific.

Just to be clear I'm talking about the National Park Service, which is a completely different animal from the Forest Service. The National Forests are land that was set aside for people to take advantage of. Hunting, grazing, logging and mining are allowed. Private individuals can get permission to build roads.

National parks allow none of the above. They are places of historical, cultural or natural significance, set aside to be protected and made available for people to visit and see. Take only pictures, leave only footsteps. The area of park I'm talking about allows only one activity, walking. They've been known to ticket people for cycling.

 

[quicksandfarmer]

In my day it was lathe/plaster houses. I still can taste/smell that.

Worst is plaster with metal lath.

 

[TractorGuy]

In my day it was lathe/plaster houses. I still can taste/smell that.

Same here. My first day I wore shorts and a tee shirt. Came home with an inch of moldy smelling dust on me. The second day I wore jeans and a long sleeve shirt. Took my clothes off at home and had an inch of moldy smelling dust on me.

 

[ovrszd]

Just to be clear I'm talking about the National Park Service, which is a completely different animal from the Forest Service. The National Forests are land that was set aside for people to take advantage of. Hunting, grazing, logging and mining are allowed. Private individuals can get permission to build roads.

National parks allow none of the above. They are places of historical, cultural or natural significance, set aside to be protected and made available for people to visit and see. Take only pictures, leave only footsteps. The area of park I'm talking about allows only one activity, walking. They've been known to ticket people for cycling.

I'm becoming more curious why you are willing to put e ery asset you own at risk just to offer a helping hand to a Millionaire?

 

[Deere Dude]

I'm becoming more curious why you are willing to put e ery asset you own at risk just to offer a helping hand to a Millionaire?

Even if the park service is wrong and over-reaching and you need to defend yourself it would/cost you big bucks. Would your friend anti-up?

 

[rScotty]

Just to be clear I'm talking about the National Park Service, which is a completely different animal from the Forest Service. The National Forests are land that was set aside for people to take advantage of. Hunting, grazing, logging and mining are allowed. Private individuals can get permission to build roads.

National parks allow none of the above. They are places of historical, cultural or natural significance, set aside to be protected and made available for people to visit and see. Take only pictures, leave only footsteps. The area of park I'm talking about allows only one activity, walking. They've been known to ticket people for cycling.

But a boundary is still a boundary. Reasonable setbacks prevent a whole host of possible problems - on both sides of the fence.

 

[rScotty]

A couple of men can take it down by hand. I had a job when I was younger tearing down old houses for salvage. You do it just as you have planned. We took them apart one board at the time.

That's right. It helps to understand how buildings are assembled. Taking them apart is simple.

 

[CobyRupert]

Someone here had a trailer house unhook and slide in a ditch upright but really warped. Unmovable. The owner was given time to move it but before he could move it , it burned up, surprisingly. Then he could use a FEL bucket and dump trailer. Problem solved.

During lightning storms we are often advised to stay off of high structures, hill tops, open spaces, away from isolated trees, etc.....
...but that darn ditch lightning can be dangerous!

 

[ovrszd]

Eddie, I think he already stated he's just doing it to offer a helping hand, no money.

 

[breadtrk]

Just check your local codes, the Park service does not own or control anything outside of their fence. Period. land is land and the rules and laws are universal. They will huff and puff, tell them to pound sand.

 

[Doofy]

I don't think I'm going to be able to have an excavator come in. I'm not allowed to operate in the root zone of any of the Park Service trees. I don't see any way of approaching the house without crossing at least one tree.

Ordinarily, the law is that if a neighbor's tree crosses the line onto your property, you can do whatever you want with the part that's on your land. The law is different with national parks. They own the whole tree, you can't do anything to it. The fines for damaging their trees can be tens of thousands of dollars.

Sounds like a total bunch of bureaucratic A-holes. Not a job I would be doing.

 

[HarryVanderpool]

Just have lots of dumpsters on hand and keep the work site spotless.

And send the dumpsters to where???
Make sure you FIRST look into your state's asbestos / lead abatement requirements.
In Oregon, dumps WILL NOT take demolition refuse without proper certificates.

 

[MossRoad]

Just check your local codes, the Park service does not own or control anything outside of their fence. Period. land is land and the rules and laws are universal. They will huff and puff, tell them to pound sand.

You ever live in a historic district?

 

[rScotty]

Just check your local codes, the Park service does not own or control anything outside of their fence. Period. land is land and the rules and laws are universal. They will huff and puff, tell them to pound sand.

QUOTE=MossRoad;5668033]You ever live in a historic district?[/QUOTE]

That's right. And we could list a dozen other examples as well.
Rules regarding what you can do with land are not universal - although I join in wishing that they were. Or at least that they made more sense.

I'm reminded of Paul Krugman's new book, "Arguing with Zombies".

 

[3Ts]

Just because you have an easement boundary doesn't mean that's fixed. I have an easement (power line) that is 15' each side of the power line, but the way it's worded, if I have a tree that they think may fall on the line, they can come onto my property to cut it down. So a 40' tree, 15' easement, they can come another 25' beyond that to cut the tree. (That's worst case scenario, in actuality, they'll come at my request and cut the top off until it's short enough it won't fall on the power line. I'm ok with that.)

 

[ruffdog]

Someone who is good with an excavator shouldn't have any problem putting that house into a dumpster in a day or two without needing to enter their property.

Aaron Z

^^Yeah, my neighbor does it all the time. I would trust him with my life to be within 3" with that bucket. :crossfingers: