When to Have a House Demolished Versus Renovated

A house demolition may seem like a drastic step for some homeowners, but it can actually be a good choice versus a renovation, depending on your reasons for wanting to tear down your home. A demolition can be complete, meaning the home is torn down to the foundation, or it can leave the frame intact and simply remove all the other building materials. Note when it may be better to have a home demolished rather than renovated and why it can sometimes be a better choice.

1. Excessive mold or other such damage

Trying to clean up excessive mold, asbestos, mildew, termite damage, after a flood or fire and other such damage can be challenging if this damage has spread to the majority of your home's frame and building materials. Mold and asbestos are not only damaging to the home but they're also very dangerous to occupants. If the damage is very extensive and may be overly costly to clean, you may want to simply have the home demolished and start with fresh building materials that you know will be strong and safe.

2. Poor construction

If a home has been poorly constructed, you may only be able to do so many things with a renovation to help improve its overall structure. Cracks in walls and the ceiling may be the result of poor-quality framing materials. These may also result because the home was built on a slope or soft soil without proper underpinning of the foundation or additional structural strength to certain sides that bear more weight. In cases like these, trying to simply brace up walls or make repairs can be just as costly as having a home demolished and then reconstructed properly.

3. Adding weight to the home

If you want to renovate to add more space to the home, note that this also adds more weight. You cannot simply 'toss on' an extra storey or build an attached sunroom if the weight of these additions are too much for the frame of the home. Trying to renovate to add this structural strength can be a challenge as you may need to tear down certain walls and rebuild them from scratch, so a demolition may be just what you need. This will allow you to add a frame that will hold the weight of the space you want to create with the home, and do so more easily than trying to work around walls that are already erected.

For more information and professional advice, contact professional house demolition companies, like Roach Demolition & Excavations.