Best Way To Dismantle An Old Shed

Our company Removerr dismantle and remove garden sheds on a weekly basis. If your considering demolishing your shed yourself and would like to know the best way to dismantle an old shed, keep reading.

The average lifespan of a wooden shed in the UK is 10 – 15 years. Timber and our harsh wet climate are not a good mix. At some point you will need to dismantle, remove and possibly replace your old garden shed.

Dismantling a Garden Shed

Before I delve deeper into the best way to dismantle an old shed, I first must point out. Demolishing a shed can be dangerous, it’s a two man job, requires the use of power tools and at times working of steps or a ladder. If you’re inexperienced at DIY, use power tools infrequently, I would seriously consider hiring the services of a professional.

One in six people who have started a DIY project in the last year have injured themselves in the process, costing the NHS an estimated £222 million from accident and emergency visits.

Taking Down a Wooden Shed

Plan ahead, you need to be aware of your surroundings. As this is most likely your own shed that you are dismantling, you should be already familiar with your own property.

Things to consider:

• Heating oil tanks that are placed in close proximity to your shed
• Do you have a power supply to the shed
• Type of roof, felt, slate, tin, thatch
• Type of base that your shed rests on
• Neighbouring boundary fences, walls

Failure to plan the demolition of your shed could turn into a costly mistake that could have been avoided. Sharp sections of wood and nails can easily puncture a plastic oil tank resulting in an environmental disaster.

Below I will explain how we dismantle a garden shed taking into consideration the points above. If in doubt give us a call on 0743 469 1809 or email inquiries@removerr.co.uk. We remove wooden and metal shed across Northern Ireland.

Best Way To Dismantle An Old Shed

1) Remove all the sheds contents so that you have clear access to each corner of the shed.
2) Isolate any electrical supply going to the shed, the power supply will likely originate from your house.
3) Take out any glass, (windows, doors). Older garden sheds contain glass, modern sheds have plastic.
4) Look for an area with no obstructions, (fences, oil tanks, plants).

Where to begin with your demolition? most people start by removing the roof first, which requires steps. This immediately puts the user at risk of injury, keep your feet firmly on the ground.

Sheds are put together in sections starting with the base, (floor). Front section, back section, two sides and a roof. We are going to remove the front and back sections first, Why? Removing the front and back sections will destabilise the shed. A firm push to one of the sides and your shed will collapse, hence the need for a clear area for the shed to fall onto.

Shed Removal Tools

To successfully remove the front and back sections of your shed you will need a medium sized wrecking bar, a hammer, impact driver, screw bits and a reciprocating saw with a metal and wood blade. Check the surrounding edges of each section, have they been fixed with nails, screws or bolts?

If nails have been used, you can easily pry the edges away from the roof, floor and sides using your crowbar and hammer. Screws will need to be removed, the same applies to bolts. If you have any difficulty removing any of the fixings, use your reciprocating saw with a metal blade.

If you don’t already own a reciprocating saw, I highly recommend purchasing one. They will cut through, screws, nails, bolts and wood like butter, we use them daily for demolition.

Once all fixings have been removed or pried apart, push the bottom of the frame next to the floor outwards. Then go to the outside of the shed and pull the front or back section away from the frame. Repeat the process on the other section, as I mentioned earlier this a job for two men.

Before you remove the final section, ensure your helper is stalising the shed. You don’t want your shed collapsing onto a neighbouring fence or an oil tank. Once the section has been removed and the area is clear, push the shed over in the direction intended.

The impact of the shed hitting the ground will pry apart the remaining fixings, leaving your shed in large manageable sections, ready for removal. There might still be a few fixings that you will need to either pry apart or cut with the reciprocating saw.

Best Way To Dismantle An Old Shed

Two of the largest sections of the shed are the roof and base (floor). Rather than attempt to maneuver these sections in one piece, I recommend cutting them down the centre with the reciprocating saw, the felt on the roof can be easily cut with a utility knife.

Your shed can now be loaded onto a trailer or into a van for disposal.

Shed Removal Cost

The average size of a shed we remove in Northern Ireland is 8 x 6 and costs £195 to demolish and remove. If after reading this article you feel that you would prefer to hire the services of professionals to remove your old garden shed, contact Removerr today.

Areas we cover include: Bangor, Comber, Dundonald, Holywood, Donaghadee, Newtownards, Belfast, Craigavon, Banbridge, Downpatrick, Carrickfergus, Newtownabbey, Larne, Antrim, Lisburn, Ballymena, Dundonald, Castlereagh