Help Around the House host Henry Harrison shares tips for safely tearing down an old shed that's mounted on the side of a house (
figure A). On his elbow grease scale of one to four, Harrison gives this job a three.
Tools:
stepladder
articulating ladder
2x2 piece of lumber
some large pry bars
maul
hammers
reciprocating saw with metal cutting blade
hard hat
work gloves
safety glasses
trailer or truck to haul away scraps
Steps:
1. Storage sheds can vary greatly in how they're constructed, but you'll always want to start at the top and work your way down. Make sure you're never in a situation where debris could fall on your head.
2. First make sure there are no plumbing or electrical lines that you might cut through. If you're not sure, check with an expert.
3. Begin by pulling roofing off. Put on heavy gloves to protect your hands and pry out all nails with a hammer and pry bar (figure B). Collect all the nails so they don't just litter the area and become a safety hazard.
4. If necessary, create a scaffold by placing a large board across an articulating ladder (figure C).
5. You can also cut away part of a cross member with the reciprocating saw if you need to move the stepladder in toward the center of the shed to continue prying up roofing (figure D).
6. Pull off any exterior trim then remove siding. A reciprocating saw can make this part easier if you can fit the blade between the siding and the studs (figure E). Just saw through the nails.
7. Once the shed is reduced to a frame, start prying out the cross members in the roofing structure (figure F). Next pull out any beams, working down the line.
8. After the roof structure is gone (figure G), knock down the walls with a sledgehammer or maul. Make sure the walls fall away from you, not on top of you!
9. Carefully load up the scraps and take them to the dump.
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