Shed Removal for Dummies

How to Tear Down Your Old Shed

Demolition jobs aren’t one-size-fits all, so your shed demolition process might have an extra step or two along the way.  However, this guide is a pretty basic process that will apply to most shed removals.  If you need further help, utilize YouTube tutorials or consider hiring a team of professionals to conduct the removal for you.

1. Clean Out The Shed

This one might be obvious, but it’s the first step to take before you can take down your shed.  You want to have a cleared area to work with and nothing in your way.  It’s better to move it now rather than later on while you’re working on your DIY shed demolition.

2. Disconnect Any Power or Plumbing if Necessary.

If you run electricity or plumbing to your shed, you will need to disconnect these before you begin.  Shut off any breakers that run to your shed and shut off any valves running water to it.  If you don’t run any of these to your shed, you can skip this step.  If you aren’t sure how to do this step, there are plenty of helpful tutorials on YouTube.com that could assist you.  Additionally, you could hire an electrician or plumber to take care of the matter for you.

3. Gather Any Equipment and Gear You May Need.

Do you have all the tools you’ll need nearby?  Before starting your demolition, put everything you’ll need throughout the project nearby for easy access.  You’ll need them!  Some of the items you’ll need include:

  • Pry bar
  • Crow hammer
  • Ladder
  • Hacksaw
  • Sledgehammer (if applicable)
  • Jackhammer (if applicable)

You also need more than just the right tools: you need the right clothes!  Do you have safety goggles, closed-toe shoes, and work gloves? It’s important to wear the proper attire for any demolition job.  In addition, we recommend wearing long pants and a long sleeve shirt for extra caution.  Steel-toed work boots are your best bet for safe shoes, but if you don’t have any, you can make do with other sturdy, closed-toe shoes.

4. Remove the Roofing.

Now that you’re geared up, you’re ready to begin our shed demolition!  We’re going to start at the top and work our way down, so the first thing you’ll do is remove the roofing.  Grab your ladder and lean it against your shed.  If your roof has shingles, pry them up with your pry bar.  Under that you should find wooden framework.  You can use a crow hammer to pull the nails out of this framework.  With all the nails gone, you will use your pry bar to lift these boards up.  This is gonna take some effort!  There may be layers of panels above your sub-roof, so continue using your pry bar to clear your roof.  As you remove boards, toss them aside.  You may want to lay a tarp near your shed that you can toss debris on, for easier clean up later.  With all the sub-roof boards out of the way, you will need to remove any insulation from between the trusses.  It’s likely that you can kick the ceiling of your shed down into the shed now.  Do this very carefully, keeping your weight fully on the trusses of the shed.  Once you’re done, get back on your ladder and use a pry bar or crow hammer to remove the nails to the trusses.  Do this for each one.  The weight of the other trusses will keep them in place until you are done.  Tie a rope around one, pull it down, and repeat.

5. Remove the Door.

Now that the roofing is off your shed, it’s time for the next step.  We recommend moving on to your door now.  With the door closed, you can use a hammer to pound on the bottom of the hinge pins and pull them out from the top.  With the pins gone, carefully lift your door up and set it aside.

6. Remove the Siding.

Similarly to the roof, this is going to take some hard work with your pry bar!  Work your way around your shed, one wall at a time, from top to bottom.  You may need a sledgehammer if the walls of your shed are made with brick or stone.  Toss any bricks, drywall, or plywood aside and keep working.  Once exposed, pull the insulation out of the walls.  If you have plumbing or electrical wires running through the walls of your shed, use a hacksaw to cut through and remove them.

7. Bring Down the Frame.

The structure of the shed will have brackets in the corners, holding the frames together.  Your claw hammer can get rid of these for you.  Then you can tie a rope to the top of the frames and pull them on down.  You can use your hacksaw to break the frame down into more manageable pieces.

8. Remove the Flooring.

For a wooden floor, you can continue to pry it up and apart the same way you’ve done previously.  If the floor is concrete, you’ll need to break it up into pieces with a jackhammer.  You probably don’t already own a jackhammer, but Amazon has lots to choose from.  This is a slow, painstaking process.  Break it up into manageable pieces and toss it all aside.  This is the last step!  Once the floor is removed, your DIY shed demolition and removal is complete.

 Hshed demolitionow To Get Rid of The Debris

Now, you have two options for getting rid of the pile of debris that was once your shed.  Firstly, you can rent a dumpster.  If you rent a dumpster, you can throw your debris in there as you work and never really have a mess to clean up.  Secondly, you can to hire Junk Crusaders.  Our team can do all of the cleaning and hard work for you.  We’ll show up with a truck capable of hauling of the leftover debris and get it out of your hair!

Alternatively, if you don’t feel up to the task of tearing down your shed yourself, we can do that, too!  Just give us a call to discuss your shed demolition or debris removal.  We’re happy to help!