Demolition Derby
It’s all fun and games until you gotta haul it away.
Transferring the massive debris pile to the trailer perched on the still-standing garage platform was a feat in itself. But true to form, Wood Excavating made it look easy, carefully “sweeping up” and getting all that dusty insulation and splintered wood into the trailer and under a cover.
The construction fencing creates a good visual cue but even without it, the debris never really spreads out because it’s all kept very hemmed in and watered down, with the excavator even driving over the piles to crush everything into smaller pieces.
Tree protection and site preservation are a big deal in the Tahoe basin and the requirements for each site must be in place before demolition or digging can begin. In this case the site plan called for reinforcement around three of the larger trees closest to the construction site. Special permission has to be obtained for any trees that will be actually cut down. On this build only two trees are being removed and the rest will be preserved.
The site plan also shows exactly where construction fencing and silt fencing must be installed. On site, heavy-duty stakes outline the perimeter and the permeable construction fencing hangs on them. Another layer of finer material called silt fencing is placed on the interior, and dug under the ground to create even more separation from construction debris and the plants and soil outside the barrier.
I wasn’t the only onlooker mesmerized by the digger. Neighbors out on a stroll stopped to gawk and smile. Drivers craned their necks backward as they drove by. It’s just too entertaining to see old houses destroyed. And the views of the mountains are even better without so many walls in the way.