Why Is Soft Strip Out Important Before Demolition?

Soft strip demolition focuses on removing unnecessary elements before a building is demolished. It is also necessary if you plan to renovate your old building. But how can soft strip demolition help you demolish an old building? Do you need to follow specific steps to soft strip demolition? You will get answers to all the questions in the following discussion. A soft strip out process, which involves stripping out non-structural elements of a building, can help you save on the renovation cost. If you plan to conduct a soft strip demolition for your old building, you should contact a professional contractor.

What is soft strip demolition?

The soft strip-out process, also known as soft strip demolition, can be used for refurbishment or renovation. Demolition contractors meticulously strip out all the non-structural elements, such as ceilings, carpets, electrical wiring, or concrete. Soft strip demolition is considered a sustainable practice because it aims to recycle as many old building materials as possible. If you can recycle old building materials, you are likely to generate less waste. You will also have limited requirements for new building resources made of natural elements.

Key takeaways

1. The soft strip demolition process is a sustainable approach to removing non-structural elements from your building. It has become a popular choice for preparing your building for demolition.

2 The advantage of soft strip demolition is recycling old, used building materials and reusing them for the next construction phase. Since fewer resources are required for the new construction phase, the process is environment-friendly and cost-effective.

3. The process of soft stripping out allows you to survey the building and remove hazardous materials like asbestos. It reduces the chance of contamination during the demolition phase.

What are the advantages of soft strip demolition?

If you ask your contractor to demolish the entire building, he will. During the demolition process, he may also demolish undamaged parts of the building. However, if you consider the soft strip-out process, you can carefully remove all the reusable and non-structural elements from the building. You can demolish the building without wasting resources once you remove all the reusable materials, like fittings and fixtures. Given the increasing price of construction materials in the UK, salvaging old reusable materials can save you a lot of money. For the next part of the construction, you can reuse old electric lights and carpets or recycle concrete materials.

How can soft strip demolition be helpful before demolishing a building?

If you plan to demolish an old building, your contractor will demolish the entire building. It may demolish undamaged parts of the building during the demolition process. However, considering the soft strip out process, you can carefully remove all the reusable and non-structural elements from the building. You can demolish the building without wasting resources once you remove all the reusable materials, like fittings and fixtures. Given the increasing price of construction materials in the UK, salvaging old reusable materials can save you a lot of money. For the next part of the construction, you can reuse old electric lights and carpets or recycle concrete materials.

How can soft strip demolition help preserve resources and reduce environmental impact?

To minimise environmental impact, soft strip demolition is a great way to prepare for a full-scale demolition project. You can communicate with the contractor to conduct a pre-demolition survey of the site to see if there are any hazardous materials. Suppose your contractor finds hazardous materials like asbestos or harmful chemicals. In that case, you can safely instruct them to remove them from the site. Dumping dangerous materials in a secure place will help protect the environment. Besides, the soft strip demolition process promotes a reduce, reuse, and recycle approach, requiring fewer construction resources.

What steps of soft strip demolition can you adopt before demolishing a building?

Following specific steps to conduct a soft strip demolition will save resources while minimising environmental impact. The following steps can be adopted for a successful and efficient soft strip demolition project.

Site survey

Ask your contractor to survey the site before planning the soft strip demolition process. It will help you identify all the reusable materials in the building. You will have ideas for reusing non-structural and undamaged elements like doors or windows.

Planning

Once you complete a site survey, create a detailed plan for the soft strip demolition. This plan will include stagewise planning. The detailed plan will help you avoid complications and compromise the safety of workers. The pre-demolition planning will involve a detailed plan to remove hazardous elements.

Asbestos removal

If your contractor has found a trace of asbestos in your old property, you must take careful measures to remove it from on-site. The contractor should be well versed in the guidelines of the Health and Safety Executives to remove asbestos from the site.

Stripping out fittings and fixtures

Next, remove all the non-structural elements from the old building. For example, remove the ceiling, lights, electrical wiring, carpets, doors, and windows. These elements are not part of the concrete body of the building; hence, they should be removed first.

Removing non-structural walls

The non-structural walls should be demolished once the above-mentioned elements are removed from the building. Bricks from partitioning walls can be reused in the next phase of construction or refurbishment.

Challenges of soft strip out demolition

Like all construction works, soft strip demolition may also present some challenges.

The challenges may look like the following:

1. Communication gap between you and the contractor - If you do not adequately communicate with your soft strip contractor, achieving project objectives may be difficult. Your contractor may also miss the project deadline.

2. Acquiring permits from the local government authority— In the UK, you must inform the authorities if you plan to demolish a building. Adhering to specific norms may be required to get a permit.

3 Noise and dust pollution - One of the challenges you cannot avoid during the soft strip out process. Your neighbours may find it unbearable and complain to the local authority.

4. Environmental impact - Soft strip out may generate a mixture of scrap materials, such as plastic, wood, and metals. Separating one from another may be expensive. Hence, it might affect the environment.

Possible solutions to resolve challenges

Increase communication— Communicate openly with your contractor to let him know your demands and expectations so that he can plan accordingly and achieve the project objectives. 

Learn about rules and regulations - Increase your knowledge about relevant regulations for soft strip out in the UK. Environmental Protection Act 1990, Waste (England and Wales) Regulations 2011 and others play a crucial role in demolition and construction activities in the country. 

Use modern machinery - Ask your contractor to use modern machinery to reduce noise and dust pollution. Some advanced machines collect dust particles at the source, reducing the spread of dust clouds. You can also ask your neighbours for a suitable time for the soft strip out process. You can complete the work when they are not home. 

Be more careful during soft strip out - Ask your contractor to be more cautious during the soft strip process. Try not to break concrete, metal, and wood into small pieces, as separating and recycling them becomes problematic.

Conclusion

In conclusion, soft strip demolition is a really good option for salvaging old construction resources. It promotes sustainability through a reduce, reuse, and recycle approach and can also save on refurbishment costs. If you plan to demolish a building or soft strip an old building, contact Strip Out Company today! We aim to deliver bespoke soft strip solutions for our customers.