knock down a cinderblock wall

RatLabGuy

RatLabGuy

You look like a monkey and smell like one too
Joined
May 18, 2005
Location
Churchville, MD
A buddy lives in a row home in the middle of Baltimore.
His back "yard" is just a cement area w/ an alley behind it, w/ a 5' cinderblock wall at the back.
He wants to knock down the wall so he can use the space for parking.

See attached pics. this is the front and back.
Basically it's attached to another wall on one side, a crappy wooden gate on the other. No clue on footings etc. The goal is to just get it out of the way so a car can get through, then fill in any holes w/ cement.

what's the best way to go about this? I can think of lots of fun ways (old truck, gas pedal...).
I figure rent a cement saw and cut it 6" or so in from where it meets the other wall (on each size), remove the wood door... then several guys can push it over? Push it w/ a truck? Big sledge + beer?
Figure I'll cut that pole out.
 

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Cinder block walls aren't that solid unless it is filled with concrete.
 
I'd knock that top cap off and see if any of the void columns are filled. Often folks fill every 4th or so set of holes with a rebar and mortar to reinforce it.

From the pics it doesn't look like it's tied into the adjoining building wall, just butted up to, and maybe mortared.

Took down a wall like that once that was brick on one side, block on the other. Used an air chisel (small hand-held, like you cut mufflers with) and an air compressor...wedged it in and separated the mortar joints. Took longer to pick up the bricks and blocks than it took to break the wall down. Most of them came apart in one piece, too.
 
To be sure, Id call the zoning/code office there. I know Baltimore has some strange regulations, and parking stuff falls in that.
 
Call a company with a box truck to deliver something to that address. You'll have the wall down in no time.
 
Macdaddy4738 said:
To be sure, Id call the zoning/code office there. I know Baltimore has some strange regulations, and parking stuff falls in that.
Click to expand...
Beat me too it. The permit process will probably be harder than knocking the wall down
 
c4 would work great. :D I'd prob knock a whole in the middle with a sledge and hook a truck and pull it down. The rest would be sledge plus beer.
 
I'm w kaiser it looks like it's skinned to the bldg. wall. If it's hollow lay down a heavy tarp and just beat holes along the bottom of the wall w a sledgehammer, on the side you want it to fall, and push the top from the other side while yelling ' Timmmmmberrrrrrrrr! Be sure to have eye protection when using the sledgehammer.
 
Black Bear said:
pretend its a tree and hit it with your 4runnner.
Click to expand...

This actually is step two of our plan, step 1 being disconnecting it from the adjoining wall first... just to avoid pissing off the neighbors...
Step 3 being me drinking beer while everybody else cleans up the mess

Oh and :flipoff2: you and Tony
 
RatLabGuy said:
This actually is step two of our plan, step 1 being disconnecting it from the adjoining wall first... just to avoid pissing off the neighbors...
Step 3 being me drinking beer while everybody else cleans up the mess

Oh and :flipoff2: you and Tony
Click to expand...

Reverse step 2 and 3 and ad in video tape the action
 
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