Masonry can be described as the building of structures from individual units laid in and bound together by mortar; the term masonry can also refer to the units themselves. The common materials of masonry construction are brick, stone, marble, granite, travertine, limestone, cast stone, concrete block, glass block, stucco, and tile. Masonry is generally a highly durable form of construction. However, the materials used, the quality of the mortar and workmanship, and the pattern in which the units are assembled can significantly affect the durability of the overall masonry construction.

For concrete removal jobs, as long as the load is clean, meaning there is not other debris like wood or trash in the load, there is a place called Cemex in Simi Valley that only charges $25 per load. This implies that even if you have 12 or 14 tons of clean concrete on your truck you will always pay the same amount. For dirt, Scholl canyon Landfill in Pasadena is the place to go. They only charge $4 per ton and this is the cheapest price you can get in Los Angeles County.  For blacktop or asphalt, there is a place in Sylmar called Sunshine Canyon Landfill in Sylmar that actually accepts this material for free!

The only condition for all of these places to pay off is of course the purity of your load. A Clean load no matter how heavy can be disposed of cheaply and responsibly.

What is Deconstruction?

Deconstruction is the process of deconstructing either a building or part of a building that is undergoing demolition. Deconstruction is frequently used to take apart difficult or hard to remove things like boilers or escalators. Deconstruction can apply to entire structures as well. There is a small but growing sector of demolition companies that specialize in whole house deconstruction. A whole house deconstruction takes a house apart piece by piece with the goal of recycling and reusing it in a new house construction.

When is Deconstruction Used?

Deconstruction is used mainly for removing parts of a building that simply cannot be torn down in the demolition. Either because whatever has to be deconstructed poses a safety risk to the demolition company, or because the item has more value being deconstructed and sold for scrap or recycled.

For instance, boilers designed to heat full buildings are often deconstructed because they contain valuable scrap metal. 

How Does Deconstruction Work?

Deconstruction is literally “un-constructing” something. The way it works is that a demolition company will begin to slowly and methodically dissemble something, a boiler for a hospital for instance, and remove it piece by piece. Either disposing of the materials safely or recycling them. 

Think of deconstruction as stripping a building of its parts. Old cars are often stripped for parts by mechanics. Buildings are often stripped for parts (or materials) by demolition companies.

Can an Entire Building be Deconstructed?

In certain circumstances, yes, a building can be deconstructed. Deconstruction is a small but growing niche for a few demolition companies. Deconstruction saves some on cost, but it involves a great amount of time and labor on the part of the demolition company. So deconstruction is generally a path taken by wealthier home builders who are concerned about recycling and the environment. Although many cities, like Los Angeles, are offering cheaper permits and easier inspection schedules for demolition companies who use deconstruction over house demolition.

is Deconstruction Environmentally Friendly?

Yes. deconstruction is seen by both environmentalists and demolition companies as more environmentally friendly than demolition because most of the materials salvaged from a deconstruction are reused and recycled in another building. Deconstruction also reduces some demolition nuisances like neighborhood noise during a demolition.

So to sum up deconstruction is the process a demolition company uses to dissemble either a part of the building or an entire building for reuse.