Morgan Services Group Corp

Leaders in the demolition industry in New York City

Tag: home improvement

5 Yard Excavation Tips

Are you planning to do major work in your backyard? The first step for installing a new garden, walkway or swimming pool is to excavate. The process of excavating involves a couple of different factors including planning for weather, having the proper equipment, and other important steps. If you need tips for excavating your yard, keep on reading!

Beware of Buried Utilities

Before you begin anything, be sure to check with the excavation regulations in your area. Depending on where you live, the state may require utility companies to mark where their gas lines are, so you don’t end up bursting a pipe or damage underground wiring. Anyone excavating the property may need to dig in different locations to expose pipes and other utilities that could be damaged.

Plan for Weather

Excavating is a big project by itself, but have you tried excavating in the rain? Plan ahead by checking your weather app. You want the most ideal weather, preferably a warmer temperature, to dig up dirt and other rubble. If your property happens to endure some rainfall, be prepared by purchasing tarps to cover the exposed area.

Clear Terrain

From large trees to rocky rubble, clearing out your property from all obstructions can make the excavation process that much easier. Remove any unwanted tree stumps, rocks or boulders, and wildlife nests from the area before excavating; by doing this, you can ensure a smoother terrain to work with. (Be sure to carefully inspect your property for animal holes and other creatures that may be hiding underneath the dirt!)

Use Proper Equipment

No matter the size of your excavation, chances are, your tool shed or garage doesn’t have the right equipment for your project. To perform a proper yard excavation, you will at least need a portable trencher and a mini-excavator in addition to a variety of other tools to help you clear and prep the landscape, excavate, and backfill where needed.

Seek Professional Assistance

After considering the above, you may simply come to terms with the fact that your backyard project could use professional help with dedicated excavation equipment and staff. If you live in the New York City area, contact the team at Morgan Services Group Corp. We can answer any questions regarding your yard excavation and get started on your project today!

Common Myths and Misconceptions about Demolition

When you visualize demolition, there’s a good chance that you see people smashing things up with sledgehammers or wrecking balls pulverizing a structure. It’s a common misconception that demolition is a free-for-all of destruction. There are a number of other myths that surround demolition, which is what we’re going to discuss in this article. If you want to learn how demolition is actually done, read on.

Myth 1: Demolition is crude and chaotic.

Like we mentioned above, many people think than demolition is a frenzy of total destruction, however that is a misconception. The fact is that demolition crews must plan their actions carefully. No matter the type of building, there are structural features that need to be left intact so that it doesn’t collapse on top of the crew while they’re inside. Also, there are often parts of the house or building that the owner wants to maintain, so the crew has to be careful not to damage those parts. For those reasons, demolition is always carefully planned, orchestrated and conducted in phases.

Myth 2: We blow stuff up.

Technically, this is a fact, but it doesn’t work the way that a lot of people think it does. The footage that you’ve probably seen of old hotels and arenas being blown up show the technique of controlled building implosion. Explosives are placed in strategic areas inside of the building so that the building collapses quickly and with minimal debris or damage to other structures surrounding it. This type of demolition is not as common as television makes it seem.

Myth 3: Demolition Harms the Environment

Some sources claim that demolition is harmful to the environment. After all, shouldn’t we try to use existing structures as much as possible instead of using resources to build something new? Wrong. Many buildings from earlier eras were constructed using materials that are harmful to the environment and to your health, such as asbestos. Also, older structures and houses can use more energy because they are harder to keep cool or warm. In addition, demolition is highly regulated so that hazardous materials are removed safely. Salvageable materials are also sent to be recycled or reused. New, more energy-efficient structures are put up which can be used by future generations.

Conclusion

Here are the main ideas we hope you take away: First, demolition is not done by people blindly taking their anger out on inanimate objects. Second, it also rarely involves explosives, though when it does, it’s done with careful planning. Finally, demolition is not a wasteful practice that negatively impacts the environment. We hope this has cleared up some of your misunderstandings and that the next time you need demolition services, you’ll call the professionals at Morgan Services Group.

5 Reasons Why DIY Demolition is a Bad Idea

You’ve probably seen home demolition being done on your favorite home renovation show. Maybe you’ve thought to yourself that it’s something you could do to your own home. After all, who doesn’t love smashing things? Unfortunately, there are few reasons why you should think again when it comes to DIY demolition. We’ll explain some of them in this blog post.

1. It’s hazardous.

This is probably the most obvious reason, and one that we really can’t stress enough. Many homes that were built more than 30 years ago contain asbestos in the walls and ceiling, which is a natural mineral that can cause cancer. Exposure is hazardous to your health; even in small amounts. Older homes can also have lead paint, which is another source of concern for your health. There is also the danger of inhaling silica dust.  Studies conducted on the effects of Silica exposure is linked to chronic bronchitis, silicosis and even lung cancer. You also risk injury to yourself and others from glass shards and other dangerous falling materials.

2. You probably don’t have the right tools.

Doing a home demolition job requires more than just a sledgehammer from the hardware store. Demolition teams and contractors have professional-grade tools that they use to prevent damage in parts of the house that needs to be maintained. If you start hitting things with a regular hammer, you could end up destroying something unintentionally and generally create more work for yourself. That also brings us to our next point.

3. You may end up damaging your home.

It’s not hard to get carried away when doing demolition on your own. Imagine busting an important pipe or destroying a wall that you wanted to keep. These are just a couple of possibilities that could have extremely expensive consequences. However, demolition experts usually know how to avoid these problems.

4. DIY demolition can take a long time.

Depending on the size of the project, you could end up spending several days trying to do the demolition on your own. During that time you’ll be sore, tired, dirty, and probably pretty frustrated. That’s usually reason enough for someone to avoid DIY demolition.

5. Old houses are full of surprises.

Unfortunately, we don’t mean the fun kind of surprises. We’re talking about the kind of surprises that are problematic and costly. Do you know how to identify a cracked foundation or bad wiring? Probably not, and neglecting problems like that during demolition and remodeling can lead to major catastrophes. Contractors will usually recognize those types of things when they see them, allowing you to fix them.

Conclusion

As you can see, doing a DIY demolition comes with a great number of risks to your home, your health, and your wallet. You may think you’re saving money by doing it yourself, but you’ll feel differently when things go wrong.

Do yourself a favor and contact the demolition experts at Morgan Services Group Corp when it’s time to do a demolition.