In the spot where the shed was to be built, there were two, old, wooden sheds, a rotten deck and who knows what else that needed to be removed.

Over the course of several weeks in the summer of 2023, I demolished the sheds and deck, and removed the debris.

The two old garden sheds Clearing the old shed foundations A concrete bowl in the ground

As there always will be, there were a few surprises in store:

  • One shed sat on a rotten deck, which hid a load of bricks, pavers and other junk.
  • Beneath the deck and debris, there was what might have once been a concrete fish pond, complete with DIY chicken wire reinforcement.
  • The other shed sat on pavers, which sat on sand and hardcore. Though the pavers were of no use to me, I put the sand and hardcore in the brown wheelie bin and re-used as much of it as I could for the foundations.

Disposal

The sheds in their entirety, the decking and a large amount of spoil filled two eight yard skips. The skips were hired from Reston Waste at a cost of around £300 each. Prior to the first skip arriving, I bought a tarpaulin and some blue rope to cover the skip and deter anyone who might want to fill it. That worked well, and we had nobody try to take advantage despite the skip sitting there for some time. Reston will leave the skip with you as long as you need it and when you need it to be removed or replaced, you can arrange it online or by phone. I also bought a few long 2 x 4s to sit under the skip, spread the load a little and protect the driveway. The tarp, rope and 2 x 4s were a wise decision, IMO, and have been useful for other jobs since.

Thoughts

I removed the two rear fence panels by cutting them vertically in half. The half panels were light enough for me to remove at the start of the day and replace at the end, joining the arris rails back together with brackets and screws. This was much better than the alternative would have been: carrying all the debris across the decking and out the garden gate.

It’s slow, dirty and hard work, especially in summer and especially when you have to drag it all to the front of the property and lift it into the skip. Given that it is neither highly-skilled nor enjoyable work, I will hire somebody to help me the next time I need to do some demolition. Alternatively, a mini digger would have made light work of knocking down the sheds, breaking up the concrete and moving soil.

Tools Used

  • Reciprocating saw (borrowed)
  • Pry bar
  • Claw hammer
  • Fork and spade
  • Concrete breaker (rented)

Player of the Match

Wielding a crowbar in Half life

My trusty pry bar. Quieter and less dusty than a saw.

What I’d do Differently

I’d hire someone to help with the demolition and waste removal. Perhaps I should have listed the shed on FreeCycle or similar to see whether anyone wanted it rather than sending it to landfill.