Wrecker Tools

Bar Wrecking Tools

• Steel bar wrecking tools come in a few different shapes, and are used in smaller scale demolition work. They can pull up floorboards, pry tiles loose and rip down wall paneling. Common styles include nail pullers, claw bars, pinch bars and wrecking bars. These are used by homeowners carrying out residential projects, as well as professional wrecking crews.

Other Manual Tools

• Heavy-duty manual wrecking tools include sledgehammers, which when used with sufficient power can demolish walls and concrete floors. A pick axe can do a similar type of demolition job, and bolt cutters have the power to sever nails, steel bars and smaller metal pipes,

Manually-Operated Machine Tools

• Manually-operated machine tools can provide additional power for demolition jobs, reducing the effort required by the operator. Examples include chipping and demolition hammers, which an operator can use one-handed to break concrete walls and floors. Jackhammers are typically operated with two hands as pavement breakers, although those with a D-shaped handle wielded horizontally can also demolish walls. A hydraulic splitter reduces the chances of flying debris causing an accident. This tool uses a plug and feather method to split concrete apart in a more controlled manner.

Machine Mounted Tools

• On large demolition jobs, machine mounted tools can provide heavy-duty breaking power, reducing the time required to complete a job. A ball and crane has a heavy wrecking ball suspended at the end of a chain and is swung at a building to demolish it. Concrete crushers have large metal jaws, which can grab and break concrete and brickwork. Hydraulic jackhammers look similar to the manually-operated tool, although they are larger and mounted on a backhoe.

Explosives

• For larger structures with sufficient space around them, a wrecking option involves the use of explosives. For this method, a blaster will place small charges in strategic locations around the structure, and detonate them in sequence to control the direction of fall. Explosives are the quickest method for demolishing a structure.