I am in the process of removing a couple of walls. So far I have attacked them with a club hammer and chisel.
Lets just say the mortar is held apart by the blocks and it's hard work.
I have never owned or used a SDS drill with a chisel bit, but is this a good idea to make things easier?
Once you've used an SDS drill and chisel you'll never want to go back to doing this sort of thing by hand. Experience seems to suggest that the el-cheapo SDS hammer drills are better than many cheap power tools but they are heavy and if you're doing a lot of this you might want to consider something lighter.
Go hire a kango hammer. Lovely things for diy demolition.
My neighbour has one and happily lends it out. Oh joy!
I had this problem so I armed two thirteen year olds with sledge hammers and left them to it. They made short and gleeful work of it. Their mums were pretty mad about the state of their clothes afterwards though.
Bill
OK if it's just demolition but if (say) you're cutting a through room opening and leaving nibs either side, doing as you suggest is likely to shake up the retained brickwork (especially if lime mortar) and plaster whilst using an SDS chisel there's a lot less vibration.
Very much so!
They are a bit light for the job. Some of them are not continuously rated either. (They can overheat if used for more than ten minutes or so.)
Unles you want to save the bricks, a sledge hammer is better than a hammer & chisel. (Esp. if it is only a 4"/100mm wall.)
OR Go out and hire a demolition drill. Will make short workof it.
I've demolished two large (6m wide x 2.5m high) block walls. Used a sledgehammer to knock out each side from where it was keyed in to the perpendicular walls and then pushed the entire thing over which broke up the rest. Very satisfying.
As others note, if you want a precision job you might be better off with a hefty SDS+.
Why do I hear Bernard Cribbens Right said Fred when I read this sort of query? Brian
I'm thinking Frank Spencer...
I got an SDS+ last year and wish I had got it years ago. demolished 2 x
10 foot walls in no time, also a concrete slab 6" thick that was harder work but would have never managed otherwise. Mine was cheapy and its heavy but great tool to have.
Where I've wanted an opening I've angle ground through the walls.
Hmm, its difficult to shake up the brickwork that does need shaking!
Many thanks for all the feedback.
Most seem to be SDS+?
What width chisel would you suggest?
Since this a very occasional thing, I would be tempted towards the cheaper end though understand the consequence of the added weight.
For most work a 20mm wide one on a 2kg class drill with 2 - 3J of impact energy will be about the right balance of width and penetration speed. If the mortar or bricks are very soft then 40mm will work as well. For really hard masonry, you might need a point chisel.
Cheapies can work well for knocking stuff down. Things to keep in mind:
As mentioned they are heavy. The speed control (if any) may be crude (this can prevent you using them for delicate hammering - say just enough to cut through plaster skim without bringing the wall down), the range of positions in which you can lock the bits rotation may be limited. Also they may not be rated for continuous use.
There is not necessarily a huge price premium for a decent one though, and once you have used one you may decide that the SDS becomes the drill of choice for any masonry drilling.
Something like:
is very easy to use and does a nice job.
I'd very much second that. The first SDS I bought was a great hefty thing from a place that was closing down, for 20 quid. Its only problem was that the motor got through brushes at a fair rate. As soon as I used it, I realised how useful it was but, being tight-fisted, it took a while before I could justify giving it away to my brother and getting a Bosch blue from Screwfix. That Makita looks like a good buy.
In some places the mortar has been left cantilever style after knocking out the block, so perhaps a narrow chisel might be an idea.
I confess to thinking of going for the cheap Mac Allister that weighs in at 3.5kg.
One day perhaps, given I don't felt the need to knock down walls very often!
Its the drilling holes in hard stuff, removing tiles, chasing plaster, cutting socket back box holes, excavating pipes out of the floor, and hacking cat flaps through walls etc that will have it put a smile on your face, rather more than the wanton destruction (fun though that is - a 10kg class concrete breaker does it better!)
Bizarrely, a link on that page goes to
In ar
Do yourself a favour and get the Makita I bought one years ago best tool I've ever bought, use it for most everything:)...
Ah, yes! The "Birmingham Screwdriver Syndrome", when the only tool you have is a hammer, every screw looks like a nail. :-)
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