Chimney Demolition Using the Bauer 10A Hammer Drill

This video walks you through my experience demolishing my unsafe and leaky free-standing chimney. This stage was necessary for my roof replacement and eventual siding work. One of the main topics is evaluating the Bauer 10A Rotary Hammer Drill bought from Harbor Freight. Needless to say it performed flawlessly. The Genie TZ-50 tow-behind lift from Sunbelt saved me time and was a easy to operate. I didn't see many videos showing chimney removals, so I hope this helps you understand what I experienced for my situation. There are many ways to perform this and please understand this can be dangerous and may require professional help and guidance based on your skillset and existing conditions.

[@jimjohnson5777]

Thank you for writing back!!

[@jimjohnson5777]

I really appreciate your sharing your experience in how you did this job and you did it in a very easy to understand manner. Well done!
A couple of questions:
Could the large terra-cotta flu sections been broken and then lowered down in smaller pieces?
I could not tell in the video, but I was wondering when you were working on the roof if you had a safety harness and a rope attached to the roof or over the roof line and to a ground anchor point?

[@sliceoflife1821]

Great question. I did hump the terra-cotta at first in whole sections, but they are crazy heavy and awkward. So I later tried to break them carefully and it was very easy. Just hold one of the sides and lightly tap about a foot or more lower and it will break off in your hand (to avoid a mess down below in the flue). You don't need much force. I remember using a plastic hammer to spread the load on impact. Glad the video is helping you out and best of luck!

[@sliceoflife1821]

Sorry I forgot your second question. My roof at the chimney base is very flat so I didn't tie-off when working on the roof. When using the lift I tied off to the lift's designated location with a shock-absorbing lanyard from the full body harness. If I was on a steeper slope, I would have tied off using the nailed or screwed D-Ring plates you can get at most stores and attach it where you would have to repair/replace the shingles or a better location. Make sure you have good lumber beneath the plate, not just plywood. I don't trust long ropes, especially over peaks. Too much can go wrong. There's more detailed and proper direction from the tie-off plate manufacturer you choose. Definitely a "follow the instructions moment". Stay safe and good luck!

[@LizMarksooo]

Was it hard to rent the lift? How many days did the demo take?

[@sliceoflife1821]

Lift rental was easy. You just need a truck that can take the tongue weight. Total demo days were around 3-4. I would take the tarp off and poke on it in the evenings when cooler. The roof in-fill wood and shingle work was one day. With exception of the first day help with Corbin, all days were just me. Oh, I almost forgot, count on 3-5 days of body recovery for anyone that doesn't do this for a living :-)