Thank you for sharing your experience. I just like to make two comments: 1) if I were doing it, one important thing is to make sure there are no electrical wired running inside the wall before you cut into it, and 2) the wall material has value. People restoring old houses are looking for them. It takes skill and an elaborate process to refine the clay before it can be used for walls. I would keep the bags of material in my store.
I checked the walls for electrical of course and the power was off just in case. The material being valuable is interesting, I never thought about it! Unfortunately it's been disposed of long ago :( I just didn't have the space to keep it. If another wall comes down then I will consider putting it up for someone to claim it!
The bamboo is not tougher than the metal blade; but the earth and sand in that wall is. In addition, it looks like that was a shikkui coating on the surface of the wall. The thin shikkui layer is made of slaked lime (limestone which is decarbonized through superheating), seaweed glue, plant fibers, and water. Then, this hydrated lime, once recombined with water and the other ingredients, and applied to a wall, reverts back to the same chemical composition as the original limestone through the process of (re-)carbonation. So... the shikkui surface coating is also abrasive. And as we all know, metal tools are sharpened, and dulled, with abrasives. As you experienced, the plaster quickly destroyed the small teeth on your reciprocating saw. If you have much cutting to do, a far better tool for cutting through the plaster and earth (including the shikkui surface coating) is an inexpensive angle grinder with a diamond blade. It's cheap (a blade is less than $20 USD), and works great to cut down to, and possibly thorough, the bamboo too. However, if it doesn't easily cut through the bamboo as well, THEN you grab your recip saw and easily cut the bamboo in the middle, especially if you use an aggressively toothed demolition blade as you did. I love these old houses. Thank you for bringing us along on your remodel.
Thanks for watching! Good to know! I slowly came to that same conclusion that it was the sand that was doing the damage. That is not to say that the bamboo wasn’t part if the problem. What it really taught me was that I am not going to knock down anymore walls lol it’s too much work for one man.
I’ve done this quite recently, the sand finish is applied wet & smoothed out & allowed to dry, I applied the same method but in reverse, using a small decorating roller to wet the sand & then scrape it off & just sweep it up. When I removed some sections of wall it was 1/4 inch plaster board with 1/4 inch sand & cement render, a square meter weighs 25 kilograms ! To get your bags to your car you need a wheel barrow.
I've seen many people do the scrape down method. It just seemed like a lot of work... well there really is no easy way around it. I've been using a ''sealer'' that they sell to harden the sand. Similarly, you roll it on and give it two coats. The sand hardens and becomes a good base to plaster over it. I've had good success this way without the mess of scraping. The bags were immensely heavy. A wheel barrel was an option but I didn't pull the trigger on buying one :(
Just came across this, I;ll be doing the same to a house I bought - taking down a wall between a room and a hallway to make a bigger room. I am going to miss US construction materials dearly lol.
It is all natural... you would have to find land to crush it and spread it onto. If it were your property then no problem but there are no public parks or lands to do it on otherwise.
"You're still here." Well yeah, I have the rest of the playlist to watch :)
Glad you enjoyed watching!
That's right - and from the oldest videos up to the present!
Thank you for sharing your experience. I just like to make two comments: 1) if I were doing it, one important thing is to make sure there are no electrical wired running inside the wall before you cut into it, and 2) the wall material has value. People restoring old houses are looking for them. It takes skill and an elaborate process to refine the clay before it can be used for walls. I would keep the bags of material in my store.
I checked the walls for electrical of course and the power was off just in case. The material being valuable is interesting, I never thought about it! Unfortunately it's been disposed of long ago :( I just didn't have the space to keep it. If another wall comes down then I will consider putting it up for someone to claim it!
The bamboo is not tougher than the metal blade; but the earth and sand in that wall is.
In addition, it looks like that was a shikkui coating on the surface of the wall. The thin shikkui layer is made of slaked lime (limestone which is decarbonized through superheating), seaweed glue, plant fibers, and water. Then, this hydrated lime, once recombined with water and the other ingredients, and applied to a wall, reverts back to the same chemical composition as the original limestone through the process of (re-)carbonation. So... the shikkui surface coating is also abrasive. And as we all know, metal tools are sharpened, and dulled, with abrasives. As you experienced, the plaster quickly destroyed the small teeth on your reciprocating saw.
If you have much cutting to do, a far better tool for cutting through the plaster and earth (including the shikkui surface coating) is an inexpensive angle grinder with a diamond blade. It's cheap (a blade is less than $20 USD), and works great to cut down to, and possibly thorough, the bamboo too. However, if it doesn't easily cut through the bamboo as well, THEN you grab your recip saw and easily cut the bamboo in the middle, especially if you use an aggressively toothed demolition blade as you did.
I love these old houses. Thank you for bringing us along on your remodel.
Thanks for watching! Good to know! I slowly came to that same conclusion that it was the sand that was doing the damage. That is not to say that the bamboo wasn’t part if the problem. What it really taught me was that I am not going to knock down anymore walls lol it’s too much work for one man.
I’ve done this quite recently, the sand finish is applied wet & smoothed out & allowed to dry, I applied the same method but in reverse, using a small decorating roller to wet the sand & then scrape it off & just sweep it up. When I removed some sections of wall it was 1/4 inch plaster board with 1/4 inch sand & cement render, a square meter weighs 25 kilograms ! To get your bags to your car you need a wheel barrow.
I've seen many people do the scrape down method. It just seemed like a lot of work... well there really is no easy way around it. I've been using a ''sealer'' that they sell to harden the sand. Similarly, you roll it on and give it two coats. The sand hardens and becomes a good base to plaster over it. I've had good success this way without the mess of scraping. The bags were immensely heavy. A wheel barrel was an option but I didn't pull the trigger on buying one :(
lol..too late but demolition tsuchi Kabe you should of laid blue sheet. makes clean up easier.
I will definitely use this tip downstairs when I refinish the ceilings there. I usually end up doing things the hard way lol
Just came across this, I;ll be doing the same to a house I bought - taking down a wall between a room and a hallway to make a bigger room. I am going to miss US construction materials dearly lol.
I have pity on your soul lol 😂
It was totally worth it and totally terrible to do. I hope your wall is small!
where is this place, calm and beautiful
Kyoto prefecture, a town called Ine.
Where abouts are you mate? I'm doing the same. It's hard work but it's rewarding.
I’m super north Kyoto prefecture in a town called “Ine”. Very hard work but it’s something to be proud of when a job is complete, right?!
@@DIYJapan True that. I'm in Nanbu, Yamanashi. It's all good fun. Will have to pop down for a visit one day 😄
Question: Can that sandy clay rubble be recycled into earth/soil organically, or is there no choice but to cart it away?
It is all natural... you would have to find land to crush it and spread it onto. If it were your property then no problem but there are no public parks or lands to do it on otherwise.