5 Destructive Tools for DIY Demolition
Updated: Feb. 22, 2022Have a project coming up that involves demolition? Before you smash, rip, and tear anything apart, get these 5 tools to make your demo job easier.
Stanley 8-Inch Nail Puller-Chisel Scraper
This is one of those tools that stays in your tool belt no matter the job you’re doing. It can rip out nails, pry off trim, and wedge apart studs, it’s tough enough to tackle big jobs and small enough to do be precise. Put one in your tool belt for around $10.
Fein Oscillating Multi-Tool
Demo is not always about bashing everything into bits and pieces, a lot of times it’s about precisely cutting drywall down the middle of a stud, or slicing a door jamb at the bottom to accept new flooring without damaging nearby trim. The Fein FMT250QSL Oscillating Multi-Tool makes the cuts you need fast and allows you to fit the blade into small spaces with its multi-position StarLock blade mounting system. It beats out other multitools at the same $150 price point.
On the fence about getting an oscillating tool? See what all they are capable of here: Tips for Using an Oscillating Tool.
Ridgid Octane Reciprocating saw
This brushless cordless reciprocating saw will keep you cutting for a long time and when switched into its orbital setting you’ll be sawing through lumber fast. The brushless motor ad GEN5X battery give you 80 percent faster cutting with 50 percent more runtime. It’s around $100 for the tool without a battery.
Wondering what you do with all the debris? Dumpster Smarts: Getting Rid of Demolition Trash.
Stanley 21-inch Wonder Bar
A big pry bar is one of my favorite demo tools, it gives me the leverage to pry sheets of plywood off of floors and walls, and allows me to break stubborn decking away from rusted screws. I prefer a flat bar over a rounded one so I can lift and pry at heavy objects by rotating the tool as opposed to pressing down or lifting. They are on Amazon for $16.
Check this out, Concrete Demolition Tools and Tips
Knipex Carpenters End Cutting Pliers
End cutters are another one of those tools that I keep in my bags on every job. During a big demo job you’ll be cutting wire (after cutting the power), pulling staples and nails, and you might even run into some stubborn metal corners you’ll have to snip. I like these because their lower leverage design typically won’t allow them to cut nails as easily as you are trying to pull them out. Find it on Amazon for $20.
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