3 Great Tools for a Home Demolition
May 04, 2011, By Greg Hoard 1 comment
Truth be told, most of us are far better at demolishing than we are at renovating a room in the house. The mere thought of tearing up a room gets my juices flowing. It’s the rebuilding project that always gives me pause. In fact, I’ve been known to mysteriously disappear after the demo work is done, leaving the task to my more capable and patient brothers-in-law.
For me, demolition work is therapeutic and far cheaper than an hour on a couch with the guy in the cashmere sweater who always says the same thing: “Hmmm, interesting. How do you feel about that?”
But I’ve learned over the years that to be a good demo man you need something more versatile and effective than a crowbar or a claw hammer. Here are some can’t-miss numbers that will turn you into a one-man wrecking crew. Chose any of these and advise everybody else to stand back.
- Stanley® Fubar® Forcible Entry Tool: It looks as menacing as it sounds. Inspired by tools used by firefighters, the combination crowbar/hammer will take on anything from lumber to sheetrock. On one end of the aluminum handle, you have a crowbar; on the other, there is a hammer face and jaws that are strong enough to take on a 2x4, and it also has a nail-pulling slot. It’s pricey ($150), but when it comes to demo work this tool is a champion.
- Stanley® Super Wonder Bar: I know. It sounds like something out of a Marvel comic book, like it would stop bullets or gamma rays, the perfect weapon against villains bent on world domination. It is, instead, a very tough, very basic wrecking bar. It provides near Herculean leverage, which makes it ideal for removing dry wall and stubborn nails. It’s not as versatile as the FuBar, but it’s dandy for basic demo jobs, and it’s inexpensive ($12).
- Lee Valley Box Tool: I really like this tool. Besides, it looks like something Erik the Red would take into battle. It’s 13 1/2-inches in length and weighs nearly two pounds. It features a rough-edged axe blade, a hammer head, two nail pullers and a pry bar. If you are tearing out wood lathe or going after plaster, this is the tool for you. You won’t have to empty your wallet to purchase the Box Tool ($10), and the folks at Lee Valley even offer a hint on who’s just right for this product. The distributors refer to it as “a tough, ugly tool that is perfect for the person whose usual solution to a problem is to use a larger hammer.” I'm pretty sure I know that person. Maybe you do too.
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