Caterpillar Excavator Demolishes 3-Story Apartment Building

Today, we’re demolishing a three-story apartment building. This was a bit of a challenge, as all of the sheetrock and most of the interior walls were removed due to asbestos, making the building very unstable.
For anyone wondering, the machine in this video is a Caterpillar 323 excavator.
Remember to leave lots of questions and comments everybody!!
I have a bunch more awesome demolition videos coming up soon, so make sure you're subscribed and have post notifications turned on so you don't miss anything.
Thanks so much to everyone who's been following along. I really appreciate it!
Feel free to email me anytime at [e-mail]

[@HomeWreckerBrian]

Hey everyone! Let me know what you thought about today's video. Is there anything you would like to see more of in the future, like different angles or more walkthroughs? Let me know!

[@mackhopper]

I really enjoyed this video. The video was perfect! I’m a tree lover - I admit it. That was a majestic tree! You did a good job of bringing it down, but I hated to see it go. I really enjoy the tours of different properties prior to the demolition. Your narrations are always informative, as well. I always look forward to your next video!!!

[@nine-tenmedia5846]

You might want to invest in hardhats. Good thing OSHA didn't show up.

[@johnsandlinjr]

Would be cool to see you moving your equipment around from site to site, and some setup before a job. Water lines, fencing etc.

[@connerthompson7618]

Could you do a video about bidding demo jobs and how you find the work?

[@sea450x]

Not the tree

[@kenlund9671]

A really well made video. Nice with a little intro and the narrator is clear, no gibberish. Good idea to increase the speed a little from time to time. Explanatory text is also useful. Thank you!

[@timbukh3]

Watching this is a good lesson about the power of a tornado. With the amount of time and work to demolish this building, a tornado does in seconds. These are interesting to watch. Glad to have found the channel.

[@tyronedeasbrailsford951]

You’re a good technical operator. Thoroughly enjoyed the video. Thank you.

[@bradplumb64]

That took forever, and you killed a great tree!

[@cadenconverse15]

Its crazy how strong excavators are. No one thinks about it because they just make it look so easy

[@averagejoe2842]

These houses are made out of cardboard and wood, what would you expect ?

[@mattstbe6452]

^^ Exactly. More like it’s crazy how dangerously weak our buildings are. No one thinks about it cause we’re all too busy struggling to have a roof over our heads at all, we’re not thinking about whether that roof is gonna fall. Edit: Bruh he barely scratched the wall and you could already see through. What’s this “American quality” y’all are so proud of?

[@jeffcicale]

I like the narration here and you chose the perfect time to speed it up a bit. Keep up the great work!

[@HomeWreckerBrian]

Thanks a lot, man. I really appreciate that.

[@Drinks4450]

​@@HomeWreckerBrianAgreed 😊😊😊😊

[@25vrd48]

Very well controlled demolition great excavator operator . I've demolished quite a few buildings for the antique brick that was used when the buildings were built . Dust is a very big problem and so many complaints from property owners and vehicle owners as well . Windy days are problematic but that's life and we can't control what God does . Water hoses are great and help a lot . Very good video and job well done . Keep them coming . Good night from Sherwood , Arkansas .

[@UAL012]

One operator to another: NICE job. The demo was controlled and well thought out. I'm more of a civil operator (dirt, grade work etc for the outsiders) but I can definitely recognize skill when I see it. Most of my demo work is asphalt and concrete removal with the occasional tree or other obstacles. I had a site superintendent comment that it was like a surgeon doing this kind of work. Now that I'm a superintendent myself, I can definitely see what I means.

[@ronwalker8863]

They get rid of the tree to make room for a beautiful concrete curb island.

[@awdeveau]

He was joking when he said the water was to keep the dust down. It might do that, but it's not the main purpose. When you tear a house down you have to water it so a new house can grow.

[@polishstick0609]

Ahahaha, how realistic XD

[@jdpinbaytown]

Those Apt's didn't look old enough to have Asbestes in them!, I worked construction on Apt's all through the 80's here in Houston, Texas where I live, The construction looks about the same, Different Codes maybe? Anyway Great Video!

[@RichardHeadGaming]

Double check your work order and make sure you were at the right address lol.

[@DavidMiller-qu2sr]

Enjoy watching your videos keep making great videos I like your videos keep making great videos

[@jerrycallaio5130]

Disgusting Seeing That Mature Tree Just Pushed Over To Die!

[@voiceofjeff]

I really enjoyed yoyr video and will be looking out for more. The narration was good, the different camera shots gave good perspective, and i liked how you sped it up at the right places!

[@HomeWreckerBrian]

Thanks a bunch! I really appreciate it.

[@anthonylamura8600]

Godzella would be PROUD :)

[@FamiliyLibraryRoom]

More like Gonzaga would be proud..seeing as how that college is 1 block away from this apartment

[@edbartelt4333]

It scared me a lot to see this tinderbox being torn down. Living in Florida, I could not imagine how it could stand up to a hurricane or even a tornado. You did a good video, but that poor tree, I wish they wouldn’t have to be torn down as well, looking forward to your next video.

[@playtimeisdone8490]

That came down pretty easily, Brian! I enjoyed the video!!! I didn’t see any stray, smash-able items this time! LOL

[@HomeWreckerBrian]

Thanks man I'm glad you liked it. Maybe we'll come across something next time. 😀

[@tomrogers9467]

Hard to believe asbestos embedded in glue could be a possible health hazard. Those regulations are way overkill. Side story: While in Kindergarten, our teacher would drag out a huge paper sack full of asbestos powder. We kids would get a tin can full, mix it with water and use it as modelling clay. It would dry hard as rock and we’d paint it later. I still have the hand print I made. That was about 1957. If I ever get mesothelioma, I’m suing the school board and that model is exhibit 1!

[@johncford3957]

Wow, we did the same thing in primary school here in Canada, the teacher would get a bucket of asbestos from the boiler room and we made crafts with it, I am now receiving oxygen therapy.

[@8978Marty]

Great video. When you have the footage sped up it reminds me of Stop Animation like the old King Kong movie

[@gordiehattrick]

Damn! The Cat 323 made quick work demoing that building!!! Excellent operator!!! I'm surprised it pushed that big tree over with little effort! Did you dig around the base first to cut the roots??

[@Studogg98]

That jiggle reminds me of a house of cards.

[@owenmccabe3277]

You just had the spotlight on that beautiful tree for all to admire then you knock it down. WTF

[@rdelamadrid]

Yeah that's messed up.

[@FamiliyLibraryRoom]

The tree had to come down!!! Construction is now underway on a new $12.7 million, 92-bed student residential hall at Gonzaga University to be named Mantua Hall on the site of 802 E Sharpe, Spokane Valley, Wa. That tree was right in the middle of the building plans. No saving it.

[@davidsalzman4672]

Very interesting and relaxing to watch. Like a few others, I wonder why no hardhats on the ground crew working in an unstable environment.

[@alanl.simmons9726]

Why no hardhats on the ground crew?

[@kurtkisandi1575]

Wow, no HiVis or HardHat

[@kenjaminhanson3853]

Why are so many people getting upset over a tree? Great video!

[@olanbourque3201]

great operating skills

[@MajorOffensive1212]

Why the water though?? Is that just to keep the dust down?

[@123Puke]

Very honestly, you could speed up more of each video. It helps shorten the time, and you miss nothing. Go back and watch again if you think you missed something.

[@goodcitizen4587]

Great editing!

[@Dave_9547]

I notice your excavator has a hydraulic thumb, where many other machines doing demo have a fixed thumb. It would seem that a live thumb would be better. Can you comment on this? It didn't look like you were salvaging the copper wire, or was it aluminum in the larger cables?

[@Kapparie]

Feels like eating a crispy toast. 😂

[@fredrobinson6990]

Did you mean for the tree to come down?

[@anthonyfeeney1210]

Have a Beer 🍻

[@dregenius]

The amazing part is that it's legal for rent-seeking LandLeeches to build such a cost-cut, barely-habitable structure like this and charge an infinitely recurring amount of money just to temporarily have a roof over your head - or more accurately, a thumping, rattling ceiling which is someon else's floor... cause I guarantee no sound deadening or insulation was used between units.These land-parasites should all be sent to a prison colony to rent from each other and see how long their society would last with all their valuable contributions!

[@dregenius]

I did see tiny tufts of fiberglass insulation in the walls, but I'm assuming they only did that because heat was included in the rent. If tenants paid their own heating costs, we can pretty much guarantee they would build it with *no* insulation at all, and single pane windows. 😂

[@gustavn8902]

yes this will be cool to watch... awesome and amazing...

[@gregj7916]

Looks like American apartments are built from paper mache....

[@johndallessandro7640]

Question : how much so you get all together from all the scrap iron, aluminum etc. from a job this size ?

[@mutluibili]

bravo

[@christkenton9397]

for what reason he cut down an old and beautiful tree ..... it was on the edge and did not obstruct

[@LightningFabrication]

Just out of curiosity, what kind of tree was that you took down? At the 1:28 mark it looked like it had some kind of fruit on it. Nice job on the demo.

[@timhan8667]

how do you get into work like this?

[@johnbelwell2461]

Damn i'm from Europe and i find this weird, an apartment building made of wood that can turn to dust by termites and to ashes by a kitchen fire plus they demolish what looks like a building not more than 10-15 years after was made. Here some of the oldest modern apartment buildings are making it to 80-120 years already, made with reinforced concrete structure or stone walls with concrete slabs, and there's still people residing inside to those that are left, not that they are pretty or problem free but you can say they are paid off to their service.

[@Thisoldhiker]

It was about 50 years old.

[@willgriffin5647]

Why was the building so wobbly? I hoping it was the pre demolition. If it was built like that, that's scary and a surprise it didn't fall.

[@JC-dr8ev]

It was wobbly because they had to take all the Sheetrock and most of the interior non load bearing walls out. Those items add to the rigidity of the structure greatly.

[@willgriffin5647]

makes sense. I was worried it was like that while people were living in it.@@JC-dr8ev

[@cemexsound2452]

Save trees

[@andyhughes5885]

Hello, nice video. Tell me, what happens to all that waste wood ? I live in Scotland where almost all constructions are in either stone, brick or, concrete but, no wooden ones.

[@christisking7778]

Probably just goes to the landfill.

[@johnsandlinjr]

What do you guys use for a water source? Hook directly to a fire hydrant?

[@APLRestoration]

Just wondering For all projects you have done Did you find water supply easily to control dust ?

[@rixtex]

Too bad about the tree.

[@bradpiovesan8550]

Any info on year built? Looks to be a mid century type place early to mid 60’s.

[@elantrauma]

For anybody curious about the water. The Cat demands to be hydrated at all times. Any refusal to provide an acceptable quantity of fresh water results in a pretty ridiculous hissy fit.

[@sea450x]

Could you give info on why buildings are being torn down.

[@FamiliyLibraryRoom]

This is a block or two away from Gonzaga U. Maybe more student housing?

[@jeffreygi]

Surprised you don’t dismantle things you want to keep first. They may get damaged.

[@franznarf]

this reminds me of that angry guy who wanted to demolish the neighbor's house (hunter) with his whole family inside

[@GastGaggenau]

Was passiert mit den Materialien ? Wird das Holz recycelt, oder landet bei Euch alles im Ofen oder auf der Deponie ?

[@anthonyjohnson100]

It’s like they used balsa wood to build that thing. There’s no real sheer walls is whay it’s so shaky. I bet two fattys could get that place a rocken when gettin it on lol.

[@X-GamerPro-HD]

Looks so nice but I’m guessing it has rather, mold, gas problems or foundation is weak….or can’t be fixed or no one is buying it.

[@Bombiedude.]

I cant be sure but my theory is that the reason it was torn down was because of ada compliance issues there was no elevator or wheelchair lift or anything but thats just my theory behind it

[@chriscorrigan7420]

Was this a refugee apartment? No person in their right mind would live in a place built like this. If that's built to american building standards then I can understand why they fall apart.

[@Thisoldhiker]

College students, I believe.

[@Batman-wv5ng]

This is not building we call this in Europe shit house.

[@johnizitchiforalongtime]

Time lapse makes it look faster, time consuming work. Nonetheless, taking piece by piece, Methodical, directional take down, cool work. You have to be good as this operator.

[@timgraaff7551]

I know you just have to do your job, but man I was really into the job with you until you took down the big tree, bummer.

[@timidema6374]

The apparent was unstable , sure moved with the big hungry cat that was eating wood. But I thought he was going to wreck the kenworth when he knocked over the tree.

[@haradsalip9966]

Those wooden parts of the bldg could have been salvaged to be used to build simple house, rather than throw them away as waste.😢

[@scottbrown6636]

Do you uses a crane and clamshell at all?

[@Kaizer17]

Why are US house so cheap looking and thin? It looks like the walls are very thin and there is no insulation.

[@MowTheLawnWithMe]

Another channel has posted part of this on their channel. I’m sure it happens a lot. Did you want the channel name?

[@WorldWideMediaGroup1]

looks like they used to be very nice apartments back then

[@hounddog946]

The only job better than a cameraman for a XXX movie (straight only) is this guys job on the excavator

[@raginroadrunner]

HARD HATS, GLOVES WTF?

[@lpdude2005]

The way of tearing was quite old-fashioned. It will not occur in Europe. We sort and reuse material in a completely different way. Enormous values in the building which now go straight down the toilet. The windows in the old building will also be special waste.

[@JC-dr8ev]

Labor costs are too expensive and new material is cheap in the US. The US and Canada both grow new forests solely for building materials. There’s plenty of land to do it this way in this area. Wood is a renewable resource here.

[@FairlyOldGit]

From the UK: which part of the country are you in?

[@FamiliyLibraryRoom]

This apartment building was located at 814 E. Sharpe Ave, Spokane, WA, USA

[@jimsmith9819]

quit stirring up so much dust, it makes it really hard to see🤣😂

[@SomebodyYouKnew]

Those metal stairs aren’t worth a shit?

[@Alef.93]

Paper building

[@davidglaum2538]

The place was a fire trap all wood no firewalls.

[@atad]

sounds like a crappy building, and I thought a lot of apartments are concrete but this one was wooden a huge % of it. wow.

[@ryangroenewege277]

😂Ryan

[@adamn7516]

Why does that apartment seem to have no sheetrock on its walls. Was the building interior gutted down to studs prior and if so, why?

[@waynej747]

It was explained right at the start of the video that they had to remove asbestos and that involved removal of the interior walls.

[@patrickjordan7670]

Very unprofessional it looks like a pedestrian walked in there to huke up the stairs and that tree nearly came down on top of a truck what a mess😮

[@Mee10792]

Not much to an American house, very little to them

[@danf3937]

Wrong building again its the one across the street

[@handymatt1970]

matchsticks

[@daviddamico4288]

I thought you would have taken the stairs down before you started tarring it down…because you said you were going to save some of them … That’s the way a bull in a china closet would do it … take the stairs down.. that place was a dump…

[@ゆうき木本]

何で階段重機でつかめないの（笑）重機乗りやめた方がいいと思う。（笑）

[@michaelPG7]

Stop speeding up your videos!

[@trxtech3010]

Mannn that just hurts to see those nice new windows go to waste!

[@deathbecomesu4604]

Just curious, You dont seems to seperate the electrical away from the rubble. Is there a reason for that??

[@mychalwright4920]

Not worth it.

[@deathbecomesu4604]

@@mychalwright4920 Other than that nice video. Different than what i know but hey shit happens