MortarThePoint

I'd thought of that and think that would be the end of the road as it would then takes ages

I like your thinking Mr Punter, can screed become MOT Type 1 as I need plenty of that? The photo is probably a bit confusing. I think you're referring to a thin draft strip in a metal channel that the perspective makes look thick.

Russel griffiths, you must be pretty nifty with it as it would scare me trying to get the right height without gouging the insulation.?

It wouldn't be rewarding if it was easy, that's what I have to keep telling myself when it get's hard. It's also important to appreciate my limitations though so I will be getting the ground works contractor to do the major demo work that is beyond unbolting.

Nice idea Ed Davies, but the foundations etc will be very different.

Thanks Onoff, I have a fork lift paying me a visit soon so I can ask them to try that. I fear the sledge hammer will do too much damage to the insulation. The 300m2 would also be pretty daunting by hand. I had wondered about using a walk behind saw to cut rectangles and lift using concrete anchor eyes. Even that would take a long time.

I've been dismantling a cold store type barn ~300m2 in footprint. I have exposed the makeup of the floor and it looks like there is a screed ~50mm thick below the floor tiles, a DPM/VCL and then 100mm of Celotex insulation. It would be great to reclaim this insulation as it is expensive and would save on waste. Does anyone know how I can go about extracting the insulation intact without it taking forever? I have attached a photo, this is the worst bit as it was below an exterior door. The rest looks like it was built yesterday.

You are right AnonymousBosch, it's a hard balance but hopefully I'll get it somewhere near right

Thanks joe90 it's difficult to know where to turn sometimes and so I am please to hear that ?

Hello everyone. I can't believe I have only just discovered this forum, I've clearly been looking in the wrong places. We have permission to take down some ex-commercial buildings and replace with a house which is very exciting, if it took a while to get. It's been a long road already (looking for ~4 years, then permissions etc) but we are now starting the exciting bits. I fill my weekends with dismantling the largest of the buildings which is a well insulated kit type barn. That's been going well and hopefully next year things will be going up rather than down. I want to be as hands on a possible including laying the bricks/blocks etc. I'm not in the building trade, but am practical and (hopefully) good at taking advice. As always, the challenge is to know what things you don't know that you should (the unknown unknowns).