Though a debris-removal slide like this isn’t a new idea, Rob Morris, owner of Morris-Day Designers & Builders, in McLean, Va., says that this is the first time he has had to build a chute this high for a residential project. This whole-house remodel was on a steep lot and included removing the second story roof as well as the floor deck along one side.
The slide, made of scrap wood, took three crew members less than two days to build and could be disassembled without need for storage once the project was complete. However, the slide build time outweighs the time it would have taken the men to hand-carry debris to the Dumpster, not to mention the safety factor. “On slopes such as these, it’s too dangerous and labor-intensive to have a human conveyor belt from the attic to the second floor, second floor to main level, and then to the sidewalk,” Morris says.
The crew also used ropes to pull materials such as tile, grout, and paint to the upper story of the project. The crew placed signs on the slide to warn neighborhood kids against climbing it.
—Nina Patel, senior editor, REMODELING. Find her on Twitter at twitter.com/silvernina Related article:
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