Bloomington demolition for postwar ramblers, split-levels and worn-out slabs

Postwar blocks and the houses standing on them

Most Bloomington neighborhoods were platted in the fifties and sixties, and the housing stock shows it: one-story ramblers with full basements, split-levels and split-entries with a lower level half in the ground, and some story-and-a-halfs in the older northern sections. Lots are larger than in Minneapolis but far smaller than the wooded parcels farther west, so neighbors sit within a short throw of any demolition.

Construction from that period is fairly predictable. Wood framing, concrete block foundations, plaster in the earliest houses and drywall in later ones, and asphalt or wood siding that has often been covered over.

Slabs, stoops and driveways that have done their time

Concrete poured sixty or seventy years ago has been through a lot of freeze and thaw cycles. In Bloomington that shows up as driveways cracked into plates, garage aprons that tip toward the house, front steps pulling away from the foundation and patios sinking into the yard. Removing that concrete is often the first step before a new driveway, a regraded yard or a landscaping project.

Some of that older concrete is thicker or more heavily reinforced than owners expect, and some was poured over a thin or missing base, which is part of why it failed. The way a slab is broken out and hauled off is explained on the concrete removal page.

Ground conditions from the uplands to the river bottoms

The northern and central parts of the city sit mostly on glacial till: clay-heavy soil with stones and sandy pockets. It holds water against foundations, which is why so many Bloomington basements have drain tile and sump pits added over the years. Closer to the south edge, the land drops steeply to the Minnesota River, with sandier soils, ravines and bluff slopes that erode quickly when the vegetation is stripped.

Nine Mile Creek also crosses the city on its way to the river, and lots along its banks can sit in floodplain with high groundwater. A basement hole there may take on water, and fill has to be chosen and placed with that in mind. Expect the city and the watershed district to care about erosion control on any lot near the creek, a pond or the bluff.

What hides inside ramblers and split-levels

Houses from this era commonly contain materials that need testing before they are disturbed. Floor tile and its mastic, some ceiling textures, duct and pipe wrap, and certain siding products can contain asbestos. Lead is a concern in older layers of paint. Federal and state rules generally call for an asbestos inspection before a building is demolished, with abatement by a specialist before the teardown begins.

Split-levels add a structural wrinkle. The lower level is partly below grade, sometimes with a tuck-under garage, and walls between levels may carry loads that are not obvious. For a full teardown the details are on the house demolition page; for a remodel that opens walls, a structural engineer or the building department decides what can come out, as the interior demolition page explains.

The removal jobs that come up most in Bloomington

Requests here tend to cluster around a handful of projects:

• Teardown of a small rambler so a larger new house can go up on the same lot, often by a buyer who wanted the location more than the house.
• Kitchen, bath and lower-level gut-outs ahead of a remodel in a house the owners plan to stay in.
• Driveway, apron, stoop and patio removal where frost and settlement have broken the concrete apart.
• Detached garages and sheds that have rotted at the sill or are being replaced by something bigger; see the garage and shed demolition page.
• Older in-ground pools in backyards where a new owner would rather have lawn.

Streets, driveways and the people next door

Bloomington's residential streets are generally wide enough for a truck and a container, which makes access easier than on a Minneapolis alley. The constraints are closer to home: a boulevard tree right where the truck wants to back in, a shared property line with a fence or garden a few feet from the work, and parked cars on a narrow block.

Neighbors notice dust, noise and mud on the street. A thoughtful plan waters down dusty debris, sweeps the street, keeps the container off the neighbor's side and protects their landscaping.

Permits and city review in Bloomington

The city issues demolition permits through its building department. For a house, it typically wants to see that gas and electric service are cut off at the source, that an asbestos survey has been completed, and that the sewer service has been capped so an inspector can check it. The state pollution control agency also generally expects advance notice before most building demolitions. Smaller structures may follow a simpler path, but ask before assuming none is needed.

Lots near the creek or along the bluff can draw additional review for erosion and stormwater. And before any digging, a Gopher State One Call locate marks the buried utilities for free.

Timing around frost and spring road limits

Demolition happens year round, but Minnesota winters change the sequence. Structures can come down in the cold; backfill should not go in frozen, so final grading may wait for spring. As the frost leaves, load limits on local roads can restrict heavy hauling for a stretch, and late summer into early fall is the best window to get seed or sod established before winter.

If you are just west of here, the Eden Prairie page covers that suburb, and all the communities this site serves are on the areas page.

Common questions here

The work, by type

Elsewhere in the Twin Cities