Reusing Materials

What about salvaged materials? Earlier I mentioned all the old buildings that are being torn down. While many are salvaged for their materials, others are simply dismantled and hauled off to the dump. Why not salvage all that can be salvaged and reused, and then – and only then – discard what has to be discarded? Reusing building materials is actually very cost-effective and requires far less energy than recycling.

When Expo 74 came to Spokane, all kinds of buildings were constructed to house the exhibits. When it closed, the city recycled those buildings and their contents. A subcontractor friend of mine bought the hardwood flooring from one of the buildings and I helped him install it in his rec room. He now has flooring that was once part of a major historical event. People from all over the country – all over the world – walked on that very floor! Reusing materials like that creates a history for the home and makes living in it a more unique experience.

It can be the same for you and your customers. Just think of using beams that may have once been in a ship, an early industrial building, or even an 18th or 19th century warehouse. In many cases suppliers can actually provide documentation to go along with these historical products. Customers get excited about building with items that belonged to a different era. They're conversation pieces that add interest to their home, and you know how your customers like to show off their castles.

There are a few salvage companies in Seattle with huge warehouses filled with furniture, building components and materials. When I walked through the doors of one, I swore I had stepped back in time. You wouldn't believe the things they had on display! What especially caught my eye was a beautiful oak staircase, fully intact, including balusters and handrails, that had been salvaged from a turn-of-the-century mansion. It was absolutely stunning! The asking price plus shipping was less than it would cost to recreate and install such beautiful workmanship, even if you could find someone who could do it. As a matter of fact, it would probably be difficult (if not impossible) to duplicate it today at any cost. This piece, with its class and heritage, warranted installation in a very special home. Don't you agree?

My point is that if you can use salvaged materials, you're recycling not only material, but history as well. And installing an existing component rather than using virgin materials is a choice to use alternative methods of construction. Other materials you might want to consider recycling are bricks, fixtures, hardware, and metal and tile roofing. Speaking of roofing, you should have seen the brass and copper weathervanes on display at that salvage company!

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