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RE Stores are growing organically.  Reused building materials are available as used building materials, salvage, architectural salvage and fill a need in between garage sale stores, Lowes, antique store and definitely eclectic salvaged treasures!

RE Store is an outlet REsources  in Bellingham, WA that pulls reusable materials out of projects and they then set up a store to handle all the materials.  They are now the largest retail store in downtown Bellingham.  The store staff are paid employees, and they use volunteers from community service programs, and interested volunteers as well. 

These people are like minded and concerned about their communities.   Newish items run about half of new prices.  Other items are based on gut feel.  Donations are accepted and sometimes are bought at about 25% of their value. 

Goals for used building materials are to keep things out of the landfill, help low income families, and assist artists.  Lots of used building material treasure hunting goes on here!

Kinds of used materials vary from:  doors, dimensional lumber, cabnitry, hardware, windows, flashing, plumbing, hardware, toilets and sinks, lighting fixtures, and even science room cabinets.  Salvaged materials look for cool and valuable.  Appliances are sometimes usable such as refrigerator and ovens.  

Public donations. Deconstruction crews take houses apart by hand.  Salvage crews reclaim used remodeling parts.  Pickup crews pick up used building materials and appliances from homeowners.   These salvage operations are all safer and more time efficient than mining the landfill.

Employees at Re Store are over educated, environmentally minded and have a very positive energy!  Their dedication shows in the service and sorting skills applied to the used and salvaged materials.

They can presort, restore and make it recyclable.  And can recycle other materials such as asphalt roofing materials to recycle 60-80% of a building. It can take 3 weeks (300-400 hours) vs. 2 days to deconstruct a house...save the homeowner landfill costs and give the homeowner a tax deduction.  Reuse of the materials can help cover costs.  Breakeven is the mission, the goal.  Mission driven vs. profit driven.  But they are sucess driven for the community!

A deconstruction industry is forming, and new tools are being designed for effective work productivity.  Deconstruction provides a lot of jobs, and teams typcally work with crews of 6 people on their deconstruction and recycling projects.

One new tool is a pneumatic nail remover  -- and is seen as the most exciting new tool because it saves time, and can save additional amounts and kinds of wood.

Reality inspires community!  People support and gather around solutions to real needs -- the Re Store is about connections!   

Building deconstruction and demolition can be profitable...and definitely a greener use of natural resources...even if they are used!  (Especially when those materials are used!)

There are some pathways to explore if you want to deconstruct buildings...or use the materials.  Here are some tips:

Prices for deconstruction vary from $3 to $14/sq ft. depending on location and market timing.  Labor is usually priced per square foot.  The value of materials vary. 

• Mundane materials can run $2-4 per sq ft of materials. 
• Other valuable materials vary greatly -- the sky's the limit.

There are other reasons beyond value of materials to consider responsible deconstruction of old buildings.

• Cost avoidance -- avoid disposal costs, 
• Avoid taxes -- tax benefits to property owners,
• Value of antique and reusable materials
• Babysitting disposed materials. 
• Saved labor rates. 
• Saved landfill tipping fees/disposal 
• Donation of materials for tax deductions
  

Clever contractors can deconstruct and salvage a building in smart ways that saves costs.  Experience, creativity and efficiency make a difference. 

Owners benefit financially because they get tax deductions for the value of materials they donate to nonprofit organzations vs. landfilling.  Habitat for Humanity ReStores is an example.  Local historical societies sometimes have antique parts shops to help restore old properties.

A general list of materials that can be salvaged from deconstructed buildings include:

• Antiques, artifacts, ornaments, mundane building materials.
• Fixtures (the older the better for high end design -- antique salvage is a strong market) 
• Appliances: antique water heaters, stoves, etc. can be sold for @$20.
• Fixtures: toilets and sinks can be valued in restoring old buildings
• Doors and windows -- There are a thousand and one uses for doors
• Flooring is easy to extract and marketable.  Very valuable.   Oak or fir go for $14 sq ft. 
• Roofing - slate and tile are popular and valuable
• Siding - common used building materials include aluminum.  Wood siding can also be used for millwork.
• Heavy timbers - very active.
• Dimensional timbers have less market, but old growth, heart pine, Douglas fir, etc. can be milled and converted to other products.

Reuse isn't the only market for salvaged materials.  They also have "recycled content"  potential:  lumber can be ground into use for fuels, mulches, etc. Gypsum drywall can be used as soil amendment or returned to factory, or used for other agricultural purposes.

New construction can also use recycled materials and reuse materials:  High end use of these salvaged materials can create a distinct green statement and brand a design or construction firm as a "green building" company when they excel at the practical and aesthetic use of recycled content.

For more resources about green building and salvaging, check out  GreenBuildingTalk.com

Natural building materials already surround us! Think wood, living platns, metal, bricks...

What's a home without plants?  It's just a short hop to understand how remodeling and plants are intertwined for energy efficiency and beauty.  What's a home without trees, shrubs, grasses, flowers, even moss and weeds!  They all can be designed "greener" to produce natural texture, cooling shade and a fresh supply of oxygen!

But there are other natural building materials that can be part of your efficiency remodeling projects to make your home or building energy efficient and environmentally sound.

ROCKS

Local, natural rocks can be used -- and have been used for eons -- as a natural building material.  They can be walls, fences, stepping stones, patios, even furniture.  When you use local rocks, you maintain your local charm and flavor.,..and you reduce the high cost of transporting these heavy materials. 

Rocks used as a natural building material choice for indoor sun porch floor that can double as a heat reservoir in winter. Place these heat retaining natural building materials so they absorb sunshine that hits them during the heat of the day.  Heavy curtains can seal in the warmth and release the heat into your living rooms at night.

Small rocks can also be used as gravel on a pathway or laid carefully into concrete for a textured surface.  Really tiny rocks...called sand ... have many natural building material uses as filler, cover, and utilitarian uses. 

The humble rock...so very important in our living infrastructure and such a great value as a natural building material! 

DIRT

Don't forget the building properties of dirt!  In early building techniques, dirt was made into adobe and cob and even mortar between stones.   Then people learned that earthern berms against a wall can insulate the home from cold winter precipitation -- rain, snow, sleet and moist winds.

Today's concrete foundations can benefit from an earthern berm to reduce the infiltration of cold air into the crawl space. 

LIVING PLANTS

Living roofs are an ancient technique that is being revived on commercial buildings, in particular.  By growing a thin layer of plants on a well structured roof, low-water use plants can actually absorb rain and prevent it from turning into urban runoff that carries hardscape pollutants into our ground water. 

WOOD

Not all wood has to be imported from exotic locations.  Local wood can be used as both a natural building material...and a local material to weave into charming garden fences or used to construct grape arbors or display posts for cascading vines.  Fence posts are a very common use of local limbs.  

Cross cut rounds can be used as stepping stones and edgings and even rustic furniture.

Local sawmills also cut siding that provides local charm and lower transportation impact to our environment.  It pays to get to know your local timber management resources such as local lumberyard owners, utility companies that have to trim trees regularly, and even tree farmers.

Wood is a renewable resource...you can even plant your own trees to harvest in  the years to come!  

Architects have known for ages that old buildings are great resources for new building projects.  Even in ancient times, old stones and old timbers were reused after disasters and when materials were needed locally that harkened back to better days.

Sounds like today, doesn't it?

Architectural salvage is an established commercial sector. 

Architectural salvate contacts in your local area are probably quiet ... but you can bet the architects and contractors and even interior designers know where these treasure houses are located.

Your local historic preservation society probably also knows of salvagers who specialize in antique building parts, and sometimes these preservation societies even operate their own nonprofit salvage warehouses to promote and assist with old-house restorations.

Most architectural salvage warehouses are in urban areas -- for obvious supply and demand reasons.  Web sites are a great new addition to this market for unique properties -- instant communications and cheap online cataloging make it possible to shop from your armchair.

You can even make special requests on some websites such as ShoppersPage at About (Shoppers Page).  Recycler's Exchange (Recycler's Exchange) is an information exchange for buying, selling or trading all sorts of materials and equipment, including remodeling supplies.

AntiqueNet ( AntiqueNet.)is a commerce site that sells and auctions antiques and collectibles.

And don't forget eBay, CraigsList and other  consumer sites that connect people for mutual benefit.

Finding local salvage or used building materials is one thing...finding enough materials for a large project like a room addition or even a new building or new house is a challenge on a whole different scale.

That's when you need to check out resouces such as:

Habitat ReStores:  Shops that sell used building supplies and other used building materials.  Proceeds from ReStores help build Habitat houses in the community -- an additional sustainable benefit!

Building Materials Reuse Association (BMRA) is a nonprofit educational resource for those interested or involved in deconstruction and reuse, recycyling and recovery of building materials.  They have a directory of reuse stores at:  Directory of BuildingReuse.org

Reclaimed Wood Council gives you all the basics about reclaimed wood and can connect you with reclaimed wood specialty companies.  Reclaimed wood in increasingly being used for furniture manufacturing as well as construction projects to help qualify for USGBC LEED projects.

Online commerce sites such as Craigslist and Freecycle help connect you with people with stuff.  Concerns are that you really need to know what you're doing and have to watch for stolen property.  Safety for your own well-being if you carry cash to off the beaten path locations can also be a concern.  Don't go alone!

Dumpster diving, looking around landfills and junk yards are also sources for unique materials -- but usually not in sufficient quantity, not to mention that you really need to know your stuff to separate quality from junk.