Second Time Around

Building with reused materials is an environmentally friendly way to add historic or creative flair to your next project

By Jeffrey Lee

America's landfills are crammed with the detritus of demolished homes and discarded building materials. The Environmental Protection Agency estimates that 35 percent of landfill space is occupied with construction and demolition waste and materials. But homeowners have an opportunity to stop the cycle of trash by salvaging materials and finishes and putting them to creative reuse in their next project.

From large, antique marble fireplaces to stately claw-foot tubs, and from remilled wood flooring to used kitchen cabinets, reclaimed materials provide homeowners with a unique way of incorporating historic craftsmanship, saving money, or simply going green in their next project.

Available in architectural salvage shops, material reuse facilities, Habitat for Humanity's ReStores and in a variety of Web sites, reclaimed or salvaged building materials have been saved from landfills by contractors or do-it-yourselfers looking to receive tax credits for donated materials or who just can't bear to see old products get tossed away.

Not only are homeowners who reuse these materials saving them from the dumpster, they're preserving the energy that would be required to produce an equivalent new product—from mining or harvesting the raw materials to crafting the product to transporting it to the local big box. Think of it like reusing your bag at the grocery store—recycling your plastic or paper bags is good, but avoiding the production of a new bag altogether is even better.

Vintage Value

It's not just green to use reclaimed materials—it also could save you money. "This is a great thing to think about in terms of getting a deal and contributing to your local economy," says Brad Guy, a material reuse consultant and educator at Yestermorrow Design/Build School. "A lot of times you can get these materials at 30 percent to 50 percent of the cost of new materials."

Furthermore, many of these materials are the same products you'd find at your local retailer. "A lot of the reuse stores sell materials that were never used, but maybe misordered or overstocked," Guy says.

Shane Endicott, executive director of Portland, Oregon's ReBuilding Center, the country's largest non-profit reuse center for salvaged construction and remodeling materials, says his facility is a thrift store with a set pricing system. "Everything has to cost 50 percent to 90 percent less than market value or retail price at the outlet," he says. "Depending on where you get it, you could save a lot of money."

Better Than Ever

Reclaimed products also can bring historical interest, aesthetic flair, or simply old-fashioned beauty to a project. "We're holding onto a lot of historical integrity in the area," says Spenser Villwock, deputy director for the Center for ReSource Conservation, a Boulder, Colo.-based program that includes a reuse facility. He notes that including one historic item in a remodel or project can create a focal point.

"It's bringing in the craftsmanship and materials you don't find anymore," Villwock says. "Those materials are encapsulated in time."

But don't expect to find the highest-quality materials at a discount. Like antiques, historic pieces such as an old, marble mantelpiece might be available for a premium at architectural salvage shops. Some companies even focus exclusively on collecting and remilling wood from old buildings, such as barns or factories, to create unique flooring, molding, or other home furnishings.

"Old-growth timber has tighter growth rings and a natural patina," explains Jennifer Young, marketing manager at Pioneer Millworks, which offers wood products made from reclaimed timbers. "It has more character." In some cases, such as chestnut, a now extinct wood species, the woods no longer even exist in nature.

Come prepared

While individual products might be less expensive at a reuse store, consumers shouldn't necessarily plan on huge savings in their next project just because they're using salvaged materials, cautions Jake Gunderson, a partner in Orange, a general contractor in the Portland, Ore., area with a special interest in salvaged materials. "A lot of consumers come to us thinking salvage is going to save them a lot of money," he says. "It's not the case if you're hiring someone to do salvage."

Gunderson explains that finding the right materials for a project can be time-consuming because a facility's stock is changing every day. Paying a contractor to track down reclaimed products can quickly add to a project's expense. "You've really got to be committed to using salvaged materials," he says.

Shopping for products yourself is certainly an option, but finding all of the materials you're looking for will require a lot of time and planning. And once you've found the right products, getting into a condition that's similar to a new material will take additional time for the contractor or do-it-yourselfer.

Getting started

Feeling inspired to use reclaimed materials? There are several ways you can get started. If you're looking for ideas, check out photos or designs where people have used salvaged materials. Fences or sheds from salvaged wood are good do-it-yourself projects, experts say, and single-pane windows can be used as interior art.

Finding a contractor who will work with salvaged materials on a new home or remodeling project can be challenging in some parts of the country. Contractors who join local green building programs may be the best ones to start with. Ask if anyone has done a project with reclaimed materials in your area.

When working with a client to use reclaimed materials, Gunderson says he directs them to look for and store products before the start of the project. You'll need to be familiar with the plans: how much tim­ber or siding, or how many doors will you need? Your builder may be able to help with the plans to give you a shopping list.

Once you've made a list, work far in advance—up to three years ahead of time, if possible—to start finding materials. Check local reuse facilities and web sites like Craigslist often to find what you're looking for. With any luck, you'll find that another man's trash is your next home's treasure.