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RECYCLE MATERIALS It is satisfying, fun and economical to reuse old building materials. In our society there has been a stigma attached to "used" stuff. We value "new" above all else, or at least the advertising forces would have us believe that. Antiques, of course, have acquired their own cachet and their value is hyped, primarily because of rarity. It's that middle ground of stuff that isn't new and hasn't acquired the status of being "antique" that I would like to focus on here. The local dump is a great place to look for such stuff because it
is often perceived as valueless. Our local dump actually has an area set
aside for potentially reusable items, and they encourage people to sort
through it. We found our kitchen sink there, in perfectly good condition,
except for a little chip in the corner that I covered with tile. The virtue
of recycling used building materials lies in diminishing the need for
industry to recreate it. All of the energy that is spent in manufacturing
and transporting something can be saved. The raw materials that would
be drawn from the earth can be saved. The need to cover the item in the
local landfill can be saved. The value of recycling building materials, or anything else for that matter, is that the cost is likely to be a fraction of the same thing in the "new" category. The savings can be substantial. Take the case of Lonny Roth's house that he is building in our neighborhood. It is a very nice looking house of about 1,200 square feet. Lonny tells me that about three quarters of all the materials used to build the house have been recycled. He estimates that the cost of the house when it is finished will be right around $20,000. About half of the materials for Lonny's house were pulled from dumpsters at construction sites. Much of the framing and sheathing materials were found this way. Also many of the doors, windows, sinks, plumbing parts and appliances were used.
Another approach to recycling is to take an existing container and incorporate it into the structure of the house. I've seen this done with water towers, wine vats, silos, cabooses and box cars. There are several houses in our area that have utilized railroad box cars very effectively. One of these has incorporated two refrigerated box cars lined up parallel to each other, with a room spanning the space in between them. Refrigerated box cars are nice in that they are already well insulated. One of the cars in Larry Johnson's house is earth bermed all the way to the top on the north side. The other one has a greenhouse attached to the south side. These box cars measure about fifty feet by ten feet, so they create about 500 square feet of living space each. With the additions to this space, Larry has about 2300 square feet all together.
In our earthbag house we used lots of old metal wagon wheels and culvert couplers to create circular supports for windows. We had to scrounge a bit for the wheels because they seem to be popular for yard ornaments. We also used a few truckloads of trash paper making the papercrete to cover the earthbags. The polypropylene bags themselves are recycled misprinted rice bags. Some of the lumber used to frame the solar roof was salvaged from a local barn. There is a good chance that old wood (if it has been kept dry) is better that what can be purchased as new lumber. This is true for two reasons. First, it has had a chance to cure; new lumber is often green lumber. Secondly, the trees that supplied the lumber in the first place were likely larger in girth, and therefore the wood has fewer knots and is less likely to twist and warp. Many localities have places that collect and resell recycled building materials. They might accept and sell such materials as wood, flooring, doors, windows, electrical supplies, ducting, hardware, plumbing, insulation, cabinets, fencing and landscaping. So I suggest that before you go off to the store to buy something new for your house, you might check the used section of the classified ads, second hand stores, salvage yards, the dump, or your neighbor's garage sale. Rather than stimulate more industrial activity, why not utilize something that is looking for a home? |
RESOURCES ARTICLES: Building with Shipping Containers Thermal Depolymerization Process EXPERT
ADVICE
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Recycled Spaces : Converting Buildings into Homes by Vinny Lee, 2000. Recycling old buildings can keep historic landmarks part of the community, and revitalizing these structures makes for one-of-a-kind homes. Recycled Spaces presents projects that have created beautifully designed apartments and houses out of former ecclesiastical, industrial, agricultural, municipal, and commercial sites. It provides guidelines for preserving the integrity of architectural features such as staircases, mezzanines, and period decor. And it includes a resource list with contact information for historic building preservation societies, restoration specialists, salvage companies, and architects. This is a perfect guide for renovation projects, but its coffee-table format and striking photographs will appeal to armchair decorators, people looking for fresh design ideas, and collectors of design books.
Green Building & Remodeling For Dummies by Eric Corey Freed, 2007. Building a home—even a green home—uses plenty of resources and energy. This practical, hands-on book shows you how to build or remodel conscientiously, whether your dream home is a simple remodel or a brand-new multimillion-dollar mansion. You'll start by identifying green materials and sizing up potential systems and construction sites. You'll weigh the pros and cons of popular green building methods and identify opportunities for saving money in the long run. This book will also help you discover how to: Understand the lifecycle of building materials; Choose the right system for your green building project; Put together a green team; Work within your budget; Use green building methods and sustainable systems; Speed construction and reduce energy use and waste; Refinish old fixtures and materials; Beware of asbestos and lead-paint hazards; Avoid costly mistakes. |
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Old Wood/New Home by Lawson Drinkard , Audrey Hall, 2000. Old Wood/New Home is all about reclaiming a homestead cabin in an imaginative way, either for permanent residence of for vacationing, and preserving nature's resources at the same time. Rich photographs of wood cabins, either reclaimed or constructed of recycled wood, shows a myriad of ways you can make a homestead building your own. From interior decor to architectural details, from reclaiming logs to blending new wood with old, author Lawson Drinkard shows tricks of the trade for building and decorating.
Natural Remodeling for the Not-So-Green House: Bringing Your Home into Harmony with Nature by Carol Venolia , Kelly Lerner, 2006.
To have a home that's more in touch with the earth, you don't have to start from the ground up! It's possible—and more environmentally friendly—to go green by renovating an existing home. With the help of Carol Venolia, an award-winning architect and bestselling author, and Kelly Lerner, a world-famous innovator in the field of sustainable development, even the least mechanically inclined person can make a difference in his or her dwelling…and to the planet. The two have produced a remarkable book—packed with information and photos, and the first ever in full color to cover the subject. It's lush and exquisite to look at, filled with motivational case studies and informative graphics, and completely user-friendly. |
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The Resourceful Renovator: A Gallery of Ideas for Reusing Building Materials by Jennifer Corson, 2000. This lavish compendium of design ideas for the home owner combines ecological sensitivity with a diehard frugality and flare for style. From moving entire houses to salvaging a surprising range of materials, this book will inspire you to push the limits of creativity. You'll never think of that old door or window frame the same way again. As the "Resourceful Renovator," Jennifer introduces the primary categaories of building materials (wood, glass, stone, ceramics, metal, and brick) and highlights the environmental impact of each during its life cycle, from extraction to disposal. She then takes the reader one step further into the process and shows how to avoid the pitfalls of "cheap chic." By imaginatively and creatively reusing materials, a resourceful renovator saves energy, saves money, and creates space that is uniquely beautiful. This book will inspire the do-it-yourselfer, the home decorator, the forward-thinking architect, the green builder, the cheapskate, and the economist. |
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Building Adaptation by James Douglas, 2002.
Nearly half of all output in the construction industry in the Western world is the repair and adaptation of existing buildings, yet few books have addressed this subject in any depth. 'Building Adaptation' is a textbook for senior students that covers not only the technical aspects of how to carry out alterations, but also addresses issues such as feasibility, design and contractual matters. Numerous illustrations and examples are included that focus on a wide variety of different building types. Professional architects, building surveyors and construction managers will find this a welcome addition to their library and it is essential reading for degree and diploma students of these disciplines. *Covers the whole adaptation process from inception to implementation and disposal *Includes case studies and over 130 illustrations *Looks at commercial, industrial and residential buildings.
Eco-Refurbishment, First Edition : A Practical Guide to Creating an Energy Efficient Home by Peter Smith, 2003.
This clear and accessible guide provides a comprehensive outline on how to convert your house into a more 'green' home. Buildings are the greates energy wasters and for those of us concerned about the environment, and household bills, this book presents the key design changes that we can implement to our own homes to remedy energy loss. This title covers the full range of design chanegs that are available to the homeowner and designer for renovation, from the roof to the basement, from insulation to windows. It also feature a selection of case studies illustrating the experiences of other homeowners and designers and how they have adapted and used the technology available to them in creating an energy efficient home. This is a practical, hands-on guide, ideal for architects, designers and homeowners. * Comprehensive practical design guide to making your home energy efficient * Covers all aspects of the house, from roof to basement, making it relevant to all homes * Clear explanations give you a basic understanding of the technology behind the design. |
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Reviving Old Houses: Over 500 Low-Cost Tips & Techniques by Alan Dan Orme. Practical advice for anyone maintaining or restoring an old house. Covers roofs, walls, masonry, glazing, insulation, plumbing, stairs, doors, and more. 6x9, 180 pages, paperback. Note: Since I bought a 50+ year old house myself I found this book useful for some areas I did not know about during the purchase cycle. The advantage of buying an old house is that it's "grandfathered" in, and you may have less code/inspection/permits to deal with becuase you are "repairing" old walls, floors, roofs, etc. --Charmaine Taylor.
The Art & Science Of Dumpster Diving ..How to get anything free! Furniture, clothing, building materials, tools, good food, even luxury items for free; handing run-ins with police; converting trash to treasures; selling found goods. The author gives an excellent rendition of how he does it, and the best ways to find virtually anything you want for free! Best Seller among the frugal crowd. If you scrounge, ask for free stuff when you see it, and don't care what people think as you sort through the local dumpsters then this book is for you. Personally, I found this book a good "back-up" to my natural inclination to go for tossed out windows, building materials and "junk" put out on trash day. I built an entire hot water heater closet on the back of my home from brand new "scrap" from a new bank building built in town. The site manager was happy to let me take HardiPlank wallboard, 2x4" , top grade plywood sheathing, and new trim pieces, as it saved him the cost of paying for removal. Needless to say the Hot water heater was free too...aquired from a guy upgrading to a bigger model- just haul it away, so I did. I cannot tell you the amount of free stuff you can get, and many owner-builders across the country do the same thing!- Charmaine Taylor
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Eco-Renovation: The Ecological Home Improvement Guide, by Edward Harland, 1999. There's a popular bumper sticker that says "Think Globally, Act Locally." You can't get any more local than your own home. One of the best paths to environmentally-friendly housing is recycling old houses, whether you want to improve your current home or "move up" to a better place. Eco-Renovation is specifically aimed at homeowners who want to make existing houses as "green" as possible. Author Edward Harland provides a concise overview of the major home related ecological questions and concerns and then offers practical solutions and suggestions for renovating the home ecologically. Eco-Renovation will show you how to: reduce heating bills substantially, select building materials that are resource efficient and environmentally-safe, convert and maximize living space and protect the family from toxic substances.
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Rural Studio: Samuel Mockbee and an Architecture of Decency by Andrea Oppenheimer Dean, 2002. For almost ten years, Samuel Mockbee and his architecture students at Auburn University have been designing and building striking houses and community buildings for impoverished residents of Alabama's Hale County. Using salvaged lumber and bricks, discarded tires, hay and waste cardboard bales, concrete rubble, colored bottles, and old license plates, they create inexpensive buildings that bear the trademark of Mockbee's work, which he describes as "contemporary modernism grounded in Southern culture." In addition to being a social welfare venture, the Rural Studio--"Taliesin South" as Mockbee calls it--is also an educational experiment and a prod to the architectural profession to act on its best instincts. In giving students hands-on experience in designing and building something real, it extends their education beyond paper architecture. And in scavenging and reusing a variety of unusual materials, it is a model of sustainable architecture. "I tell my students, it's got to be warm, dry, and noble"--Samuel Mockbee
Building With Reclaimed Materials by Wim Pauwels, 2007. Antique building materials immediately give timeless, inimitable style to a new or restored home. Reclaimed wooden floors, old terracotta tiles, traditional Burgundy slabs, old roof tiling, antique fireplaces... these all fit perfectly into contemporary or classic surroundings. This book presents dozens of inspiring examples, each one beautifully photographed, and also provides addresses of dealers in antique construction materials. |
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Eco
Deco : Chic Ecological Design Using Recycled Materials
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Salvage
Style: 45 Home & Garden Projects Using Reclaimed Architectural
Details
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Salvage
Style for Outdoor Living
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Renovation: Completely Revised and Updated
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Pinch A Penny Till It Screams: Everything You Wanted To Know About Frugal Survival Skills But Didn't Know Where To Look
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Structural Renovation of Buildings: Methods, Details, & Design Examples
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Packaged Earthship
Floor Plan Cross Section For more information about this plan, and many others, visit our sister site www.dreamgreenhomes.com, where you will find a wide range of plans for sustainable homes, greenhouses, small buildings, garages, and food storage space for sale. Dream Green Homes is a consortium of outstanding architects and designers, who have pooled their talent and expertise for your benefit. |
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www.ubma.org The Used Building Materials Assocation is a North American non-profit organization. habitat.org/env/restores
Habitat for Humanity ReStores sell recycled building materials. Recyclestore California based listing of sources for recycled building materials. deconstructioninstitute.org features articles, educational opportunities, and links related to recycling. buildingresources.org Recycled building resources in the San Francisco Bay Area. resource2k.org Recycled building resources in the Boulder, Colorado Area. thereusepeople.org Buys and sells used building materials in Oakland, CA, Boulder, CO and Seattle,WA. staplescabinetmakers various pieces of furniture are made with lumber reclaimed from New England buildings. oldwoodworkshop.com sells reclaimed lumber and architectural features. frtirerecycle.com this company sells huge bales of recycled tires that have been used for various building projects. arcillaresearch.com is a company that is involved with designing systems for reprocessing a vast array of waste materials into useful building materials that resemble ceramics, but without being fired. retreadproducts.com manufactures "tire logs" from recycled tires that can be used for many building and landscaping projects. buildinggreen.com an article about the importance of retrofitting existing homes for energy effciency. sgblocks.com describes a system for reusing steel shipping containers to build residences up to several stories high. dancingrabbit.org this well-made and informative video features a light-straw-clay home that also uses reclaimed lumber. LivePaths.com blogs about people and companies that make money selling recycled or reused items, provide green services or help us reduce our dependency on non renewable resources. all-scrap.com is a scrap materials exchange website. earthstonetechnology.com takes recycled glass bottles and turns them into a variety of useful products. oldwoodguy.com features recycled wood warehoused in Washington and Minnesota states. TheBarnPages.com You can buy and sell used barns all over the U.S. from this site. |
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