Surplus, Salvaged and Green Building Materials

Posted on September 11, 2009 by Joyce Benson   2 Comments |
Tag(s): Green Building, Green Furnishings, Greening the Home, Reclaimed Materials

Planning a weekend home improvement or remodeling project?  It’s a perfect opportunity to use salvaged and surplus building materials.  Green building warehouses and architectural salvage yards are popping up across the country and are full of interesting, new and used items.  These building elements have been donated by local businesses and residents, as well as manufacturers with closeouts and overstocks.  Many of these shops are run by non-profit organizations who offer their goods at significantly reduced prices compared to retailers.

Not only will you find all sorts of modern goods, but architectural gems full of character, which can add a unique flair to your home and garden.  You’ll also be doing the environment a favor by keeping useful items out of the waste stream.

Here’s what you’ll find at these discount warehouses:  windows; doors; restored lighting fixtures; vintage ironwork and architectural elements; hardware; furniture; lumber; flooring; fireplace mantles; kitchen & bath cabinets, countertops & appliances;  landscape & hardscape materials; furnishings & accessories; and more.

A few of the organizations listed below even offer free pick-up of items you’d like to donate.  Some of them offer dismantling services for your old home, barn or building.  Others offer home improvement classes and workshops.

Where to shop?

• Boston Building Resources, Boston, Massachusetts
• Community Forklift, Hyattsville, Maryland
• Dixie Salvage, Fort Payne, Alabama
• Habitat for Humanity ReStores has numerous locations in the U.S. and Canada
• Heritage Salvage Reclaimed Building Materials & Salvage Boutique, Petaluma, California
• Recycling the Past, Barnegat, NJ, where you’ll find this early 20th Century leaded glass door in Walnut (pictured above).
• ReNew Building Materials and Salvage, Brattleboro, Vermont
• Rejuvenation, Portland, Oregon
• ReSource, with reclaimed building material outlets in Boulder and Fort Collins, Colorado
• Second Use, Seattle, Washington
• The Brass Knob Architectural Antiques, Washington, DC
• The Rebuilding Center, Portland, Oregon
• The ReUse Center in Minneapolis and Maplewood, Minnesota
  
• The Salvage Barn, run by the Friends of Historic Preservation in Iowa City, Iowa
• Urban Ore, Berkely, California
• Whole House Building Supply, East Palo Alto, California

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