Deconstruction is the art of dismantling a building or structure to capture the tremendous amount of building materials and resources to keep it from going to our landfills. 92% of landfill waste is from construction waste and debris. Through careful planning, a building can be deconstructed so that the resulting materials can be reused, recycled or repurposed. There is a huge market available for the reuse of materials. Many website and exchanges exist to help find homes for the salvaged and reclaimed materials. Many times, recycling is partnered with the deconstruction efforts to divert even more from the landfills.
We are often asked to help repurpose items. Check out our Salvaged materials page to see what treasures we have available.
Results of Deconstruction
Reuse
Typically, reuse is the act of taking a product / material and extending the life of it by reclaiming it or refurbishing it and using it for the same or a new purpose. There are many levels of reuse. For example, using old barn wood siding for new interior or exterior siding: converting a vacant church into a stained glass studio; or taking a wine barrel and turning it into a planter. Many times you will find old materials at a Reuse store, like an old door, that will be sold to be reused as a door.
Recycle
Recycling is the act of taking a product or material and reducing it to it raw state for use in remanufacturing. For example, a concrete floor slab is crushed and ground up into recycled gravel for use as a road base, or steel beams are shredded and turned into steel scrap and remelted to use in making new steel.
Repurpose
Repurposing is an advanced version of reuse. Through the art of salvage and reclaiming materials and products, new or different products are created. For example, old barn siding could be salvaged and turned into “new” wood flooring, or 20 old mattresses become the cushions for a pole vaulting pit.