How To Start an Eco-Friendly Architectural Salvage Yard

How To Start an Eco-Friendly Architectural Salvage Yard

An architectural salvage yard is an ideal venue to find eco-friendly construction supplies, besides unique and vintage building materials.

To deconstruct a building in a manner that allows materials like fixtures, flooring, and joist reuse will not only conserve resources, but also reduce wastage, pollution, and create skilled job opportunities for workers.

In most instances, reclaimed construction supplies cost cheaper compared to new ones, and make quality building supplies affordable among a wider portion of the population.

More and more property owners and real estate entrepreneurs are practicing green remodeling and building techniques, thereby creating a growing market for quality reclaimed building supplies.
Should you possess expertise in restoring and reclaiming used building supplies, excellent green entrepreneurship opportunities exist for you in an architectural salvage yard.

Taking Architectural Salvage Yards into Consideration

You can venture into either general architectural salvage yard entrepreneurship or specialize in catering for one of the numerous niches in the industry, depending on your interests and skill sets.

Some architectural salvage yards focus on, for example, a specific section of a building, such as flooring, or windows, while others focus on a particular material, like glass or wood.
Some yards in the industry, such as Habitat for Humanity ReStores, have focused on affordable building materials, while others have specialized in quality antiques required for period restorations and reconstructions.

Other architectural salvage yards undertake the deconstruction themselves, while others venture into purchasing materials from locally based recycling outfits and demolition contractors.
BMRA, the Building Materials Reuse Association, an organization dedicated to the promotion of eco-friendly building customs through reclaimed materials, presents accreditation to deserving building deconstruction practitioners, going a long way in establishing their expertise and reputation.

In addition, the BMRA member directory and similar websites are excellent marketing tools that enable architectural salvage yard customers to find your practice.
Three Eco-Friendly Architectural Salvage Yard Examples for the Perfect Green Building

Heritage Salvage

Petaluma, California based Heritage Salvage has everything from barn doors and bar tops to old growth reclaimed redwood lumber and various reclaimed building materials on their more than three-acre yard.

In addition to restoring and salvaging building materials, Heritage Salvage also designs traditional furniture, among other pieces, from salvaged wood. Heritage has committed themselves to waste reduction through salvage as one of their green initiatives.
Another is protecting their numerous stacks of wood with former billboards purchased in bulk by entrepreneur Michael Deakin, against the Northern California rain, which is both a recycling and a durability exercise.

Heritage Salvage Yard is home to organic beehives and gardens in addition to its large collection of salvaged construction materials. Deakin is working on a water catchment scheme too.

ReNew Salvage

ReNew Salvage, a non-profit Brattleboro, Vt based architectural salvage yard specializes in construction waste reduction and assisting low-income families put up affordable but high-quality housing. The proceeds go to support various programs that include workshops about green building, on-job tutoring for at-risk youth, and deconstruction services.

Second Use

The Seattle based Second Use came into being in 1994 once an environmentalist contractor becomes frustrated with the huge amounts of wastage resulting from building demolition and construction, with the firm committing themselves to reusing and reclaiming building materials, thereby creating beautiful and unique eco-friendly buildings, while reducing wastage.

Second Use hosts free workshops where property owners, contractors, and other people interested in reclaimed building materials can interact, besides offering demolition services and operating a big salvage yard.