Nail Jack's Guide to Green DIY Deconstruction
Demolition is the wasteful process of destroying a building and hauling off the debris to a land fill. Deconstruction on the other hand is the green process of "unbuilding" in the interest of reusing, recycling and even selling as much of the materials removed as possible. Considering the EPA's estimates that nearly one-third of all solid waste in land fills comes from renovation and demolition, it's simple to see which choice most helps the planet.
This article outlines a green deconstruction process - at the DIY level - for folks who'd like to have a greener approach to their next renovation and remodeling project. Planning, preparation and research are essential to a successful green deconstruction process - and so are the right tools! Before you start your DIY deconstruction project be sure to get yourself a Nail Jack and Nail Hunter for all your nail pulling jobs - they make lumber salvage fast and effective!
www.nailjack.com
And now, read on and make your next remodeling demolition a green deconstruction!
1) Document All the Salvageable Materials in Your Deconstruction Project
2) Identify What You Want to Keep and How You Will Use It
3) Find Takers for Everything Else
4) Preparing to Sort, Store and Transport Your Reclaimed Material
5) Gather the Basic Tools of DIY Deconstruction
6) A Note on Safety and Knowing Your Limits
7) Getting Started: Last On, First Off
8) Don't Let Materials Pile Up - Treat As You Go
9) Commonly Salvaged and Recycled Materials in Green Deconstruction
10) More Green Deconstruction Resources
1) Document All the Salvageable Materials in Your Deconstruction Project
With clipboard and pen make a quality and quantity estimate of all the material you'll be pulling out on your deconstruction project. When possible make note of amounts (how many board feet, how many square feet, etcetera). Are there any electric or plumbing fixtures that could prove reusable? How about the hinges on the cabinets you're removing? Will there be pipes, wires or ductwork coming out of this project?
Remember that - for the most part - the only non-reusable materials in a demolition project are painted drywall and plaster, asphalt shingles and any toxic materials.
2) Identify What You Want to Keep and How You Will Use It
Most often in green deconstruction projects the materials go right back into the house, so now's the time to get out your list of upcoming projects. Doors, windows, flooring, outlets, tile, sinks, crushed concrete - how can you use these in your upcoming remodeling projects? Think beyond remodeling too - can those 2x4s become the core of that new workbench you've been meaning to build for yourself once you use the Nail Jack to pull the nails? Could you turn that cedar siding into bird houses for holiday gifts? Let your list of soon-to-be-reclaimed materials "speak to you..." You might be surprised at how you end up using pieces of your own home.
3) Find Takers for Everything Else
Once you've cherry picked the materials you'd like to use in upcoming projects it's time to find takers for everything else. Whether you're selling or donating the extra materials it's time for you to put on your research cap and find out who can use what's on your list. Begin by researching all the remaining materials and figure out how they could potentially be reused and by whom. As your reuse research progresses you may even find that your "keep" list gets longer.
A note on selling - it's not likely that you'll be pulling out quantities of anything that will be of interest to industrial buyers. Concentrate on selling your metals for scrap and looking for small time buyers on Craigslist. You won't make much money this way, but remember that the cool $20 you just folded into your wallet goes ON TOP of your savings for transporting and dumping... AND you did your part to reduce landfill waste.
Habitat Restores are your best bet for salvaged donations.
http://www.habitat.org/env/
4) Preparing to Sort, Store and Transport Your Reclaimed Material
Now that you have your list of materials you'd like to keep for yourself you need to find a safe, weather-proofed place to store them. Improperly storing those studs in your backyard could mean a trip to the dump after all... Prepare and clear the storage space ahead of time and gather any tubs, buckets, garbage cans and bags you'll need to keep the materials in good working condition. For the materials you plan to sell or donate have a good supply of cardboard boxes and heavy-duty plastic bags available. Make your life easier by labeling these materials for quick identification in the future - you can even organize these containers by their end-location. You may need to borrow or rent a truck for hauling away your salvage.
This level of preparation may sound obsessive but it will make your green deconstruction a satisfying and successful experience.
5) Gather the Basic Tools of DIY Deconstruction
The basic tools of demolition and green deconstruction don't differ that much, though typically you'll have more hand tools and fewer power tools on a deconstruction job. Further, since this is a DIY list we're not mentioning tools and equipment that could put you in over your head such as scaffolding, debris chutes, fork lifts and jack hammers. Here are a few of the tools you may need depending on what you're deconstructing:
• Nail Jack and Nail Hunter for nail, staples or brad pulling - they save wood AND your time!
• Axe (small and large), Pick axe
• Cats paw
• Crow bars short and long (prefer "Gorilla Bar" type crow bar)
• Drill, cordless with batteries, and battery charger
• Hammers
• Measuring tape
• Nail removing tools
• Pliers
• Saws: bow saw, hand saw, hack saw rotary saw, Skil saw with grinder and wood cutting blades
• Sawz-alls with bi-metal blades
• Screw drivers regular and phillips head
• Shovels: regular and specialty Snow shovels Roofing shovels
• Sledgehammers (small and large)
• Pry bars
• Rakes and Brooms
• Tamping bar or "Grizzly Bar"
• Tin snips
• Vise grips
• Wheelbarrows
• Wire and bolt cutters
• Wrenches adjustable
(This list "repurposed" from the Deconstruction Institute)
6) A Note on Safety and Knowing Your Limits
Bumps, bruises and scrapes are part of any deconstruction project. Falls, punctures and heavy blows from falling walls should not be. Stay safe, especially when using power tools. Know where your co-workers are at all times. Turn off electricity and water in the areas where you're working. Most importantly know the limits of your DIY capabilities and be ready to call in a professional for assistance. Here are a few general safety guidelines and "limit" identifiers:
• If you don't know how to identify a load bearing wall then don't take out ANY walls.
• If you don't know how to shut off water or electricity to areas of your home then don't attempt to deconstruct these systems.
• Keep first aid kits on hand.
• ALWAYS use a dust mask or respirator when deconstructing.
• If you're using excessive force you have the wrong tool - let the tool do the work and take it easy.
7) Getting Started: Last On, First Off
In any deconstruction project you begin by removing the last material applied. In most rooms of your house you'd start with the trim, fixtures, lights and outlets. If you're deconstructing an entire house you typically start by removing the shingles. It's important that you synch up your deconstruction sequence with all those preparations you made for storing and transporting your salvaged materials... It's likely that you'll discover materials you hadn't anticipated when you began your planning and research so make sure you schedule plenty of time for your work.
8) Don't Let Materials Pile Up - Treat As You Go
Once you get started tearing out a wall it can become intoxicating - or at least highly absorbing. Resist the urge to work a given task to completion while letting an unmanageable material pile build up. If you're stacking pallets with cleaned bricks then knock off your removal efforts once you've removed a pallet's worth. If you're saving your flooring for another room in the house then stop when you have enough material to make a manageable pile. Remove the nails with your Nail Jack, clean it, stack it and THEN take more up. Make sure that your work area remains workable - this reduces shin-splitting clutter and that "out of control" feeling that big piles produce.
9) Commonly Salvaged and Recycled Materials in Green Deconstruction
Lumber, metal and fixtures are the most commonly reused items from a deconstruction project. Below you'll find the most commonly salvaged and recycled materials found in many remodeling project demolitions.
>>Wooden Flooring
Remove nails, assess reusing as is or source possible remilling provider.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hbYXqigo5hA
>>Tongue and Groove Wall and Ceiling Fnish
Before plywood became prevalent builders used tongue and groove jointed wood for sheathing. Remove nails and consider refinishing options.
>>Rafters and Wall Studs
Rafters and wall studs have construction grades. If your wood is labeled you can easily determine how and where you could use it for future projects. If it's not graded you may have to bring in an expert or use it in ways other than light construction. Be careful of wood painted before 1978 - it's liable to have lead in it.
>>Brick, Stone, Concrete, Masonry
Clean and stack brick, stone and tiles for reuse or sale. Concrete and masonry waste can be crushed for fill and for use as aggregate.
http://greenbuildings.santa-
>>Windows, Doors, Trim, Fixtures and Kitchen Cabinets
Note conditions of non-exterior faces. Are these materials suitable for reuse in your project? If not they are often accepted as donations or even purchased if they are old enough and still workable.
Remember - watch for opportunities to reuse materials in the actual deconstruction process. For example you can use sections of lathe as spacers for stacking lumber and use carpet sections as floor protection and even nail-catchers.
10) More Green Deconstruction Resources
We used a number of primary resources in writing this article and drew inspiration from many more. Below you'll find links to all the resources that influenced and inspired this article.
Primary Resources in this Article:
The Deconstruction Institute
http://www.
A Guide to Deconstruction - from the Deconstruction Institute (PDF)
http://www.
DIY Demolition - from the DIY Network
http://www.diynetwork.com/diy/
Your House, Only Better
http://www.sciencefriday.com/
Other Green Deconstruction Inspirations:
Building Products From Recycled Wood Waste (PDF)
www.fpl.fs.fed.us/documnts/
Construction and Demolition Recycling Trade Publication
http://www.cdrecycler.com/
Processing and marketing reclaimed lumber.
http://www.woodweb.com/
Home Refurbers - a Remodeling Community
http://www.homerefurbers.com/
Green Demolition Certification
http://www.
Habitat Restore
http://www.habitat.org/env/
How to Choose and Use Demolition Tools (This Old House)
http://www.thisoldhouse.com/
Managing Construction and Demolition Debris: A Guide for Builders, Developers, and Contractors
http://www.bae.ncsu.edu/
"Recycling Construction and Demolition Wastes: A Guide for Architects and Contractors" (PDF)
http://www.wastemiser.com/
Deconstruction - from the DailyGreen
http://www.thedailygreen.com/
Green Deconstruction - Deconstruction as a Business from Forbes
http://www.forbes.com/
10 Questions for . . . Steve Feldman, President of Green Demolitions
http://blogs.consumerreports.
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