HOUSE RECYCLING
by Bob Falk and Brad Guy
Depending on your generation, you may have been taught: "Waste
not, want not." Thrift is certainly one incentive for deconstructing
buildings for reuse. In addition, many of us are motivated by a desire
to be environmentally sensitive, a fondness for antiques and other
items from the past, a yearning to have more control over the quality
of materials used in construction, or a recognition that many of the
materials available for salvage are of higher quality than those
produced today.
As with many environmentally conscious activities, deconstruction
and building-material reuse offer a direct and measurable way to
reduce one's negative effect on the planet. Building construction,
use, and maintenance make up a resource-intensive business.
In the United States, the construction, use, maintenance, and
disposal of houses are responsible for nearly a half of the country's
energy use. According to the U.S. Geological Survey, about 60
percent of all material (except food and fuel) used in the economy
each year is consumed by the construction industry.
