A Designer’s Take on How to Become Architectural Salvage Savvy

Photos courtesy of Arciform LLC

One of the hottest renovation trends today is the use of salvaged materials in remodels and even new construction. With today’s builders trying to incorporate more sustainable practices and materials into their work, salvaged materials offer a great mix of financial, environmental, and esthetic benefits.

Antique sideboard repurposed as a bathroom cabinet with a marble countertop.

Barn door tract used with a vintage screen door adds interest to this bathroom entrance.

Vintage sink re-used in a new kitchen remodel.

While there’s no formal or legal definition of salvaged materials, most designers and builders agree that anything that was once part of a building or construction site qualifies: materials can be reclaimed, reused, recycled, or repurposed. As Arciform LLC co-owner and designer Anne De Wolf explains, “It’s a fun and exciting movement in the design and construction industry that came out of necessity … but is being driven by creativity.”

Both homeowners and remodelers have a variety of reasons for embracing salvaged materials. Sustainability is certainly important, as the design and construction industry strives to adopt new practices and materials that reduce environmental impact. But salvaged materials also have an economic benefit, often costing less than new materials. But the most important thing, De Wolf explains, is making sure it works with the esthetic and design. “It takes a creative person,” she says. “You have to trust your instincts, have patience, and have fun. That’s what matters.”

Homeowners wanting to explore the use of salvaged materials in their own homes should start by considering the esthetic of the materials themselves: cracked paint, blistered lacquer, worn plating, and rusting metal “may not be for everyone,” De Wolf cautions. “But the possibilities these days are endless. Architectural moldings, vintage doors, clawfoot tubs, and farmhouse sinks, old single-pane glass, plumbing and electrical fixtures, window sashes …  even framing lumber can be reclaimed and reused.”

Where to Look

Finding salvaged materials has gotten dramatically easier over the past few years as the quantity available and the sources have multiplied. According to De Wolf, “It’s never been easier to find salvaged materials. There are salvage yards all over the place, new online resources, community bulletin boards … even professional salvage hunters like Reclaimed Finishes, with resources all over the U.S.”

Another great resource for homeowners wanting to find salvaged materials for projects is eBay. “eBay is key,” says De Wolf. “I don’t always find exactly what I’m looking for, if I’m looking for something specific. Sometimes you have to adapt to what’s out there, but that’s the fun of it. For our clients, we make a list of anything and everything that we can potentially salvage for the project. What we find may not always be what we set out looking for, but we almost always find wonderful and fascinating things.”

The availability of salvaged materials for individual homeowners reflects a growing trend in the remodeling industry to preserve as much as possible rather than demolishing original building materials. Local firms like Arciform, McGee Salvage, and Lovett Deconstruction offer alternatives to waste and lost materials created by conventional demolition. “It’s smart remodeling,” says De Wolf. “It just makes sense.”

Deconstruction

Though the trend is growing, many contractors don’t take the trouble to salvage materials, often employing large demolition crews to simply “gut and go” in an effort to save costs. Even though building codes require adherence to recycling practices, homeowners should make sure their contractors support the idea of deconstruction rather than just demolition. “It’s our responsibility as part of the industry,” says De Wolf. “It’s something that’s important.

Deconstruction doesn’t just benefit the environment, according to De Wolf, it helps the homeowner as well. “Anything that won’t be used in the remodel can be sold on Craigslist or eBay, donated to a nonprofit group like the Rebuilding Center or Habitat for Humanity, or simply recycled. Sometimes, if an item has historical significance, Arciform will store and reuse things on a different project.”

Nonprofit groups such as Rebuilding Center in northeast Portland or Habitat for Humanity in Portland and Vancouver, WA, now provide one of the region’s largest volume of used or overstocked building materials and resources to make home repairs and renovations affordable. The Rebuilding Center alone claims to divert eight tons of reusable materials a day from local landfills and back into our homes for a fraction of the cost similar items would sell for in retail outlets. It estimates that salvaged materials sell for 10% to 50% of comparable new products.

Salvaging materials from deconstruction isn’t always easy, but it’s almost always worth the effort. “The studs and joists we reclaim from Victorian and Craftsman homes are rough and dirty … littered with tiny nails from the lath and plaster. But underneath, the wood is beautiful,” explains De Wolf. Salvaged materials are carefully reconditioned prior to being incorporated into clients’ homes. The nails are removed and the wood scanned with a metal detector before being resawn, planed, sanded, and stored. Later, it is rebuilt into stain-grade moldings, furniture, cabinetry, and butcher-block countertops.

As a designer who specializes in period design and the renovation of Portland’s vintage homes, De Wolf has always used salvaged materials as an integral part of her design philosophy and Arciform’s business practices. So it’s hardly surprising to her that it’s become such a major trend. “It’s a win-win-win for the homeowner, the designer, and the environment. And most of all, it’s a creative way to have fun while lowering costs and helping the planet.”

Web resources such as eBay and Craigslist, community online bulletin boards such as Portland Picks, blogs and salvage chat rooms such as Remodelista, neighborhood and second-hand vintage shops, antique stores on the Oregon coast, Sellwood, Aurora, or in your neighborhood, free discards from neighbors and other construction projects (just make sure you have permission from the owners).