Deconstruction Takes Dallas

In April, Mike Thrutchley, a Dallas-Fort Worth contractor, phoned the Habitat for Humanity Kansas City ReStore asking what it would take to start a deconstruction and building-materials salvage business in Texas. He later visited the KC ReStore for an overview of the general requirements relative to tools, crews, marketing and sales, and the proper handling of salvaged materials.

Mark Bullock, the store's deconstruction manager, passed Mike's contact information on to me. I was in the middle of teaching a lengthy training course at the time and didn’t immediately follow up. Then, two weeks later I received a telephone call from a Dallas homeowner who was interested in deconstruction.

The homeowner and his wife had fallen in love with a beautiful two-story house in the Dallas suburb of University Park, but they were concerned that the existing yard would not provide adequate space for their young twins to play. Fortunately, their real estate agent did not let small details like that stand in her way. In quick succession she contacted the owners of the two adjacent properties and discovered that one of them was interested in selling. The couple purchased both properties with the intention of clearing the lot adjacent to their new home.

In the meantime, the Dallas homeowner learned that TRP had recently deconstructed the Kansas City house of one of his colleagues, with positive results. So he and his wife decided to deconstruct, rather than demolish, the adjacent house (whose owners were much more amenable to selling when they learned that the materials from their home would enjoy new life rather than wind up in a landfill).

Once the property acquisitions were complete, I referred the homeowner to Mike Thrutchley, the Dallas contractor, and they worked out an agreement. TRP put them in touch with qualified appraisers, and the project, which began in August, will be completed this month.

The frosting on the cake? Mike Thrutchley has agreed to be TRP's regional manager in Texas.

Two-day Workshop Agenda

Day 1 (Classroom): Safety • Tools • Equipment • Layout of jobsite • Sequence of work • Deconstruction techniques • Layered materials • Debris handling • Maintaining salvage values• Handling & shipping • Successful bidding

Day 2 (Jobsite): Jobsite inspection and layout • Identifying materials to be salvaged • Removal and handling • Identifying materials for recycling • Location and use of local recycling centers • Bid preparation • Final wrap-up

2010 Reuse Contest
The entries for the 2010 contest are in and, wow, are they impressive! Watch for an announcement of the winners in the October issue. Every entrant receives a $25 gift certificate, and winners receive additional gift certificates worth up to $225 at TRP warehouses. Click here for more information and contest rules.

• West Coast Green. September 30 - October 2, Fort Mason Center, San Francisco. This is one of the big Northern California green shows. TRP has participated for several years and will be there again this year. www.westcoastgreen.com

New Inventory   The Oakland warehouse has just received a large quantity of S-shaped roofing tiles and fixtures from a beautiful 9,000 sq-ft house in Sonoma.   The Los Angeles (Pacoima) warehouse has received a gorgeous solid wood kitchen featuring paneled mission doors, brushed nickel hardware and glass-door upper cabinets.     New inventory at our partnering warehouses:   The Away Station, Fairfax CA: Wood and timbers from a 125-y ear-old barn in Napa in many sizes and dimensions, and a variety of ornate trims from a 108-year-old mansion, along with mantles, doors, radiators, lighting fixtures and more. Habitat ReStores, Kansas City: paint-grade fireplace mantels, oak and beech interior railing spindles, hollow-core and solid oak bi-fold doors and a large variety of high-end lighting (All listed items are new, some still in their original boxes!) Lighting Kansas City