It's strange, we know it.
But, every time we buy something from a salvaged materials store, we feel the same sense of satisfaction as when we saved our cat, Charlie, from the pound.
Giving a doorknob a second life isn't exactly the same as saving a cat from euthanasia, but you get the idea, right?
Inspired by a recent post at The Fun Times Guide to Living Green, we decided to look into how many salvaged building material stores are in our general area in Northern California.
By just filling in our zip code at the Habitat for Humanity Restore Directory and the Building Materials Reuse Association Directory (two excellent resources), we found that there at least 10.
Using salvaged materials is not only green, it's super cost-effective.
In Montreal, the city runs several drop off sites for garbage, materials, toxic waste, and unwanted items called "eco centres". These are great for things like old doors, clawfoot tubs, old hardware, bricks, etc. They are managed by under priveledged people as businesses, who will bargain with you on price. I have bought old brasserie chairs for $5, a great wardrobe for $10, and an industrial skylight for $40.
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