Western New York's Largest Supplier of Reclaimed & Surplus Building Material

Building Material ReUse

Articles about reusing and repurposing used building materials.

[2011-07] Curved Oak Pews from Black Rock Church

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Intrepid salvage spotter Mary Fisher, of Environmental Education Associates, gave us the lead on these fine oak pews from an Austin Street church: More photos here: ReUse Action Flickr set. We’ll be selling these at $50 a running foot. We have eight and ten foot sections – some of these combine to make longer pieces. Mary is the ReUse Explorer of the Month! For her sharp eyes and quick response, she gets our gratitude and a $25 gift certificate from one of our favorite restaurants, Merge.

Character AND Quality, you can have both!

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The intrinsic quality of reclaimed materials is the eye catching element of our customized cabinets and furniture!   We can’t typically compete with IKEA on price, but our products offer unparalleled aesthetics, durability that will ensure your piece will endure for years, and a unique story of reclamation and renewal. We are pleased to introduce the newest member of our Action HQ team.  Having recently arrived in Buffalo, Trevor Corp is eager to put his skills into action, check out examples of his work here … http://www.trevorcorp.com .  His contemporary skills, combined with his passion for reclaimed materials, create a tremendous … Read more

Cool ReUse: Doors as Drywall

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The style in our friend Dennis’s house is, let’s say . . . anti-drywall.  Old dresser drawers cover one wall of his house and act as both the finished wall and shelving units.  Another wall is covered with old, wooden organ pieces.  No wall is the same, and none use drywall.  We think it’s pretty cool stuff. So when Dennis came to us to help with his newest idea of doors serving the place of drywall, we said ummmm . . . . YES! Hollow core doors were purchased for roughly $10/door and were screwed in with joints alternating for … Read more

The waterfront story continues…

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As the summer ends and winter approaches, we finished the final touches on the waterfront food kiosk “Clinton’s Dish.”  We boarded her up for the season, installing beautiful storm shutters that were made in the Rusted Grain woodshop at Action HQ!  Like the siding, our materials for the storms were locally sourced: yellow pine flooring that was salvaged by the Green Demo Team during a green demolition project taking place in South Buffalo.  The aged boards were refaced and stained, becoming an awesome addition to the local flavor of Buffalo’s newest waterfront building.  Speaking of flavor…can’t wait ’til they come … Read more

Harvesting the City!

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This past Sunday was the first in a series of events, exploring with the Rusted Grain/ReUse Action crew and learning how to use our city as a materials resource.  Five trucks gathered in front of Action HQ on Sunday and headed off to the Fillmore district to harvest the treasures to be had as a result of Bulk Trash Day. Bulk Trash Day happens in each council district once every spring and once every fall.  A homeowner is allowed to discard as much as they can in a 12′ long x 4′ wide x 4′ high pile on the sidewalk … Read more

ReUsing Lath

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Michael recently got an inquiry about sourcing wood lath, the thin strips of pine that form a substrate for an old-fashioned plaster wall. The inquirer was planning to use lath as a wall covering material in a commercial bathroom. Interesting . . . we recycle tons of lath in each house we dismantle and haven’t seen much reuse potential in the material. And here’s another use of wood lath, courtesy of Fine Woodworking magazine in their story about a contest run by the New Orleans ReUse organization “Green Project”. The table’s creator, Robert Portman, was dismayed at the waste of … Read more

From Stairs to Cabinets

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A lot of conversation in the building material reuse industry is about closing loops.   Rather than having a start and a finish (as in, virgin forest to landfill), we like to see a material come full circle and reenter into use.  At Action HQ we are constantly receiving and processing materials and using our woodshop to try and find uses for them.  When we have a good idea or something turns out particularly well, we’d like to share with you the creations we come up with! The green demo crew took down a house in South Buffalo this past week … Read more

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