Day 268

I have this compulsion to look in dumpsters, particularly those at construction sites.   They are always so full of stuff that is too heavy for me to drag out and take home. I know metal often brings pretty good cash from scrap yards, so I suspect for that reason, all that bent rebar and old pipes do get recycled.  But, I have never been sure about the re-usability of all the other building supplies.  It seems a shame that it all goes to waste.

Fortunately the people at Habitat for Humanity know more about this than I do and operate, ReStore, a chain of 825 building supply resale stores throughout North America.

If you haven’t heard of it before, Habitat for Humanity is a charity which builds affordable housing for people throughout the world.    Their ReStores offer for sale donated items.  I guess, in the past, there were many well-intentioned folks wanting to donate their circa 1982 pickled oak cabinets and gold bathroom faucets in the hopes that they would find their way into some deserving home.  But, I think trying to piecemeal all of those bits and pieces of building supplies together to produce homes was not logistically feasible.  So rather than telling people, “thanks, but no thanks,” to their well-intentioned offers, Habitat opened the ReStore in the early 80’s which take in all those onsie, twosie donations and resells them. They also accept large one-time donations from builders and remodels as well as overstocks from retail stores.  The proceeds then go to fund Habitat building projects.

We are considering putting a second bathroom into a cabin we have in the mountains.  I have often wondered if we could do it using entirely second hand or cast off items.  Last week, I made my first visit to the Habitat for Humanity ReStore to research.

My research methods were a little flawed given I didn’t have a list of items we might need.  So instead I just bumbled around the warehouse sized store with its profusion of salvaged items.  There was everything from bins of presorted hardware to aisles of floor coverings and an expanse of doors.  Much to my surprise the store wasn’t limited to the items like cast off harvest gold colored counter tops either.   There was a fair amount of newer items and oddly a large selection of toilet tank lids in a variety of colors.

Why just the lids?

Anyway,  I think just like anything, it is hit or miss, but there seems to be a constant stream of donations from which to choose.  When I was there, I noticed a number of construction worker looking types shopping who were actually measuring items like cabinets and random bits of building materiel.

The store was staffed by a group of volunteers to include a couple of darling retired tinkerer types.  There were a couple busy testing and balancing ceiling fans for resale during my visit. I tried to chat them up, but they were like Santa’s elves and not particularly interested in my banter.  In fact, I think they were a little annoyed at my questions.  One paused and asked me pointedly if I was in the market for a ceiling fan.

Brass, brass everywhere, in 10 years it will be oil rubbed bronze everywhere

I spent 4 dollars and bought the end of a roll of oil cloth, a new furnace filter (wrong size…shoot), and six vanity light bulbs.  I also got caught in a bit of a frenzy over some antique galley doors that had just arrived, but handed them over to a nice young couple when it occurred to me I had no use for them…even though they were COOL.

Can we put the bathroom in with entirely used things?  If we have no regard for interior design– absolutely no problem.  If I wanted everything to match, which I do; it would take more effort, but I THINK doable with patience and enough time.

I would have to do a bit of hoarding to save the supplies.