Los Altos Home Builders Save Money While Minimizing Landfill Waste
Several weeks ago, I posted a video of a neighborhood house being demolished prior to it being rebuilt. A large backhoe took about 75 minutes to tear down the home and a work crew took about 1 week, with multiple dump truck trips to the land fill, to remove the debris.
More and more homeowners are using salvage companies to remove usable building materials. Generally this method is more economical and reduces landfill waste. Whole House Building Supply & Salvage (Whole House) in East Palo Alto is one such company.
Another neighbor recently used Whole House for it’s home’s deconstruction and received a tax right off which almost covered the cost of the home’s demolition. How does it work?
Whole House works with the non-profit East Palo Alto Council of Tenants Education Fund (EPACT). The homeowner consults an appraiser to determine the value of the construction materials of the home. The construction materials are then donated to EPACT.
A crew from Whole House dismantles the home by hand, seeking the maximum re-use and recycling of materials from the building. The items are then sold to the public at their warehouse at 1955 Pulgas Road in East Palo Alto. Sometimes the sale occurs at the property.
Demolition generally takes longer than using a large backhoe and Whole House doesn’t remove all items from the property. Concrete, asphalt, and hazardous waste are some of the items that aren’t taken (see Whole House’s web site for a complete list of salvageable items).
If you’re looking for usable doors, pedestal sinks, windows, flooring etc., Whole House’s warehouse is a great place to look. You also can get on their e-mail list which will alert you to their next home demolition sale.
