From the category archives:

Transforming the building industry

The Tombstone Project: Salvaged materials, barn restoration and green building

July 1, 2011

Smith & Vallee Gallery is launching one of their most unique design projects and furniture collections, “The Tombstone Project”, opening on the same evening as their new Woodshop Grand Opening, July 9th, from 5-8pm in Edison. These well-established Northwest artisans of green-built finish work have put their skills to work in creating their state-of-the-art woodshop, [...]

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Salvage statistics to be proud of

December 20, 2010

The RE Store has calculated the total tonnage of building materials and home decor items that we salvaged from being needlessly wasted in 2010. To sum it all up, we saved more than the equivalent of five Boeing 747s. That is also the same weight as 10 locomotive engines or 56 truck semi- trailers or [...]

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Salvage Ghosts of John Hay Elementary

November 17, 2010

John Hay Elementary atop Seattle’s Queen Anne Hill has given up its ghosts. That is, The RE Store’s salvage crew has been working as a part of the major remodeling that is taking place in the fall of 2010. The non-profit’s mission is to keep valuable materials from being wasted. According to the Seattle Public [...]

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Origins of The RE Store 2 – Salvage safety lessons

November 9, 2010

The early years (mid 1990s) of The RE Store were full of outstanding opportunities including a burgeoning salvage trade. Bruce Odum, former general manager recalled that quick action was always necessary while out salvaging materials. “In Mt. Vernon, we pulled out a gorgeous solid hardwood cabinet, but had to leave it overnight due to limited [...]

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The RE Store besides itself – a success story in installing our own materials

July 23, 2010

In June 2010, The RE Store deconstructed a 30’ x 30’ cabin on Lake Whatcom in Bellingham.  The first step was to salvage the quality SnapLoc brand metal roof that was still in great condition. Meanwhile, back at the store, we knew we needed to do something about our rotting siding on the exterior north [...]

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The RE Store’s Origins – Part 1

July 5, 2010

In the early 1990′s a group of building contractors in Whatcom County formed a small trade guild. Among many topics and ideas that the guild discussed was the idea of a venue for saving used building materials from unnecessary disposal. Bruce Odom was a member of the guild and stepped up to the plate to lead the [...]

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New construction, salvaged materials and fully-laden gardens

June 4, 2010

John Nelson thinks outside the box, as a builder with a big focus on reuse, green building and vegetable gardens (?!?).  John has built four houses in the last two years with his small construction company, Northwest Framing & Finish, LLC. His projects have all taken place in Bellingham. His most recent project is a [...]

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RE Definitions: Bargain jargon

February 27, 2010

The English language is a mish mash of many languages and one of the most difficult languages in the world to learn. It is also great fun to twist and contort for your own purposes. Here are some terms and phrases that spring from the rebounding values of reuse, recycling and waste reduction. Waste stream [...]

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New and Better: Utilizing The RE Store for residential remodeling contracting

February 25, 2010

by Bob Penny Hawk Meadow Homecraft small contractor in Bellingham Something that has bothered me for many years is the infrequency with which local contractors utilize The RE Store to create win-win arrangements for their remodeling clients.  Hopefully what follows can inspire and promote this incredible local resource, and illustrate some of the various strategies [...]

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