Reuse Recycle or New?

Reuse can save $ and cost $, it depends.

In these lean economic times reusing building components can help save money and the environment but there are a few things to think about first.  Will any savings of your reuse recycle efforts be offset by having to protect, augment or remove and reset those components.  Who’s responsibility is it  for warrantying those reused items?  Has your desire to recycle and reuse caused you to make concessions to some of the end results of your construction?

Many times when an item is designated in a construction project to be saved and reused that item becomes one of the most expensive pieces of the project.  This is usually because the fixture or whatever it may be needs to be taken down during construction, stored, reinstalled and in some cases augmented to work in its new environment.  With extra handling comes more opportunities for damage to the item.  It always makes sense to look at the costs of reusing something before making that decision.

Another pit fall of reuse is that if for example you wish to reuse the exterior light fixtures on your building, and after they are re installed they stop working and someone trips and falls as a result of lack of light?  Assuming the light was installed properly, there is nobody to warranty the problem and the owner is left with the responsibility.  Not to mention the owner already paid to remove/re install the light and will now have to pay to install a new light.   In the same example if the contractor had supplied new lights, the contractor would be responsible for correcting the problem and providing a new fixture.  This is not to say arrangements can’t be worked out to clearly define who warranties what in a situation of reuse but that would of course need to happen at the beginning of the project.

Reusing and recycling components is on the face of it a good thing.  However if you’re a building owner that is trying to renovate your building to find higher end tenants, chances are there will be very little that should not be upgraded.  If the original components don’t lend themselves to the design then by all means recycle them by donating to Habitat for Humanity or other building material recycling companies.  However don’t let your desire to reuse force you to compromise your construction goals.

Reuse is something everyone should try to do when renovating an existing building.  However it’s not as cut and dry as it may sound.  Making sure you are not sacrificing your design, paying attention to the possible added costs for reuse and determining the level of warranties for reused items need to be taken into account.  If it can’t be reused on your site it surely it will be valuable in another project and can find its way there through the companies that recycle building materials.

This post was inspired by an article written by Bill Disanto of Englewood Construction.  Click the link to go to his article.

Synapse Construction LLC – Siding and window replacement in and around Seattle one quality project at a time.