Reused and Recycled Materials
A large amount of reused and recycled materials are being incorporated into the construction of Energy Environmental's platinum LEED home. We are accumulating such a small amount of waste that we have been able to "Dump the Dumpster." The small amount of waste is being disposed through the residential trash service. Concrete waste materials are being sent to a local commercial recycling site. The scorched sand and dirt from the fire has been transported and is being reused as clean fill at another site.
Salvaged Materials
We have been able to salvage a large amount of building materials that were not destroyed by the fire in the previous home. We are able to salvage and reuse a large amount of bricks, sheathing and lumber, including 2x4's, 2x6's ,2x8's, and 2 x10's. Copper and black gas plumbing pipes, potable water control valves, and the geothermal ground loop are a few of the existing plumbing materials that are being used from the previous house. The aluminum transfer plates from existing home are being reused for the radiant floor system. A steel W-section (I-Beam) from the previous house was salvaged and certified by the project engineer. In addition, the gas hot water tank from the previous home will be reused as a storage tank for the solar hot water system, and expanded polystyrene (EPS) foam and radiant barriers, which were protected from the smoke and fire, are being used in the crawlspace.
Reclaimed and Reused Materials
Additional lumber has either been reclaimed or purchased from environmentally responsible suppliers, who follow standards set for sustainable wood products. The radiant floor sleepers and stairs were purchased from a local recycled building materials center along with exterior doors, antique leaded glass panels for the front door, and tiles for the basement floor. Old growth douglas fir was reclaimed from an old aircraft factory on Vancouver island. This timber was planed, refurbished, and used in the construction of the front porch and turret timber frame, attached to the front of the home. Please visit our Timber Frame page for pictures and design specifications. Pieces of the frame were brought to Colorado on a shared truck to minimize environmental shipping impact. Douglas fir from Idaho and cedar decking from Salt Lake City was also delivered on shared trucks.
The previous foundation was added to. These new concrete portions of the foundation, garage slab, and patios contain 15% fly ash, which is a by product of coal-fired power plants that usually gets placed in landfills. Fly ash actually increases the strength and ease of pumping concrete.
Piles of sheathing and lumber were salvaged from the previous home and are now incorporated into the new construction.
Pictures show more salvaged lumber, recycled doors, a salvaged steel I-Beam from the previous home, and utility room tiles purchased from Resource used building materials in Boulder.
Resource Used Building Materials
EEC has used Resource as a source of some building materials for the home such as exterior doors, basement stairs, basement tile, and decorative windows.
ReSource, located in Boulder Colorado, is a local resource for quality and used building materials. It accepts donations of reusable building materials and then resells them to the public at great prices. Everything at ReSource has been donated by homeowners, businesses, contractors or deconstruction experts.
ReSource promotes waste reduction through innovative landfill diversion programs. ReSource is the waste reduction division of the Center for ReSource Conservation.
Well-known for great deals on reclaimed building materials and tax deductions for donations, ReSource has also become a place for local activism, recycling answers and community and educational outreach.
