On Board for Deconstruction
By Nicole Tai
We parked on a steep hill in Belvedere and absorbed the spectacular view before heading down treacherous moss covered steps to a pink 1894 Victorian. Without opening the door we knew there would be treasures within. Many deconstruction jobs begin this way, with a quick glance at the surroundings, taking in the style, era and adornments to provide a picture of what is in store for our team. Saving materials for reuse is a labor of love that keeps their story and usefulness alive for potentially another 150 years.
Did you know that the waste from demolishing a single family house is equivalent to the total waste generated by one person over their entire lifetime? In addition to that crazy statistic, construction and demolition (C&D) constitutes over 20% of our total waste generated as a society, and in some areas it can be as much as 40%!
Reuse Alliance partners with GreenLynx, our friendly (Santa Rosa) neighborhood reuse store and deconstruction firm, to help turn these waste figures into reuse wins. The majority of the cabinets and fixtures at the Reuse Hub were reclaimed from homes that GreenLynx has deconstructed.
Repurposed cabinets (and tables made from doors) at the Reuse Hub.
Deconstruction is essentially building in reverse. Instead of starting with the foundation, deconstruction crews meticulously remove fixtures such as lighting, cabinets, sinks and doors before starting on the bones of the house. The fixtures are taken to a reuse center like GreenLynx, or go directly to their next home, providing them with a second life and keeping them out of the landfill.
Next come sheetrock, tile, insulation, and carpet which cannot be reused and is either recycled or, sadly, ends up in the landfill. Finally, the team will remove materials from the roof down to the foundation. Lumber and plywood are easily reused (except for the excessively nailed or glued bits) and concrete is readily recycled.
Deconstruction of a house in progress. photo by Greenlynx
Deconstruction is only required by one city in California - Palo Alto. A few counties and cities have speed bumps called “deconstruction surveys” to require consideration of deconstruction, but most jurisdictions are not focused on C&D waste. Deconstruction happens because homeowners are interested in two things: 1. saving materials because it’s better for the environment or 2: they are able to take a tax deduction for the donation of the materials.
In the end, we were contracted to carefully dismantle interior finishes at the Belvedere Victorian, including porthole windows that a widow peered through searching for her long lost fisher husband. But it was not fully deconstructed due to the lack of need for a tax deduction; only salvage made economic sense to the owner despite their desire to do the right thing. The old growth redwood and fir lumber that made up the structure made its way into the landfill.
Some of the deconstructed wood available at Greenlynx
Consider deconstruction and check out GreenLynx the next time you embark on a remodel or demolition project. By shopping at GreenLynx you are also supporting Reuse Alliance; materials sent to GreenLynx are often donated to Reuse Alliance, which receives proceeds from the sales.
Nicole Tai is a deconstruction expert, an owner of Greenlynx and the CEO of Pacific Reclaimed Lumber & Supply.
Resources for Deconstruction and Reclaimed Building Materials:
All for Reuse hosts an ecosystem map of deconstruction and reclaimed building material suppliers (find one near you!)
Interested in the policy and data side of deconstruction? Build Reuse has a Wiki with lots of great resources as does the Bay Area Deconstruction Workgroup.
You can shop for reclaimed or leftover materials online at sites like Doors Unhinged, Unbuilt.co, and Repurposed Materials, ebay or your local Craigslist.
Visit our Upcoming Events Page for details, to pre-register, or to volunteer.
On the Upcoming Events page you’ll find a full list of our upcoming Repair Fairs and other community events including details on location, how to pre-register and how to get involved. Click here to sign up to volunteer at an event.
Sat Jan 24 : Healdsburg Repair Fair + Clothing Swap : 1pm - 4pm : Healdsburg Community Center
Sat Jan 31 : Sausalito Repair Fair + Clothing & Book Swap : 10am - 1pm : Sausalito City Hall
Sat Feb 7 : Petaluma Repair Fair : 1pm - 4pm : Petaluma Library
Join us at the Reuse Hub
We have a great line-up of workshops planned for the first quarter of 2026 including Gorgeous Junk Valentine’s on February 1st taught by the creative Stella Allison. Come get all your valentine’s made in one delightful afternoon at the Hub.
Or join the talented Emily Robinson to learn the basics of Woven Darning on February 15th and level up your mending game.
Upcoming Workshops at the Reuse Hub (visit our workshops page for more details)
Learn to Crochet: Reusable Cotton Rounds : Friday Jan 23rd - 4pm
Gorgeous Junk Valentine’s : Sunday Feb 1 - 1pm
Woven Darning : Sunday Feb 15 - 1pm
Introduction to the Sewing Machine : Sunday February 22 - 3pm
Other Opportunities
Jan 26 : Trashion Fashion 101: The Runway Edition : Free workshop at the Sonoma Community Center
Jan 31 : Deadline for Proposals to Speak at CRRA taking place in San Diego Aug 30 - Sep 2, 2026.
Mar 2 : Grant applications due for Culture of Repair Projects Request for Grant Proposals
Mar 18-20 : Save the Date for the Repair Economy Summit. More details soon!
CAA is hiring a Reuse + Refill Senior Manager
PIRG is making a Community Repair Event Database. Learn more at the info session.
Our full 2025 Impact Report is out.
Download it here.
We’re working on a Library of Things at the Reuse Hub. Take the survey HERE and reach out to reusehub@reusealliance.org if you’d like to help.
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