Extreme Decon - http://www.djc.com/blogs/BuildingGreen/?p=1569
Green Collar Jobs - http://www.djc.com/blogs/BuildingGreen/?p=816
Support Your Local Metal Recycler - http://www.djc.com/blogs/BuildingGreen/?p=669
Betraying Our Zero Waste Mission - http://www.djc.com/blogs/BuildingGreen/?p=1417
Deconstructing For Flood Relief - http://www.djc.com/blogs/BuildingGreen/?p=1240
11-11 No Time To Blog -
We are sorry to say that we don't have time to blog at this time. How could anyone in the building material reuse industry? They spend their days diverting materials from the landfill and helping the environment. They create jobs from garbage. Natural resources have to be preserved in place; we don't have time to blog! Would you spend time typing this out when an old building could be disassembled in order to help renovate ten other historic structures? Besides, we are working with several programs for ex-offenders at this time and giving them a job is a great way to keep them from re-offending. I mean come on, everybody knows that it takes 11-13 times LESS energy to reclaim flooring and framing lumber than it does to manufacture it new...and it creates 3-5 times less green house gases. If you are working on a L.E.E.D. project and are looking to find out about deconstruction and building material reuse, talk to me at your jobsite. I am there helping earn you 3-7 points toward your L.E.E.D. Platinum rating. Great, now look what you made me do! I wrote this out when I was supposed to be helping a low-income home owner buy affordable materials to repair their home. Got to go...
DECONSTRUCTION NEWS:
(We will be adding more entries soon)
2-10-18: Portland Deconstruction Ordinance - One of our projects is helping Portland build up there deconstruction industry. https://www.citylab.com/life/2017/06/portland-deconstruction-demolition-workforce-training/529902/
1-31-18: Stanwood/Camano News:
https://www.scnews.com/news/article_4b0d7f28-2bb8-11e8-ae80-d740189c1906.html 
12-18-17
We were sooooo busy in 2017, we forgot update the website. By the numbers:
3,000,000+ pounds diverted from landfill
20 jobs created!
6 new reuse companies!
7 States; 1 Province visited
45+ structures removed, deconstructed for reuse, and recycled
1 award: National Reuse Educator of the Year
10-30-16
Enjoyed speaking at the ReuseConex conference in Boston. Lots of great people!
http://www.reuseconex.org/
9-29-16
5 more buildings deconstructed or saved intact in the last 5 weeks:
- 3 fully deconstructed and diverted from the landfill
- 1 removed in panels for reassembly off-site
- 1 moved intact
8-16-16
Four more buildings deconstructed in Washington State
7-22-16
Portland, Oregon Deconstruction Training
We were chosen by the City of Portland as the national experts in building deconstruction to train up new deconstruction contractors prior to the new deconstruction ordinance. It will require all homes in Portland that are 100 years old or older to be deconstructed instead of demolished and wasted.
6-18-16
Re-Use sales: Helping a local NW Washington church sell their church pews. Want 1? 54?
5-22-16
Re-Use trains:
Portland Deconstruction Training
We have been asked
to travel to Portland, OR to train 11 contractors in deconstruction. We are working to connect and strengthen the reuse industry while we are in town. Can't wait!
4-14-16
Re-Use Preserves:
Re-Use helps save antique tractor collection
Everyday we save building materials from the landfill. This time, we were asked to save over 70 tractors and of antique farm implements from two tractor sheds that collapsed onto them.
3-6-16
Re-Use Deconstructs:
Another log cabin kit?
We have a full service deconstruction crew that salvages and deconstructs buildings in an effort to provide sustainable alternatives to demolition. Sometimes, we get a cool one!
6-20-15
We are loving it right now -
Our contracting arm, Deconstruction Services, LLC. has won 85% of its bids so far this year!
5-20-15 15,000 sq ft. pole barn deconstruction project:
We won the bid to deconstruct this 15,000 sq ft barn complex, diverting over 98% from the landfill!
1-30-15 Re-Use Consulting wins
at the Sustainability Leadership Awards
We won an award at the Sustainable Seattle annual awards dinner this year. We won for the 2014 Creative Solution Category.
4-14-14: Farm Salvage
We helped salvage over 1500 of these!
9-29-14 Re-Use Client Spotlight:
Jerry Blassingame, Soteria
Check out this link to a great client of ours working to create jobs for the homeless under challenging conditions:
http://www.greenvilleonline.com/story/news/local/greenville/2014/02/16/community-takes-steps-to-help-ex-felons/5545171/
8-19-14 Historic Preservation
Can Re-Use Consulting help save this 1930s Sears and Roebuck kit barn? Stay tuned!
7-20-14 Deconstructing in NW Washington State
We are saving materials left and right from dozens of structures in NW Washington State this year and helping supply the local reuse stores. During this project, we salvaged and returned enough materials to the owner to offset the costs of our services! That's $0.00 net cost. Imagine demolishing a building and then going to the store and re-buying all those materials you just destroyed and threw away!
6 - 16 - 14
Update: Weeks later, and we are still salvaging things from the school! -
Re-Use Consulting has now helped over 40 other non-profit schools that needed parts of this school, but couldn't afford them new.
5-20-14
Update: School sale- 17 structures on campus...our goal is to salvage and sell between 300,000 and 500,000 pounds of material while helping the school run a much needed fundraiser that will fetch tens of thousands of dollars...
4-15-14
Update:Our group is speaking at Greendrinks Milwaukee this month!
Update: Sometimes it's the small things - While fully deconstructing a house and garage on this site, we found out about a family in need. We donated the insulation to them because they couldn't afford to buy it new (and they couldn't keep up with the heating bills). Wish we had gotten it to them last Fall.
3-19-14
South Carolina Success
We traveled to South Carolina to help a non-profit start a building deconstruction and reuse warehouse in March. The result was about 8 jobs created so far including 6 previously incarcerated individuals that are now working to get their lives back on track, 2 buildings deconstructed, and money already coming in from sales of salvaged materials!
2-24-14
Keeping busy in the snow -
We are working on an old barn in a foot of snow since other projects are on hold or haven't started yet. Good old reclaimed building materials including peeled cedar poles, rusty metal roofing, and barn doors makes this a great find for our customers putting together rustic rooms or buildings. Up next: Green-collar job creation in the South!
2-10-14
What 99% landfill diversion looks like
1-31-14 Sustainable Leadership Awards
Re-Use Consulting was one of the runner-ups at the Sustainable Leadership Awards in Seattle, WA (Creative Solution Category)
1-10-14
Update on our Project of the Year - 2013
Our top 12 projects of 2013 were voted on by our Facebook fans and the Stanwood Memorial Barn project won! They will receive the $200 prize money and put it towards finding a permanent memorial to honor teens that have died tragically in that area. Other top projects included:
-Inner-city jobs for Milwaukee -Detroit pro-bono consulting
-Helping homeless veterans find green-collar jobs
-Idaho home on cliff -Historic document preservation
-Seattle church deconstruction -1890's bell saved
-Historic Barn Preservation Program -1890's cabin
-1950's neon sign preserved
1-2-14
Seattle - We had so many great projects in 2013, we are letting you decide which one wins the 'Decon Bowl'! Join the fun and vote for your favorite projects on our Facebook page.
12-08-14 Green-Collar Jobs
Teaching Sustainability to inner-city workers
We are back on the road helping train inner-city workers from areas with high-unemployment, workers trying to catch a break after being released from prison, and helping a non-profit create jobs for homeless people at their new reuse warehouse
11-07-14 Road Trips!!
Beverly Hills, Hollywood, Austin, NYC, Syracuse, Buffalo, Chicago, Milwaukee, Seattle
We are off on a series of 'American Pickers' style road trips, finding and saving hidden treasures from all over the Country. What will we find next! Wouldn't this be a great cable tv show?
10-10-14 David Bennink of Re-Use Consulting asked to speak at the ReuseConex Conference in Austin, TX Oct 23-25
Bennink will speak on the economics of the reuse industry and how we will be able to sustain it and grow it in the future. Re-Use has helped over 100 reuse operations all over North America. We train groups in building deconstruction, reuse operations, salvage of reclaimed building materials including reclaimed wood, salvaging plants, designing for deconstruction, and value-added workshops thus creating green-collar jobs.
3-7-13: It's a dirty job, but everyone wants to do it
Re-Use has helped people in 42 States and 4 Provinces, 'building up an industry that takes down buildings'
2-28-13: Blizzard Nemo hits our deconstruction jobsite with 40" of snow, after we removed the roof sheathing :)
1-31-13: Click here to read our 'Best of 2012' Letter:
Best_of_2012_-_RE-USE_Consulting2bp.pdf
1.7 MB
12-31-12: The Decon Woman Challenge:
Congrats To Sally Kamprath and Bobbi Blodgett for winning the Challenge. They will both receive $200 from Re-Use Consulting
Sally's operation: www.rehouseny.com
Bobbi's operation: www.reusesalvage.com
11-27-12 The Decon Woman Challenge:
RE-USE Consulting is offering a $200 first prize to the best story submitted about a woman working in the building deconstruction field. If you know of someone, please let us know or PASS THIS POST ON TO OTHERS. The stories will be shared via Facebook, so include a photo or two with a 500 or less word description about this woman and why she is a good example for others. Submit to restoredave@hotmail.com. Entries must be received by Dec 15th. Questions may be submitted to the same address. The prize will be announced on Dec 30th, 2012.
1-25-12 Big Projects Continue for Re-Use
The hospital we are bidding on has well over 300 sinks, 1500 cabinets, and more...did someone say green-collar job creation?
10-14-12 Big Win for Reuse
We just landed a deal for our client to salvage and deconstruct 550 buildings!! That's a good day's work. Here is an image of some of the materials they have already reclaimed and delivered to a high profile office remodel! Oh, and that's another 12-24 people back to work, and most of those jobs were created in the inner-city!
9-20-12 When Re-Use Talks...
We are scheduled to speak at events
6 times in 6 weeks! We are spreading the word about reuse, green-collar jobs, and win-win scenarios all over North America.
8-20-12 Man, I Love Manitoba
Deconstruction in a
Little Town on the Prairie
What a great crew. I have no doubt they will go on to deconstruct many buildings in the future and will send those reusable materials to many worthy projects.
7-22-12 America's Largest Building Deconstruction Crew
2700+ volunteers/trainees came to New Orleans to learn about deconstruction and to lend a hand in removing blighted structures there. We had a great time helping supervise them and keeping them safe (2700+ trainees and only 4 band-aids used).
Key points were:
Decon =25 times more jobs than demo
Decon = 11-13 times less energy compared to decon than manufacture certain items new
Decon = A supply of vintage materials available
for historic renovation projects
Decon = A supply of materials available for
lower-income building owners
7-20-12 America's Largest Building Deconstruction Crew
RE-USE traveled to New Orleans to help train and educate over 2700 volunteers in building deconstruction. Thanks to the ELCA for participating and CORE USA for hosting the event.
6-21-12
Workforce Development Training
is resulting in jobs!
Our most recent training for unemployed workers has resulted in work for 5 of the 11 in the class! Still working to get the rest back to work.
5-30-12 LUXE Magazine Article!
One of our deconstruction jobs made the cover of Luxe Magazine! Great example of owner-reuse of their own reclaimed cedar and other materials!
http://www.luxesource.com/digital-editions/region/pacific-northwest
4-20-15 Warehouse deconstruction:
1.5 million pounds to divert from the landfill...wanna help?!
3-20-15 Wagon saved from collapsed shed
We were asked to carefully deconstruct a shed in order to save a wagon trapped inside. Mission accomplished. Wagon sold.
2-20-15 Re-Use Consulting's owner
Dave Bennink takes a 2700 sq ft. home
down by himself. Why? We're not quite sure,
but apparently it helps him come up with new
techniques and shows what can be done.
12-12-13
Milwaukee - We are working to start a website for Wisconsin's growing deconstruction industry (to help support the creation of 100 inner-city green collar jobs)!
The website will accept requests for materials and match demand up with supply! Stay tuned for more info on the launch of this new site...
1-19-13
Seattle and Western Washington Projects
We continue to support all of the reuse stores in Puget Sound region, sending materials to stores from Wenatchee to Pt. Angeles, Bellingham to Tacoma. We would like to thank Isola Homes for efforts to promote deconstruction and reuse in 2013! (All sorts of material including this baptismal tub!)
10-10-13
Stanwood Memorial Barn Project
We were chosen to disassemble the Memorial Barn in Stanwood, WA so that sections of it can live on as a new memorial at another site! Link: http://www.scnews.com/news/article_a0dc8c42-2abd-11e3-805f-0019bb30f31a.html
FOLLOW-UP STORY:
http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20131120/NEWS01/711209935
9-08-13
Seattle Church being deconstructed including these 40 ft high arched trusses
8-20-13 Detroit: Re-Use is trying hard to help a group of homeless veterans set up a deconstruction business (with no funding)...stay tuned!
7-17-13 Wyoming - Loved this project
We helped deconstruct this building for the family of the original owners. The parents built this as their dream home and when they passed on, the home fell into disrepair. Their favorite place in the world was Yellowstone Park and we were able to see that the deconstructed materials were sent to Yellowstone to help build a new guest lodge there!
6-12-13: Saving the 1886 bell :)
5-24-13: We are helping local reuse operations throughout North America
8-11 Cowboy Decon
http://trib.com/news/local/casper/article_a33a8134-260d-51cb-a131-9342281141d5.html
7-11 Deconstruction training story
http://www.bellinghamherald.com/2011/07/11/2093887/bellingham-co0mpany-helps-train.html
6-11 Deconstruction Training news story
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2015535270_apwadeconstructiontraining1stldwritethru.html
5-11 Christian Scientist Monitor article (from 2000 mile scooter trip for decon!)
http://stageorigin2.csmonitor.com/layout/set/print/content/view/print/385211
3-11 100 year old church deconstructed/demolished
http://www.messengernews.net/page/content.detail/id/537429/ICCC-students-learn-to--harvest--buildings.html?nav=5010
2-11 RE-USE helped start a new deconstruction training at a community college. We proposed that the college expand beyond the actual decon class to involve up to four different departments and possibly have over 100 students working on the program at a time!
http://www.messengernews.net/page/content.detail/id/537429/ICCC-students-learn-to--harvest--buildings.html?nav=5010
1-11 RE-USE Consulting is now helping create green collar jobs in Canada as well through our deconstruction programs. Read about one great project in British Columbia
http://thetyee.ca/News/2011/01/18/TearingDownHouses/
12-10 Penn decon and building material salvage story
http://www.centredaily.com/2011/01/27/2480314/architectural-reclamation-a-boon.html
9-10 RE-USE's client receives national award for their deconstruction program
http://ytowncda.blogspot.com/2010/09/youngstown-receives-national.html
8-10 Mayor of St. Paul praises RE-USE client for their new deconstruction program
http://www.stpaul.gov/index.aspx?NID=4105
7-10 The Return to Pittsburgh
We are team building in Pittsburgh and Minnesota.
http://www.popcitymedia.com/features/deconstruction061610.aspx
6-10 Green Jobs in Baltimore
Deconstruction has many benefits that make it a worthy endeavor. When we started training ex-offenders to perform deconstruction, we learned of yet another benefit. Imagine being an ex-offender that no one will hire and with few options to have a normal life. It is no wonder that they re-offend, and that serves no purpose for their life, weakens our society, and costs the tax payers billions. Deconstruction offers a new growing industry that has fewer barriers to employment in many ways, but plenty of challenges...
www.theroot.com/views/jobs-ex-offenders-green-economy
5-10 Built Green Conference 2010
RE-USE spoke at this year's conference in Bellevue, WA. In 2009, we spoke about 15 times around the Country, promoting deconstruction and building material reuse. In 2010, our focus has switched to training, but we still are talking about decon when we can.
http://www.builtgreenconference.com/138/45/event-details.html
4-10 Metal Magazine (March-April 2010)
Second Life
Deconstruction Offers Opportunity to Recycle and Reuse
http://www.metalmag.com/construction-waste-recycling/second-life.aspx
3-10 Flood Recovery - Cedar Rapids - After harvesting 3 homes in just less than 5 days, we are left wondering whether the materials salvaged were contaminated by flood waters. Since this hadn't been studied yet, the reusable wood was recycled. This pilot project/training showed that we could have removed the homes in 4 days if they hadn't been in three separate locations, but instead had been on the same street.
http://gazetteonline.com/blogs/homegrown/2010/03/29/video-recycling-flooded-homes
2-10 Our Chicago green collar deconstruction job training program is underway, and one of our project teams has already received three thank you letters from their partnering reuse businesses. One of those businesses has already doubled the size of their operation as a result of this partnership. Our goal: create jobs and strengthen the entire building material reuse industry in the Chicagoland area.
http://egov.cityofchicago.org/city/webportal/portalContentItemAction.do?blockName=Workforce+Development%2fI+Want+To&deptMainCategoryOID=&channelId=0&programId=0&entityName=Workforce+Development&topChannelName=Dept&contentOID=537055335&Failed_Reason=Invalid+timestamp,+engine+has+been+restarted&contenTypeName=COC_EDITORIAL&com.broadvision.session.new=Yes&Failed_Page=%2fwebportal%2fportalContentItemAction.do&context=dept1-10 Traveling to Cedar Rapids to help after the Cedar River flooded homes. Over 1200 of them are now scheduled to be removed.
www.solidwasteagency.org/uploads/Contractor_RFQ.pdf
12-09 Thanks go out to The Window Magazine for this great article: 
http://www.windowmagazine.org/window/index.php?section=Stories&id=109
11-09 Buffalo, NY
---------EXTREME DECONSTRUCTION: RE-USE Consulting on ABC's Extreme Home Makeover!---------
We were asked to fly out and help our client Buffalo Reuse deconstruct a 2500 sq ft home in 15hrs. The project was for the popular
TV show Extreme Makeover Home Edition and the episode will air in January or February, demonstrating the benefits of building material reuse
and building deconstruction in front of 31 million viewers. Nice job Michael Gainer and Buffalo Reuse. We were happy to help!
http://video.buffalonews.com/player/?id=341
10-09 Bend, OR - Not a project we helped with, but a great grass-roots effort and good outlook. Perhaps we will travel
there some day to help control costs and the time required.
http://www.bendbulletin.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20091101/BIZ0102/911010320/1002/NEWS01&nav_category=NEWS01
9-09 New York - Battling demolition pricing in the trenches - RE-USE is trying to bring deconstruction to areas
where it has never been tried before, and sometimes that means changing our approach. We have decided
that saving less per building from the landfill is better than having deconstruction never take off in Binghamton
where we could all watch hundreds of buildings go straight to the dump. Note: areas like this have very few
recycling options due to cheap landfilling costs.
http://www.wicz.com/news2005/viewarticle.asp?a=10989#
http://www.cityofbinghamton.com/viewarticle.asp?a=3227
8-09 Washington State: Another Vashon Job turned into a fund-raiser for the school district. This is the
second school project in that district that we have helped with where the deconstruction and/or salvage work
has led to a donation back to the school district or PTA. Way to go Mitchell Contractors!
http://www.pnwlocalnews.com/vashon/vib/news/56635337.html
7-09 Cincinnati news : RE-USE helps another city start deconstruction efforts
http://www.building-cincinnati.com/2009/08/areas-first-full-house-deconstruction.html
http://www.wcpo.com/news/local/story/Cincinnati-Area-Sees-First-Green-House/Yc0Ce8Vz0k60PVRyuizy7A.cspx
6-09 WYTV Ohio - If we can deconstruct in Youngstown, we can deconstruct anywhere (only $11/ton disposal costs!)
http://www.wytv.com/content/news/local/story/Youngstown-Hopes-to-Deconstruct-Not-Demolish/M377IIKGi0yq_LyVqd9Cng.cspx
6-09 Business Journal Daily
http://www.business-journal.com/default.asp?sourceid=&smenu=1&twindow=&mad=&sdetail=13943&wpage=1&skeyword=&sidate=&ccat=&ccatm=&restate=&restatus=&reoption=&retype=&repmin=&repmax=&rebed=&rebath=&subname=&pform=&sc=1711&hn=business-journal&he=.com
5-09 Seattle Times - Pacific Magazine
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/pacificnw/2009252001_pacificpdecon24.html
4-09 WKBN TV Youngstown http://www.wkbn.com/content/news/local/story/Youngstown-Hopes-to-Deconstruct-Not-Demolish/M377IIKGi0yq_LyVqd9Cng.cspx
3-09 Sustainable Snohomish Co. http://sustainable-snohomish.blogspot.com/2009/03/leed-user-group-mtg-march-18.html
2-09 Press Connects http://www.pressconnects.com/article/20090221/NEWS01/902210356/1001/archive
WBNG NY State: http://www.wbng.com/news/local/40248567.html
1-09 KGMI radio
http://www.kgmi.com/Local-News/2983319?contentId=3396377
1-09 Cleveland's Plain Dealer newspaper
http://blog.cleveland.com/metro/2009/01/deconstruction_salvages_abando.html
12-08 Washington Post
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/12/12/AR2008121201893.html
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/12/12/AR2008121201888.html
12-08 Daily Journal of Commerce blog
http://www.djc.com/blogs/BuildingGreen/tag/dave-bennink/
11-08 Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08328/930106-53.stm
10-08 Seattle's Daily Journal of Commerce
http://djc.com/search/news.html?formact=search&date=&quick=true&searchlevel=basic&query=bennink
09-08 Construction Junction's eBlast
http://www.constructionjunction.org/eblasts/view/26
09-08 Pop City Journal
http://www.popcitymedia.com/developmentnews/cj0924.aspx?utm_campaign=Share%20the%20Road&utm_medium=Email&utm_source=VerticalResponse&utm_term=Green%20%28un%29building%3A%20Pittsburgh%27s%20first%20hybrid%20deconstruction%20project%20underway
06-08 Forbes Magazine
http://www.forbes.com/lifestyle/forbes/2008/0630/074.html?partner=whiteglove_google
1-08 Environmental Design + Construction
http://www.edcmag.com/Articles/Featured_Special_Sections/BNP_GUID_9-5-2006_A_10000000000000237958
11-07 Art Voice
http://artvoice.com/issues/v6n29/bringing_down_the_house
10-07 GreenSmart - Sustainable Building in the Northwest
http://greensmart.construction.com/features/archive/0710_Cover.asp
04-07 Buffalo Business Journal
http://buffalo.bizjournals.com/buffalo/stories/2007/04/23/daily43.html
04-07 Orange County, NC
http://www.co.orange.nc.us/OCCLERKS/marapr07prsrls.htm
03-07 Remodeling Magazine
http://www.remodeling.hw.net/remodeling/deconstructing-the-future.aspx
12-06 Going Green at the Beach project website
www.goinggreenatthebeach.com/pdf/deconstruction.pdf
9-06 Orange County News
http://www.co.orange.nc.us/OCCLERKS/marapr07prsrls.htm
(more stories coming for this time frame)
03-1999 Klipsun Magazine
http://klipsun.wwu.edu/archives/march99/restore.html
3-10 Flood Recovery - Cedar Rapids - After harvesting 3 homes in just less than 5 days, we are left wondering whether the materials salvaged were contaminated by flood waters. Since this hadn't been studied yet, the reusable wood was recycled. This pilot project/training showed that we could have removed the homes in 4 days if they hadn't been in three separate locations, but instead had been on the same street. 2-10 Our Chicago green collar deconstruction job training program is underway, and one of our project teams has already received three thank you letters from their partnering reuse businesses. One of those businesses has already doubled the size of their operation as a result of this partnership. Our goal: create jobs and strengthen the entire building material reuse industry in the Chicagoland area.1-10 Traveling to Cedar Rapids to help after the Cedar River flooded homes. Over 1200 of them are now scheduled to be removed. 12-09 Thanks go out to The Window Magazine for this great article: 11-09 Buffalo, NY---------EXTREME DECONSTRUCTION: RE-USE Consulting on ABC's Extreme Home Makeover!---------We were asked to fly out and help our client Buffalo Reuse deconstruct a 2500 sq ft home in 15hrs. The project was for the popularTV show Extreme Makeover Home Edition and the episode will air in January or February, demonstrating the benefits of building material reuseand building deconstruction in front of 31 million viewers. Nice job Michael Gainer and Buffalo Reuse. We were happy to help!10-09 Bend, OR - Not a project we helped with, but a great grass-roots effort and good outlook. Perhaps we will travel there some day to help control costs and the time required.9-09 New York - Battling demolition pricing in the trenches - RE-USE is trying to bring deconstruction to areaswhere it has never been tried before, and sometimes that means changing our approach. We have decided that saving less per building from the landfill is better than having deconstruction never take off in Binghamton where we could all watch hundreds of buildings go straight to the dump. Note: areas like this have very few recycling options due to cheap landfilling costs. #8-09 Washington State: Another Vashon Job turned into a fund-raiser for the school district. This is the second school project in that district that we have helped with where the deconstruction and/or salvage work has led to a donation back to the school district or PTA. Way to go Mitchell Contractors! 7-09 Cincinnati news : RE-USE helps another city start deconstruction efforts 6-09 WYTV Ohio - If we can deconstruct in Youngstown, we can deconstruct anywhere (only $11/ton disposal costs!)6-09 Business Journal Daily5-09 Seattle Times - Pacific Magazine4-09 WKBN TV Youngstown 3-09 Sustainable Snohomish Co. 2-09 Press Connects WBNG NY State: 1-09 KGMI radio 1-09 Cleveland's Plain Dealer newspaper12-08 Washington Post12-08 Daily Journal of Commerce blog11-08 Pittsburgh Post-Gazette10-08 Seattle's Daily Journal of Commerce09-08 Construction Junction's eBlast09-08 Pop City Journal06-08 Forbes Magazine1-08 Environmental Design + Construction11-07 Art Voice10-07 GreenSmart - Sustainable Building in the Northwest 04-07 Buffalo Business Journal04-07 Orange County, NC03-07 Remodeling Magazine12-06 Going Green at the Beach project website9-06 Orange County News(more stories coming for this time frame)03-1999 Klipsun Magazine
Check out some of our residential client's sites at:
http://mukilteogreenremodel.wetpaint.com/?t=anon
RE-USE Consulting is a member of the Building Materials Reuse Association (BMRA), a non-profit organization educating the public on the value of reusing building materials from existing structures and it is the Country's leading authority on building deconstruction. The BMRA holds a national conference and is involved with many other green building events around the Country. (check them out at www.buildingreuse.org )
RE-USE News Archieves (from the Home Page):
5-30-12 Re-Use NOLA
We are traveling to New Orleans to teach 2,400 people about building deconstruction! They are all going to get a chance to swing a hammer and pull some nails from the 6 buildings we will deconstruct over 6 days. This could be a great boost for the deconstruction and building material reuse industry! Anyone know where I can get 400 prybars?
4-29-12 Reuse News:
1. Our Bicycle Program is now called 'Completing the Cycle' - We just completed our 10th consulting trip where we replaced a rental car with a bicycle while consulting for a client. The bike was donated to Calvin, an inner-city high school student who, among other cool things, created an urban garden next to his home to grow veggies to help feed his family. Nice job Calvin,
you deserve that bike!
2. Another 10 structures worked on - They were deconstructed and salvaged over the last 6 weeks with dozens of tons diverted from the landfill. Almost all of them included training others to continue the fight after we left town.
3. New Reuse Stores - We are very excited to be working with two groups planning brand new stores selling reclaimed building materials! The green-collar jobs are adding up!
4. New RE-USE pics -
Attic decon-----Full Decon-----Owl's-eye view
Decon doll house----Holton Center Bike donation
Abandoned/vacant home treasure reclaimed
Bike Donation to Calvin!
3-17-12 Local business 1, Rental car co. 0
This is our version of March Madness! We are buying a bicycle instead of renting a car on next week's consulting job. After the job is over, we will donate the bike to our client's favorite charity or a local family in need. Which bike will we buy?? Find out Monday.
2 - 14 -12 Second Hand Shrubs
Our plant salvage program, Second Hand Shrubs, was a hot topic at the NW Flower and Garden Show. We email people on our plant salvage list when we have plant at our jobsites and price them at a fraction of new. Mature plants like 8 foot diameter rhodies are common, among other species. Let us know if you are interested in finding out more.
2-13-12 NW Flower and Garden Show
2012 NW Flower and Garden Show - Our team (www.innovativelandscapetechnologies.com, www.verterradesign.com, www.skagitbuildingsalvage, www.skagitbuildingsalvage.com, www.nwstructures.net, RE-USE Consulting and several more companies) won the
bronze metal and the Dahlia award.
The garden included a large amount of recycled content and reclaimed materials.
2-8-12 NW Flower and Garden Show
We are getting ready for the start of the NW Flower and Garden Show in Seatlle, WA. Why? Reclaimed materials make great garden art, garden sheds, and people always want to hear about our reclaimed plant program Second Hand Shrubs.
1-15-12 Best of 2011:
12-11-11 National Magazine features RE-USE
RE-USE was featured in an article in the national magazine, Qualified Remodeler (click here)
Interested in training or finding out more about our reusable building materials industry? Just pick up the phone and give us a call at
360.201-6977
11-11-11
RE-USE turns down rental car from client, buys bicycle instead, then donates it to a family in need
click HERE for details
11-8-11
4-Story building deconstructed with Reuse Action
Fortunately, the $1000/day crane was barely able to reach! On to the next job, a....two-car garage!
1-1-11
ATTENTION All Green Builders:
Please, stop gluing buildings together and using spray foam insulation that cannot be removed! You are designing waste into your structures. You are eliminating future jobs and subsidizing the landfill!
10-10-11
300 buildings assessed for deconstruction in the last 30 days
We were hired to assess 300 buildings for deconstruction and found that some would be worth it and some would not. We determined that not every building in the world should be deconstructed. There, I said it, ok? We need to use our limited deconstruction crews to focus on the better buildings and better materials...
9-12-11
Creating more reuse jobs
We just hired two new reuse workers for our client's new reuse business! That felt good...
8-29-11
Hybrid Deconstruction Lab
Occasionally, we put ourselves in a difficult situation with a plan of fighting our way out of it. Our August building, a 12,500 sq ft structure, was an example of this. The project was taken on with only two people on the crew so that we would have to rely on our existing hybrid deconstruction techniques and create a few new ones too. It is projects like this that move us and the reuse industry forward.
6-3-11 BBC Radio - London
Interview with Dave Bennink, RE-USE Consulting
(While Dave was at SeaTac airport hiding in a corner from jet noise...)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9peqjGvxnAE
5-30-11 RE-USE Consulting is planning regional efforts to promote building material reuse
We will launch the first of these in the Chicago area soon. What we need are more people buying reusable materials and more people requesting deconstruction instead of settling for demolition.
IF YOU HAVE A PROJECT IN THE CHICAGOLAND AREA PLEASE CONTACT US!
5-16-11 Dave Bennink's scooter trip ends at 2000.1 miles at the Decon '11 conference in New Haven, CT.
Dave visited groups from Florida to Vermont.
We hope that we can continue to provide them assistance for their reuse efforts. Images coming soon or on Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Re-Use-Consulting/168260119870367
5-11 Dave Bennink's 2000 mile scooter tour is underway! (5-5-11)
Thanks to our sponsors:
Action Wheelsports, St. Pete, FL
Sarasota Architectural Salvage, Sarasota, FL
Urban Miners, Hamden, CT
Meeting with EPA Atlanta is coming up soon...
4-11 RE-USE planning pro-bono consulting tour to help the building deconstruction industry in the Southeast and East Coast
Imagine buying a scooter over the internet, flying to Tampa to pick it up, and riding that motorcycle wannabe 2000 miles, stopping along the way to help struggling and new deconstruction and reuse businesses. I know, time to grow up Dave - right?
We are calling it the 'Road to Decon '11 Tour' because it begins in Sarasota, Florida, heads north to Vermont, and ends at the National Decon conference, Decon '11, in New Haven, CT.
Each group that we help along the way will be interviewed and each problem we encounter we be laid out on Facebook for your viewing enjoyment. Please follow and 'like' it by clicking the following:
Moped Tour
3-11 RE-USE Consulting asked to speak at the national deconstruction conference
The Building Materials Reuse Assoc. is holding the Decon '11 conference on Yale's campus in May. We are speaking and helping organize the exhibitors. We are looking for all kinds of exhibitors, so if you are interested contact us at dave@bmra.org or check out this FLYER
2-11 RE-USE to help the second largest County in the USA start a deconstruction program
We will be bringing a customized version of our basic training class to Cook County, IL to train and create green collar jobs for 60 individuals and contractors in the local area, helping the local group the Delta Institute complete the task.
1-11 2011 is filling up
RE-USE Consulting will be speaking twice at the Decon '11 conference, has 12 buildings set for deconstruction, and is scheduled to train over 120 people, creating green-collar jobs across the USA and Canada. We taught a great group of workers with barriers to employment this month where all had a work-ready attitude and graduated from the class, and we hope for the best for them as they begin to search for jobs.
12-10 What decon ever happens in December?
RE-USE Consulting helping Iowa training program get off the ground
RE-USE in Canada: Two Canadian decon pilot projects ready to start
BMRA tool expo coming to Decon '11 - contact us for details!
RE-USE starts its Rebuilt Shed Project, an effort to make
a shed completely out of the parts from a larger building
11-10 New Training About to Begin
We are now working with Cook County and Delta to train contractors on deconstruction with the hope that they will hire deconstruction workers, including our Chicago Decon training program graduates!
Best wishes to Lou Dickson at her new business, the Evanston Rebuilding Center in Evanston, IL
10-10 The Award for Greenest City in the World Goes to....?
RE-USE Consulting is now helping the City of Vancouver, British Columbia with their efforts to become the greenest city in the world by 2020!
9-10 Not all news is bad news
RE-USE Consulting has been covered by a number of news networks this year including:
NPR, MSNBC, CNBC, and more!
We hope to continue to promote the building material reuse industry through opportunities like these!
See you at the Reuse Alliance's conference in October, www.reusealliance.org
8-10 One long road trip
This summer, we traveled 11 out of 12 weeks, training and taking buildings down. We worked on 10 buildings, conducted decon studies, held meetings and made presentations in what was one of our most productive summer seasons.
7-10 RE-USE in the news
Note: We are aware that this page is way too long and a bad idea. Please stop writing and blogging about this point. It remains at the bottom of our do-to list.
Note: We are aware that our website has a
'RE-USE in the News' page. Please stop writing and/or blogging about this point. It is important that we self-promote ourselves and yes, we do click on the links daily just to increase the hits.
1. USA Today spells Dave Bennink's name wrong:
http://content.usatoday.com/communities/greenhouse/post/2010/06/home-recycling/1
2. Pop City spells Dave Bennink's name right:
http://www.popcitymedia.com/features/deconstruction061610.aspx
3. The Root covers one of our ex-offender jobs:
http://www.theroot.com/views/jobs-ex-offenders-green-economy
4. RE-USE creates job training program for City of Chicago - will employee 140 trainees and 160 overall:
http://mayor.cityofchicago.org/mayor/en/press_room/press_releases/2010/march_2010/0311_ex_offenders.html
5. RE-USE to help deconstruct building - materials to be provided to other historical presevation project :
http://everett.komonews.com/content/port-votes-deconstruct-collins-building
6-10 Top Ten Reasons To Deconstruct (in no order)
- Create jobs in your community
- Save the environment!
- Decrease imported oil - decon saves energy
- Reduce harvesting of natural resources
- Preserve historical architectural elements
- Two words: L.E.E.D. points
- Work force development
- Helping low-income homeowners
- Ex-offenders back to work=less crime
- Deconstruct buildings, work hard, lose weight
5-10 Calls for conference
RE-USE Consulting is helping the Reuse Alliance plan their upcoming reuse conference(Oct 2010)
(http://reuseconex.org/)
and the Building Materials Reuse Association (BMRA) plan their upcoming deconstruction conference (May 2011)(http://bmra.org)
4-10 Mainstream moves
We continue to conquer different types of buildings, market and sell their materials, and create green collar jobs and benefit the community all at the same time. Would someone please call us with an easy 100,000 sq ft warehouse? All of these lower-value debris filled abandoned properties are tough!
Coming soon:
An update on the new RRP Lead Class from the EPA
An update on the new lead painted material rules.
3-10 RE-USE is on the move
In Chicago, our training project for the City is going well and one of the project teams, Breaking Ground, has completed their safety training and now are working in buildings salvaging and deconstructing. The final of the four work divisions, value-added work, will start soon and we will be constructing everything from saw horses to picnic tables to reclaimed flooring and furniture.
We quickly moved on to Iowa where we are conducting a study on harvesting flooded homes. The three homes are expected to be disassembled in 5 working days! (Study Completed in 4.998 days!)
We are now about to start working in the Cleveland area where we already have a contractor taking down homes at the rate of 50/year, and the local government would like to support and increase that effort and have asked us to help make decon competitive with demo.
2-10 Chicago Update:
RE-USE Consulting was asked to study and design and now help manage the nation's largest building deconstruction and building materials reuse training program. We expanded on the City's original goals and now are very happy with the results. Around one dozen reuse businesses will receive help through this program and almost 200 jobs will be created during this time. Participants will learn about all aspects of the building material reuse industry.
1-10 RE-USE Consulting's current 14 building project was featured on Public Broadcasting television (PBS) stations in Jan 2010. The project, the oldest underground power plant in the WORLD, is full of interesting materials that all help tell the Power Plant's story (click links):
http://www.sadisfilmworks.com/blog/2010/01/26/sfw-documentary-to-air-on-pbs/
http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=274531203122&ref=mf
1-10 Thank you Buffalo Reuse, the people of Buffalo, and ABC for making Extreme Decon such a success - The two-hour episode of Extreme Home Makeover touched on building deconstruction, construction waste management, recycling, reuse, and even visited the Buffalo Reuse store! I don't think we could have expected more.
Here is what we have of the show:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=99qkxd0uxLk
http://www.movieweb.com/tv/TEEMDJGLAndLIL/VIzYTFAGpMyCEA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U4k_X1VuDH4&NR=1
Deconstruction works... What are you waiting for?
12-09 Nationwide audience, meet hybrid building deconstruction. Hybrid building deconstruction, meet the nationwide audience.
January 24th is the date for EXTREME DECON - Our team's full house decon on Extreme Home Makeover (Buffalo Reuse/RE-USE Consulting)
more soon...
11-09 The Challenge
Fully deconstruct a building in 12 hours on national television!
Stay tuned...
And the winner is...
Buffalo Reuse and RE-USE Consulting were successful in fully deconstructing a 2700 sq ft home in 15 hours in a project that will demonstrate the benefits of deconstruction to a national audience of over 31 million viewers! Nice job Michael Gainer and Buffalo Reuse - we were happy to help!
10-09 On the road again
RE-USE is on the road again after several weeks in the office. We spoke at the GRRN conference outside of Boston and then took down two buildings (totalling 4500 sq ft) in four days, continuing our experiments in the more aggressive building harvesting techniques designed for communities with few recycling options. We continued our trip to consult on the removal of 18 more buildings that would have to be removed in 18 calendar days!
Below: That's not a rake, this is a rake - seeing how carefully an excavator can rake the second floor for us.
9-09 Another win-win scenario
After our team submitted the winning bid on another prevailing wage job, we suggested that we turn the project into a fund-raiser for the school district we were working for. The contractor, Mitchell Contractors, took it one step further, donating 100% of the sales of salvaged materials to the school district to buy equipment that the school couldn't afford due to budget cuts. The 50' long 10x10 rough sawn trusses were returned to the owner so that they could be used in a future building.
Green-jobs created - landfill diversion - donations to a school - owner reuse - all materials kept on the Island and all within a 7 mile radius of the jobsite.
8-09 100 windows in one day
Dave Bennink set his personal record by removing 100 windows in one 11 hr shift. Think that 11 hrs is unfair and it should be based on an 8 hr shift? Too bad, didn't ask you. It wasn't really that hard (screwed-in/double caulked vinyl replacement frame windows), but it 100 still sounds nice.
Chicago - The Windy City
RE-USE Training: RE-USE Consulting is working with the City of Chicago to start the largest deconstruction training program in the USA. Over 140 green collar jobs will be created and Chicago's deconstruction industry will be built up, surpassing the efforts being made in most other cities around the Country.
7-09: WHAT ECONOMIC SLOWDOWN?
We are training and promoting deconstruction nationwide.
RE-USE Consulting continues to train and consult for new deconstruction and reuse operations around the USA. We just completed three more trainings in the last five weeks, taking down three buildings and helping with two new stores selling used building materials.
6-09:
If you have a historical building renovation project in Snohomish County, WA and would like some materials donated, let us know asap.
RE-USE Consulting chosen to help with 60,000 sq ft building deconstruction project! Wow, at this rate, we will help deconstruct over 400,000 sq ft of buildings this year alone!
Another 7500 sq ft barn diverted from the landfill. It was a pleasure to help as the materials we salvaged have been specifically set aside to only restore other historic barns in need of repair.
Another 30,000 sq ft building on its way! 3x16x25' timbers, car-decking, and 10,000 sq ft of bead board - just for starters
CALL SOON IF INTERESTED
5-09:
RE-USE Consulting is proud to say that we are helping Chicago with their bid for the 2016 Olympic Games by providing them consulting assistance on building material reuse associated with the effort.
4-09:
RE-USE Consulting was asked to speak at the National Association of Home Builders' (NAHB) Conference in Dallas, Tx and the Building Materials Reuse Association's Conference in Chicago, IL.
We were named
National Building Deconstructor of the Year - 2009
by the BMRA in Chicago!
3-09:
2009 Our Deconstruction Flood Relief Was A Success!
Our clients donated (6) 26' moving vans full of building materials
to families around the Pacific Northwest and we would like
to thank them for their efforts.
Below: flood damage pictures- ruined flooring, doors, sheetrock, etc.
2-09:
2009 Deconstruction Flood Relief Effort
RE-USE Consulting is working together with multiple building owners to help victims of the flooding in January 2009.
We intend to give away all of the doors, cabinets, trusses, lumber, and lots of other materials from 7-10 deconstructed buildings. These materials are going to worthy and qualified families, farmers, and both for-profit and non-profit businesses, primarily in King, Snohomish, and Whatcom and Skagit Counties.
If you know of someone in need, please contact us ASAP using the 'contact us' page of this website. RE-USE would like to thank the anonymous donors that are making this possible!
1-09Dave Bennink of RE-USE Consulting used to co-manage two used building material stores in Western Washington. Now he is deconstructing one of them! The old 30,000 sq ft Sash and Door building complex in Bellingham, WA is being partially deconstructed and Bennink is pleased to be involved. Look at those 3x14s!
12-08 We had another successful training project in Cleveland, OH. RE-USE Consulting worked with Urban Lumberjacks of Cleveland (ULOC) to take down an almost 2400 sq. ft. 2 1/2 story home. Despite it being only there second project, it only took us 4 days to get the building down to the foundation, and about 1 1/2 days later to finish cleaning the site and to denail about 6500 board feet of lumber and flooring.
See: http://blog.cleveland.com/metro/2009/01/deconstruction_salvages_abando.html
11-08 RE-USE News...
New Page on our Site: RE-USE in the News
We are happy to report that the 2008 Great Lakes Building Reuse Conference was successful and that Buffalo Reuse and the BMRA had about 140 participants in the first year. RE-USE Consulting's full day workshop had about 40 in attendance. We also traveled to Cleveland and helped the local group Urban Lumberjacks of Cleveland hit a home-run. Despite many people losing interest in deconstruction in the area, we gave them a new perspective with the following:
1800 sq ft home - 2.5 stories - 4.75 crew members -
building down to foundation in 3.5 days - job complete in 5 days
If we had 6 people (recommended for the Three-Day Decon system to work efficiently), we would have had the building down in 3 days and cleaned up/processed in 4.
10-08 Training and Retraining..
RE-USE Consulting has recently trained many of the big names in deconstruction including: Buffalo Reuse, Construction Junction, Build It Green NYC, and more. What are you waiting for? Give us a call.
9-08 Nov. 19th, 2008 -Find out more: www.greatlakesreuse.org
We keep rolling - three buildings deconstructed in three weeks
totalling over 5100 sq ft. (in New Jersey and Pennslyvania). These were all part of our Three Day Decon training program as we attempt to help create hundreds of 'GREEN COLLAR JOBS' through building deconstruction efforts.
8-08 RE-USE Consulting Promotes Building Deconstruction Nationwide
RE-USE is helping put together the 2008 Great Lakes Building Reuse Conference in Buffalo, NY Nov. 16-18. We will also be offering a full-day workshop titled Designing a Project for Deconstruction on Nov. 19th after this event.
7-08 July was a huge month for RE-USE Consulting. We helped our clients take down 17,000 sq ft of structures:
2 garages, 2 homes, 1 interior decon project, 1 shed, 1 barn, 2 covered walkways, 5000 roof tiles, 800 sq ft deck
View from the deck (Beacon Rock in the Distance):
Find out about this jobsite at: www.kgw.com/news-local/stories/
6-08 RE-USE Consulting is in Forbes Magazine! The article got some of the numbers wrong so contact us to see why 8 out of the last 10 buildings we worked on were completed for less than estimates for demolition.
http://www.forbes.com/forbes/2008/0630/074.html
5-08 RE-USE Consulting recently helped out on a Washington State Heritage Barn Program jobsite. We are hired to assist in the deconstruction of a 100+ yr old 15,000 sq ft barn so that the materials saved could be used to repair other heritage barns. Around 40,000 board feet of beams, etc. were saved!
4-08 RE-USE Consulting's project of the month - a 1918 7500 sq ft home in New Jersey with a 1500 sq ft garage. Our efforts on this single building will divert over a third of a million pounds of building materials from the landfill and save the owner over $20,000 compared to demolishing it!
3-08 Sign up for the Great Lakes Deconstruction Conference in Buffalo, NY Nov. 2008 - contact us for details or click here
2/08 - NOW OPEN IN Mt. Vernon, WA:
Skagit Building Salvage!
(see our Materials For Sale page for details)
1/08 - New website complete with bad grammar and other glitches - sorry too busy saving materials from the landfill to fix them. More site updates each week.
12/07 - RE-USE chosen to help with fully deconstructing 5 apartment buildings totaling over 54,000 sq ft.
11/07 - RE-USE helping plan a new reusable building materials store in Western Washington State!
10/07 - RE-USE interviewed on National Public Radio and is mentioned
in the NY Times
9/07 - RE-USE runs a salvage crew at ABC's Extreme Home Makeover project in Washington State
8/07 - RE-USE assists our client in labeling + panelizing the 1893 Richard R. White house prior to its move and reassembly on another site.
7/07 - Too long ago, can't remember. Oh yeah, RE-USE Consulting was runner-up for National Building Deconstructor of the Year - 2007!!
1. Site visit
2. Assessment
3. Set up sales
4. Deconstruct
5. Site clean up, paperwork, metrics
