Deconstruction is the green alternative to demolition. Rather than creating tons of waste for the landfill, deconstruction systematically disassembles a structure to harvest reusable lumber, doors, windows, fixtures and more.

ReBUILD’s Deconstruction Crew disassembles residential and small commercial buildings throughout Vermont, assisting building owners in donating reusable material from these jobs to ReBUILD’s Building Material Store, a tax exempt 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.

KNOWING IF YOUR HOUSE OR BUILDING IS APPROPRIATE FOR FULL DECONSTRUCTION

In general, buildings exhibiting one or more of the following characteristics are likely to be good deconstruction candidates:

• Wood-framed with heavy-timbers and beams, or with unique woods such as Douglas fir,  

  American chestnut, and old growth southern yellow pine;

• Constructed with high-value materials such as hardwood flooring, multi-paned windows,

  architectural molding, and unique doors or plumbing/ electrical fixtures;

• Constructed with high-quality brick laid with low-quality mortar (to allow relatively easy break-up

  and cleaning); or

• Structurally sound, i.e, generally weather-tight to minimize rotted and decayed materials.

In the process of deconstructing a building, ReBUILD Deconstruction seeks to:

• Recycle or reclaim for reuse approximately 80% of the structure

• Enable the donors to earn a significant tax deduction for their donations

• Save the property owner expensive debris hauling and disposal costs

• Provide trade skills and permanent employment for hard to-place workers