Acquiring Building Materials

As I began making plans to build a small woodworking shop I started thinking about where and how to obtain lumber and roofing materials without spending a huge amount of money, something I don’t have.  I started checking Craig’s List and reading the classified ads.  A couple of area radio stations have programs they call “The Trader” and “The Real Trader.”  One can buy, sell, trade and advertize for needed items at no charge.  I submitted an ad on one of the stations stating that I was looking for used lumber and metal roofing materials.  I also mentioned that I would consider tearing down old buildings in exchange for the building materials.

A fellow responded stating that he had an old house that I could tear down.  I took Darryl along to look at it.  As it turned out it was an old house that someone had started tearing down some years ago but had never finished.  Although some material was gone there was still adequate framing lumber and metal roofing for my purposes.  The house was a two story affair with a fairly steep roof.  We decided that it would be easier to salvage the material, and I might add, a lot safer if we pulled the house down.  Darryl helped me for a day and a half and using his truck we were able to bring the house down, not all a once but in increments.

As can be seen in this photo all of the doors and window are gone and much of the siding has been removed.  There had never been any electricity into the house nor any plumbing.  The chimney had also been taken down earlier.  Some of the interior walls were ripped out and those remaining did not have lath and plaster but tongue and groove boards.  The metal roofing was not original.  It was obvious that the house had been shingled with wooden shingles at an earlier time.  The metal is quite rusted, as can be seen, but the under side is still brightly galvanized and quite usable.

Here are a few pictures of the house being taken down.  We first worked on the section of the house to the right in the above photo.  We pulled out the side walls with chains and then took down the rest of the section with a long rope, all attached to Darryl’s truck.

The front wall is being pulled down.

The end of the house is crashing to the ground.

The front wall on the remaining section of the house is being pulled down.

The back wall on the still standing section is coming down.

It is about to go!

GOING!

GONE!  The entire house is on the ground  I’ve been able to work a day or two a week salvaging material and hauling some of it home.   It will take a while to get it all done.

Some of the roofing metal and some of the rafters headed home!

As I took the still photos seen above Darryl’s video camera was recording the action.  He posted his video on line and can be viewed by clicking on this link.