Feb 7, 2008

Putting waste to good use

Former contractor turns unused building materials into housing decor

By Tim Simmers / MediaNews

Paul Gardner hated wasting building materials when he was a contractor.

So he never did.

He saved the lumber, cabinets, windows, doors, wood floors, crown molding and brick fireplaces - often from fine old homes he worked on.

Then he started "deconstructing" houses, and a new recycling business was born: Whole House Building Supply.

"I'm just taking waste and turning it into something valuable," said Gardner, a tall, slow-talking man on a mission to help the community and environment. "A lot of this stuff would end up in the landfill."

From classic tongue-and-groove oak wood flooring to lovely French doors, and the lumber to build a house or additional room, Gardner's goods are anything but scrap.

The building materials are housed in a ramshackle warehouse/lumberyard just down the road from East Palo Alto's new retail "power center," which houses a Home Depot.

Gardner deconstructs homes for folks who want a bigger house or who can't afford to earthquake-proof their own and would rather start over.

"Some of what we deconstruct are fine houses in perfect condition," said the affable Gardner.

And it's to the delight of contractors, homeowners, artists, landlords, theater groups and other customers.

"In a creative world, I get to buy things that are old and wonderful," said Suzanne Mann-Moore, a Palo Alto designer and home decorator. "I'm passionate about old bricks, cabinets and flooring."

That's why she's been a customer of Whole House Building Supply for years.

Plus, most of the building materials are sold for half the cost of new materials. And they may be just as good, or better.

That's what attracts Johnie Richardson, who owns local rental units and often buys stoves, refrigerators, doors and electrical parts at the warehouse.

"I can buy it new, but if I can get something good that's not new, why not?" Richardson said.

Some people, cities and businesses donate their building materials to Gardner's company, which also functions as an agent of the East Palo Alto Council of Tenants. A portion of the company's revenue goes to EPACT's educational funds. Those who donate can get tax write-offs.

Cities like the company because it keeps good materials out of landfills, and cities are under pressure to make landfills smaller.

The seed for Gardner's recycling venture started back in the '90s, when he was a contractor. A die-hard environmentalist, Gardner aimed to get the materials in the hands of people who would use them.

He started a newsletter, listing what he had.

Soon he got offers to strip out flooring, or take down a brick chimney at a home set for demolition. He wasn't sure how to do it, but got together a crew that learned. Then he received offers to tear down houses.

He figured that out, too, and held sales at the homes he deconstructed. Later came the warehouse and lumberyard.

His crew now uses the warehouse woodshop to also build sheds, Adirondack chairs, wine racks, bookcases and even little stages for puppet shows, all of which are available for purchase at the funky warehouse.

He calls a lot of it "shabby-chic style."

"It's not perfect," he added. A lot of this stuff is on his Web site, www.driftwoodsalvage.com.

He looks back and admires his yard full of lumber, most of it in organized piles by size.

"It's not going to shrink, warp or twist, because it's already naturally dry," said Gardner, who pulled a lot of it out of homes 50 or 100 years old.

He considers himself a social entrepreneur. He hires local people who might not have a chance to get top jobs, and contribute to the community.

"This is about having more of a purpose than making a buck," Gardner said. "It's about helping the community and the environment."