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An alternative to demolition
that can save
money and the
environment.
Deconstruction
vs. Demolition
Demolishing
a home means completely destroying it, using heavy machinery to knock
down and then crush it, condensing the materials as much as possible
for ease of transport to the landfill. Not only does this method clog
the landfills and shorten their life, it can cost homeowners
thousands of dollars in landfill fees while depriving consumers of a
wealth of quality products and materials.
Deconstructing
a home means carefully dismantling it, using hand tools to take it
apart board by board, beam by beam. All usable materials are then
sorted and distributed for donation and reuse. As much as 85 percent of
a
structure can usually be diverted from the landfill.
Pragmatic Decon Team
September, 2008
How
It Works
As
a Certified Deconstruction Contractor,
Pragmatic Construction will:
-
Provide a free
home deconstruction estimate
-
Complete the
home deconstruction using our safe, certified program
-
Coordinate
appraisals and donations of all salvaged materials
-
Provide
documentation of the complete list of materials and appraised value as
a tax-deductible donation
After
proper planning and accurate estimating, a typical deconstruction
process takes about three – four weeks to complete – from
roof
removal down to the excavation of the foundation – and everything
in between.
Tax
donations are available for every private building owner. These
donations can often be substantial – large enough to pay for the
costs of deconstruction. Please visit our nonprofit partner’s
website for some examples of actual deconstruction jobs and the tax
donation value received by the homeowners. The
Reuse People
View a comprehensive PHOTO
ESSAY of a
Pragmatic Deconstruction project in Kenosha, WI
 
Deconstruction- The Real Numbers
Here
are some sample values for some Pragmatic DeConstruction projects in
Wisconsin.
The tax-deduction value of the donated materials will often make
deconstruction less costly than traditional demolition.
| County |
Description of Home |
Deconstruction Cost |
Appraised Value of Donated Materials
(For Tax impact) |
| Walworth |
1,300 s.f. cottage |
$18,000 |
$58,300 |
| Washington |
1,800 s.f. 1970’s ranch |
$23,600 |
$86,000 |
| Kenosha |
2,250 s.f. 1890 Farmhouse |
$26,200 |
$135,000
|
| Washington |
3,100 s.f. 1965 lake home |
$39,900 |
$168,200 |
Who
benefits?
-
All of us, through a cleaner
environment
-
Homeowners, who receive tax
deductions for donated houses/building materials
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Builders and contractors, through
better service to clients
-
Local governments, by increasing the
life of existing landfills
-
Consumers/families who cannot afford
to buy new
Our
NonProfit Partner - The ReUse People of America
Pragmatic
Construction partners with The ReUse People of America in order to
enable tax deductible donations of salvaged home materials. The
ReUse People (TRP) is a nonprofit 501(c)3 corporation that reduces
the solid waste stream and changes the way the built environment is
renewed by salvaging building materials and distributing them for
reuse.
Deconstruction
Resources
Writings
“Recycling
the Whole House”, New York Times, October 2007
“Unbuilding
- Salvaging
the Architectural Treasures of Unwanted Houses” by Bob
Falk and Brad Guy
“Deconstruction
Guide”- a Deconstruction Instutute handbook (PDF document)
Building
Materials Reuse Association's (BMRA)
The BMRA is a
non-profit educational organization whose mission is to
facilitate building deconstruction and the reuse/recycling of
recovered building materials.
The Tunnel House-
An
interesting deconstruction/art project link
The
Deconstruction Institute
The Deconstruction
Institute provides educational materials, tools and
techniques, networking, case studies, articles, facts and many other
downloadable and interactive modules about
the environmental impacts of deconstructing
Photoessays on some of the
Pragmatic Deconstruction Projects
 PORT
WASHINGTON DECONSTRUCTION
 KENOSHA
DECONSTRUCTION
 HARVARD
DECONSTRUCTION
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