Posted on 03/14/2015 11:15:15 AM PDT by rickmichaels
Detroit’s 70,000 abandoned homes are proving to be a trove for entrepreneurs who recycle century-old lumber, glass and brick into everything from terrariums to US$4,500 guitars.
“It’s like a treasure hunt,” said Craig Varterian, executive director of Reclaim Detroit, a nonprofit group that’s stripped and sold materials from almost 70 demolished homes. Floorboards and joists of early 20th century maple, walnut, hickory, fir and even chestnut are prized for their density and fine grain.
As Detroit ramps up demolitions of vacant dwellings, Mayor Mike Duggan plans a reclamation center in a city-owned building to keep tons of rubble out of landfills and create jobs and merchandise. Recycling would become a centerpiece of the city’s blight-removal effort, which is struggling to maintain funding.
(Excerpt) Read more at business.financialpost.com ...
Next Chicago and then Ferguson.
Much like Holyoke Mass, Detroit was one of the richest cities in America. Like Holyoke, Detroit got burned out etc, but the homes from back in the day are made with real materials, old brick, and cornices etc that a retro builder would love to have.
If they are going to disassemble some of these gems from back in the day, I can see where the recycled materials maybe in demand nationwide if not wider.
Some fancy catch phrase like "Home-Detroit" or "old-school-Detroit" etc might give this enterprise a lift...
if it wasn't for the fact that I hate mice and rats and snakes, I could do that kind of work.
Driving by them and you can envision the beauty from back in the day is kind of sad. But yes all you mentioned is recycle-able, if it hasn't been stolen and sold for scrap...
A more accurate description is of maggots feasting on a corpse.
It is important for all to understand that the value realized from this scavenging is not wealth creation. It should not be celebrated. Rather it should be viewed as the final sad salvaging of the legacy of those who did create wealth.
And we should always remember that this is always the result of what happens when those we call liberals are allowed power.
The future of America if the Left is not defeated—and soon!
Great - nothing can go wrong with that program can it?
When my daughter lived in Detroit, I found a cruddy sofa in a old house. Took it home, with the dust trailing all the way to Kentucky. Had it restored, not refinished. Sits in my living room now. A beautiful piece that had been discarded.
read the remarks from those that are most concerned about the saw dust than the substance of the article.Just shows how F’d up so many are
Funny how those guys aren’t wearing protective equipment, like filtration masks and hazmat suits. I guess they don’t care about mold and asbestos.
I wouldn’t worry to much about snakes in a urban setting, I am sure there are snakes in cities, but most would be in parks.
I was walking one day on a road and heard something in the weeds, it was a black snake and it hurried away quickly.
Most snakes would try to avoid humans.
Now rats and mice are another story.
But even rats and mice will try to avoid humans , unless they have rabies.
I would worry about any infectious diseases from rat crap and mice crap.
By the way ?
The best way a contractor showed me how to tear down old walls and ceilings with the old wood slats and plaster ?
Instead of beating and hacking the walls or ceilings with a hammer, is to put a hole in a wall or ceiling then take a 2 x 4 and pull on the wood slats.
Much better than taking forever with a hammer or slege hammer.
Like to find one of those old 1920s 1930s stoves/ovens with real porcilen , put modern gas valves and burners in it.
Much better than the junk they make today, and stylish to.
I think one of those old stylish ovens stoves restored would look great in a modern kitchen setting.
Like to have one of those old pie safes, or cabinet refrigerators.
Those old appliances restored would look great in a modern kitchen setting, or a whole modern kitchen that looks like a 1920s kitchen with restored authentic 1920s appliances.
Actually ? Saw dust can be turned into wood pellets as fuel for a wood pellet stove or heater.
So to walnut shells, peanut shells, or even lawn clippings.
*Detroit ping*
they commenters were concerned about the workers inhaling the saw dust..not its many uses.......or the content of the piece
More tax dollars down the tubes.
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