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A Guide To
Home Building and Remodeling
Using Recycled Materials
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$19.95
BUILDING WITH
And Other Good Stuff
A Guide To
Home Building and Remodeling
Using Recycled Materials
by Jim Broadstreet
Every day, millions of dollars in
building materials are thrown away.
Doors, windows, insulation, floor cover¬
ings, pipe, wire, lumber, light fixtures,
appliances —just about everything you
need to build a home.
For the people getting rid of it, it’s
junk: damaged, leftover, obsolete, not
worth saving. But for you, it’s a dif¬
ferent story.
You can use these materials to build
a shed, a garage, a greenhouse. Or you
can use them to remodel, build an
addition, fix your roof. Or you can even
build an entire house from “junk.” This
book shows you how.
Jim Broadstreet has spent a lifetime
finding new homes for throwaways. His
experience shows in every paragraph.
Jim tells you about hundreds of places
you can find good, cheap materials. He
also warns you of potential problems,
including which materials are better
left at the junk yard.
This book is an incredible money-
saver and much more. A guide to build¬
ing inexpensively, but with personality,
Building With Junk will give you thou¬
sands of ideas for making your home
your own.
rnboUUT | PUBLIC LIBRARY
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BUILDING WITH
AND OTHER GOOD STUFF
A Guide To
Home Building and Remodeling
Using Recycled Materials
Jim Broadstreet
Loompanics Unlimited
Port Townsend, Washington
BUILDING WITH JUNK AND OTHER GOOD STUFF:
A Guide To Home Building and Remodeling Using Recycled Materials
© 1990 by Jim Broadstreet
Printed in USA
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or stored in any
form whatsoever without the prior written consent of the publisher. Reviews
may quote brief passages without the written consent of the publisher as long
as proper credit is given.
Published by:
Loompanics Unlimited
PO Box 1197
Port Townsend, WA 98368
Cover by Technigraphic Systems Inc.
Photo Credits:
Carl Bundschuh: pages 25, 27, 41, 91
Art Evans: pages 26, 31, 36, 40, 49, 57, 86, 114
Arrow Ross: pages 32, 44, 93, 96, 119, 120, 129
Ron Fowler: pages 39, 117
John Rogers: pages 83, 100, 147
The Springfield, MO, News-Leader: page 116
All photos courtesy of Jim Broadstreet
ISBN 1-55950-036-0
Library of Congress
Catalog Card Number 90-061243
Contents
Acknowledgements.1
1. Introduction.3
2. Obtaining and Storing Materials.5
3. Building Codes and Regulations.13
4. Financing.17
5. Concrete (and Alternatives to Its Use).23
6. Masonry (Blocks, Bricks, Stone, Rocks, Marble, Adobe).29
7. Wood-Framing Lumber and Large Pieces.35
8. Wood-Finish Lumber and Small Pieces.43
9. Millwork and Cabinets.51
10. Plywood, Particle Board, Fiberboard and Hardboard.63
11. Roofing Materials.71
12. Insulation, Vapor Barriers and Sealants.77
13. Metals.81
14. Glass and Mirrors.85
15. Plastics.89
16. Doors and Pieces of Doors.95
17. Hardware.101
18. Windows.105
19. Wall and Ceiling Materials and Finishes.109
20. Floor Coverings.113
21. Furniture and Art.117
22. Appliances .123
23. Electricity and Lighting.127
24. Plumbing.131
25. Heating, Air-Conditioning and Ventilating.139
26. Uses of Solar Energy.145
27. Tools and Equipment.149
Index.157
Acknowledgements 1
Acknowledgements
Over the years, I have been fortunate to meet the furnishings for his old, catalog-ordered
many wonderful, interesting people who have house with delightfully bizarre good taste.
the ability to think abstractly and have an in¬ Max and Charlene Skidmore let me have
terest in scrounging and making-do with some fun with their kitchen walls, and she was
what’s available. Some, like Keith Freeman, always working magic with her own finds. (Jim
enjoy accumulating more than using — thus and Dalene Vanderford allowed me to get
his place is always a good source of supply and photos of their wonderful old house after they
point of inspiration. Others, like Henry Pina, in had acquired it from the Skidmores.) Rick and
Portales, New Mexico, can use stuff faster than Theresa Gilmore let me hang their house out
it’s possible to acquire — so his work is also an over a valley and into the treetops. Harlan and
inspiration. Glenda Jones purchased one of “my houses”
During the writing of this book, I was as¬ from Richard and Sarah Turner and contrib¬
sociated with Bob DeLong on several projects uted the photograph of the slate-blackboard
where I did the design and he the building. floor. Several of my buddies are also masters of
Usually it is Bob I have referred to when using photography and captured exactly what I
asked them to. Photographer Art Evans is also
the word “we.” Bob is a damned good scavenger
a scrounger/builder of some note. Others in¬
and builder.
clude my son Jim, Arrow Ross, Carl Bundschuh
Some dear old friends encouraged me to
of Munich, Germany, and John Rogers, who is
write and allowed me to have pictures of their
also a creative cook.
accomplishments with junk and other good
Judy Davis, bless her, deciphered my hand¬
stuff. Architect Ed Waters incorporated the
writing and typed most of the manuscript. My
technique in the building of his lake house,
sister Anne Treadway always egged me on and
which is mentioned several times. Artist Bev¬
typed afterthoughts.
erly Hopkins, also mentioned, did fabulous
things with a weird assortment of finds. Dave And throughout everything, my living-mate
Karchmer used to call me when he found gems Velma endured stuff being hauled in and out,
for which he had no immediate use in one of peculiar-sounding phone calls, and my child¬
his own wonderful creations. Architects John like fits of excitement over discovered “treas¬
McWilliams and Dennis Spencer bought a ures,” etc., etc.
bunch of solid-core doors from me to create I know I am a blessed man to have so many
their new office furnishings and then to ex¬ talented, fascinating, non-conformist friends,
pand it over the years as they became more only a very few of whom I have mentioned
and more successful. My son Jim has created here.
