How to Get Building materials

As unusual as the concept may be to some, getting building materials for woodworking projects is not only possible, it's relatively common and relatively easy to do. It just requires a bit of imagination and tenacity. It can also be a fun thing to do with the family on the weekend. I'm certain many of you are chuckling right about now, or maybe even laughing out loud. But it's true, and I can confirm this as i grew up doing exactly that. To put this into standpoint, let's consider where we are most likely to find building materials.

Resources for getting Building Materials

This is where having an active creativeness comes in handy, and one of the things that makes this a likely fun family outing. Think about the industries in your area. Try to remember where you saw a commercial building or a house being torn down. If you live in the country you're really in luck, because many farm building have fallen into disrepair and are no longer in use. If you're looking to build a new garden shed, old barns are a rich and considerable source for planking and some really practical hardware and other materials.

Watch for garage and barn sales. These are often abundant sources for scrap lumber or other building materials. You may have to spend a bit, but it won't cost close to what you'd pay for new materials. Contain the kids in this "game", and they'll feel like they're part of the project, and that their input has value. They often, as my bros and I did, come up with the best and most creative ideas! Get the kids excited and concerned and you may be shocked at the means they learn about at school. Driving around looking for these bias is a lot of fun.

A real Life Example or Two

I must confess that although I grew up as a city slicker, I found my true liking when my family moved to a farm when i was 13. I really enjoyed farm animals, and increased cattle and chickens. I was always asking Dad for money for building materials I needed for chicken coops, rabbit hutches, cattle sheds and other farm related constructions. My dad grew tired of handing over cash, but came up with the "game" I've previously described. The family got involved and we had many remarkable experiences together searching for building materials.

One I remember vividly is when we drive past a farm and noticed a man pushing down some fairly nice, commercial chicken coops with a dozer. We acknowledged him and discovered he intended to burn the piles of timber. It didn't take much convincing to convince him to let us remove the timber instead. It took some work for sure, but we harvested enough building material to build a number of farm buildings, as well as a brand "new" chicken coop. Once they had a new coat of paint, no one could ever tell we built them from re-purposed materials that we got for! Well let's get back to the city for a moment. I've also found abundant supplies of building materials in shipyards and other industrial areas. Businesses often pile scrap timber along the front of their properties with “wood" signs attached. Sometimes it's useful, sometimes it's not, but it's always. At the very least it makes great fire wood. And the drives through the country and even the industrial areas are exciting and fun activities for the family.