HOMEOWNERS IN SANTA MONICA RECYCLE 80% OF THEIR HOME BY CHOOSING DECONSTRUCTION OVER DEMOLITION

    /24-7PressRelease/ - Laguna Beach, CA, July 09, 2008 - When John & Joy Kelly of Santa Monica decided to rebuild their home, they opted to deconstruct rather than demolish their existing home. The Kelly's builder, Mark Shanley, went through the non-profit organization Deconstruction & Building Materials ReUse Network, Inc. (www.reusenetwork.org) to donate and deconstruct the 2,200 square foot home. All the home's reusable materials were then given to other appropriate non-profits who could use specific materials to build more homes. The deconstruction took just over three weeks and as a result 80% of the home was re-used. Finished materials like doors, windows, cabinetry, bricks, oak flooring, plumbing and lighting fixtures, were directed to the Habitat for Humanity Home Improvement Store (www.shophabitat.org) in Gardena near the onset of deconstruction and the reusable rough framing lumber - including the floor and ceiling joists, rafters, studs, subflooring, roofing plywood, and redwood siding - were loaded onto a truck July 2 bound for Corazon (www.corazon.org), an affordable home builder and community development ministry in Baja, California.

Mark Shanley contacted Habitat for Humanity of Greater Los Angeles for the Kelly's at the urging of neighbor, Tani Isaacs; Shanley was then referred to Deconstruction Network by Habitat. What they learned was that their home's reusable materials could help other families in addition to helping the Kelly's save on demolition costs through tax deductions and meet Santa Monica's tough waste diversion standards.

Lorenz Schilling, founder/president of Deconstruction Network, has communicated with City of Santa Monica green building department and public works officials for going on five years, offering expertise and feedback in the development of deconstruction and waste diversion solutions. He says the Kelly's will also receive a complete inventory of all the rough lumber and finished materials they donated and diverted for their tax records and their waste management plan.

"It's important to make it easy for homeowners and building professionals to adopt and manage deconstruction practices," says Schilling. "It was thrilling for us to reuse so much of this home and to help the Kelly's and the City of Santa Monica to not only make a significant impact on the environment but to set a standard for other cities to follow. What the Kelly's did right was to plan ahead. What the city is doing right is taking a leadership role in this area."

The Deconstruction & ReUse Network ensures that all materials are donated to other non-profit partners including Corazon and Habitat for Humanity. Corazon accepts building materials such as lumber and single pane windows to help them build simple, affordable homes for families in need in Baja, California. Other items such as doors, windows, sinks, cabinets, toilets, appliances and even bricks are donated and resold at the Habitat for Humanity Home Improvement Store to help fund more affordable housing in Greater Los Angeles.

By partnering with non-profits such as Corazon and Habitat for Humanity, Deconstruction & ReUse Network provides much needed materials and revenue sources, while diverting the materials from landfills. In addition to making a difference in their community, homeowners also gain significant tax breaks based on the value of the materials they've reclaimed and donated through the deconstruction process.

About Deconstruction & Building Materials ReUse Network, Inc.:
The Deconstruction and Building Materials ReUse Network (www.reusenetwork.org) is an environmental public benefit corporation, 501(c)(3), promoting and empowering deconstruction practices and the reuse of quality building materials. The organization is headquartered in Orange County, California and offers deconstruction programs in Northern and Southern California. All work is performed by licensed for-profit professionals.

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