Omaha Habitat for Humanity

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OMAHA WORLD-HERALD

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2017 •

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Recycling rooms to build more houses

BY DAN McCANN SPECIAL FOR HABITAT FOR HUMANITY

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maha Habitat ReStore’s Deconstruction Program is about tearing down to help build others back up.

Launched in July 2016, the Deconstruction Program keeps quality items out of the landfill and generates money to build more Habitat for Humanity homes in partnership with lowincome families in our community.

“If you’re going to remodel your home or business, contact us and have those materials removed through our Deconstruction Program,” urges Elli Erickson, chief retail officer for Omaha Habitat ReStore, which gains the inventory. Not only is Habitat for Humanity strengthened by the program, she said, homeowners and business owners who are remodeling receive valuable benefits.

“People love the idea that their things are going to the ReStore and because of their donation, some other family is going to be able to afford different cabinets or fixtures,” Erickson explained. “Plus, the sale of those items helps another Habitat family. Multiple people are affected.”

Homeowners have an opportunity to save hundreds of dollars in tax deductions for their material donations, plus there is no charge for the removal process. (A grant from the Nebraska Environmental Trust covers the deconstruction process. However, a donation to the nonprofit is suggested.)

“We hear people say, ‘Why wouldn’t

JEFFREY BEBEE

Johnson Deconstruct workers load a granite countertop removed from an Omaha kitchen into a Habitat for Humanity ReStore van. Within days, it’s likely to be on the showroom floor.

I do this?’ or ‘I’m going to tell all of my friends,’ ” said Matt Hassenstab, who manages both the deconstruction program and donations to Omaha Habitat ReStore. “There’s just no way that a homeowner wouldn’t want to do this. It’s a win for everyone involved. It just makes sense.”

Habitat can work with a homeowner’s contractor to remove or pick up salvageable items, saving those contractors the cost of dumping fees or

a Dumpster. Or, the nonprofit can bring in its go-to deconstruction expert, Johnson Deconstruct.

“We take as much as we possibly can,” Erickson said. Among items accepted: windows, cabinetry, granite, wood flooring and bathroom fixtures.

Deconstruction and demolition are not synonymous.

“In a demolition case, usually you’re taking things out as quickly as you can,” explained Hassenstab. “A lot of times,

they come in with a sledgehammer.

They’re not concerned about saving anything because it’s all going to end up in a Dumpster. In a deconstruction, you are concerned about what you’re taking apart. You’re showing those items extra care because you know they’re going to be reused.”

For Zack Johnson, owner of Johnson Deconstruct, “It’s always rewarding to reduce the amount of waste and to see those materials being reused.”

Interest in deconstruction, he noted, is growing, especially among millennials.

“There is a lot of hope around the younger generation doing the right thing and the responsible thing with their dollars.”

“We wanted to do deconstruction for some time because it’s a perfect fit for our ReStore, but we realized we needed to have that partnership with Nebraska Environmental Trust to make it happen,” said Amanda Brewer, CEO of Habitat for Humanity of Omaha.

Initiating the deconstruction process — which can target anything from a kitchen or bathroom remodeling project to a whole-house deconstruction — begins by making a phone call to Habitat ReStore at 402-884-7462.

“Matt and his team will do a walkthough to see if deconstruction is going to be a good fit and if so, work around the timeline of the project,” Erickson said. “If someone’s new cabinets are going in on Thursday, for instance, we want to make sure our crew is there on Tuesday or Wednesday so there isn’t a big gap. We schedule everything to be most convenient for the homeowner.”

Decoding deconstruction: How items get a new lease on life Omaha Habitat ReStore’s chief retail officer, Elli Erickson, and Deconstruction and Donations Manager, Matt Hassenstab, discuss commonly asked questions about the Deconstruction Program.

Q. How long does the deconstruction process take?

Deconstruction depends on the project. It can take anywhere from a half-day for a smaller project to two weeks for a wholehouse deconstruction. Erickson said homeowners can be accommodated with seven to 10 days notice. “We also work with people who have projects two to three months down the road, allowing us to plan everything well in advance, which is ideal,” she said.

402.915.0004 JDECONSTRUCT.COM

Q. What can I expect to pay?

There is no cost to participate in the Deconstruction Program.

Instead, homeowners and businesses are asked to consider a donation to help offset Habitat ReStore’s reimbursement to subcontractors for their labor.

Homeowners have the potential to save money on demolition fees and through the potential tax benefit of their donation.

Habitat ReStore: • Windows • Cabinetry • Granite • Vanities • Wood flooring • Bathroom fixtures • Air conditioners • Furnaces • Wrought iron fencing • Appliances • Reclaimed wood

Q. What items can be donated?

“We are not a trash-hauling service,” cautioned Hassenstab.

All items are inspected and approved for resale before pickup. Among quality items accepted for resale from both homes and businesses at the

Q. I’m a contractor. How will this work for me and my client?

“Some contractors do not want to do deconstruction,” said Erickson. “In that case, we bring in our deconstruction expert, Johnson Deconstruct. If a contractor is willing to do the

deconstruction instead of the demolition, we can work directly with the contractor.” Contractors who work with Habitat ReStore benefit by saving on dumping/ Dumpster fees. “By not having to include a demolition or deconstruction fee in your bid, you should be able to present a lower bid to your customers on a consistent basis,” Hassenstab said of contractors. Erickson noted another benefit. “You also have the ‘feel good’ of knowing that you’re saving items from the landfill, and you’re helping a nonprofit to build homes.”

Q. I’m a homeowner launching into a major kitchen remodel.

My contractor has already bid the job with cabinet removal and disposal. Can I still enroll in

the Deconstruction Program?

I don’t want to upset my contractor.

“We don’t want to upset the apple cart. We will absolutely work with your contractor,” Erickson said. “We make it as seamless for the homeowner as possible and accommodate their preferences.”

Q. How do I start the process?

“It starts with a conversation.

Sometimes we’ll have you send pictures, and then we’ll go onsite and assess if your project is a good fit,” Erickson said.

For more information or to learn if your project qualifies, contact Matt Hassenstab at Omaha Habitat ReStore, 402-884-7462.

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Remodeling? Save money, reduce landfill, fund homes with Omaha Habitat ReStore’s Deconstruction Program

JEFFREY BEBEE

Johnson Deconstruct workers dismantle a kitchen, with salvaged materials going directly to an Omaha Habitat for Humanity ReStore. Proceeds from the store help build homes in the metro area.

MAIN NEWS

• SUNDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2017

OMAHA WORLD-HERALD

SPONSORED BY

“We keep building materials out of the landfill. We resell them at Omaha Habitat ReStores to build more homes.”

— Matt Hassenstab, of Omaha Habitat ReStore, speaking on the Deconstruction Program

KURT A. KEELER

Rebecca and Ryan McGee of Elkhorn created an accent wall in their kitchen using reclaimed wood from Habitat ReStore in northwest Omaha. The wood, donated through Habitat’s Deconstruction Program, was purchased by the bundle and installed in one day by the couple. “We love the Habitat ReStore,” Rebecca says. “We always find great stuff there.”

Quality materials find new homes

BY DAN McCANN SPECIAL FOR HABITAT FOR HUMANITY

O

maha Habitat ReStore’s Deconstruction Program wants you — more specifically your stuff. No matter the size of your remodeling project, your quality materials are valuable inventory for its retail outlets.

“This program was created because there was an unmet need in the community,”said Habitat for Humanity CEO Amanda Brewer. “People weren’t always salvaging materials when they were doing renovations.”

The Deconstruction Program makes it easier than ever to recycle while you’re renovating.

“It can be everything, when you think about it, from floor to ceiling, and wall to wall,” said Matt Hassenstab, Deconstruction and Donations Manager for Omaha Habitat for Humanity ReStore. Here’s what you might expect in the removal process.

INSIDE A KITCHEN DECONSTRUCTION “Kitchen cabinets are the bread and butter of our deconstruction program. People use them in garages or for their own kitchens. We can sell kitchen cabinets all day long.” Kitchen items that can be salvaged and resold by Habitat ReStore include granite and solidsurface countertops, cabinets, light fixtures, laminate flooring and working appliances.

BATHROOM DECONSTRUCTION “Bathrooms can be floor-to-ceiling deconstruction as long as it is good, clean, reusable material,” Hassenstab said. “It’s really just a matter of figuring how to get everything out, into the truck and on to the store.” Bathroom items that can be salvaged and resold include vanities, sinks, bathroom fixtures, toilets and framed mirrors. Habitat ReStore cannot take faucets due to the Reduction of Lead in Drinking Water Act.

WHOLE HOUSE ‘SOFT STRIP’ A “soft strip” or selective deconstruction essentially means going in and “cleaning out” a house, often before it is demolished. “We’ll take out full windows, every light fixture, even handrails. Remove a couple of screws and those handrails are out and in our store,” Hassenstab said. Whole-house items that can be salvaged and resold include doors, shutters, lighting fixtures, appliances, hardwood flooring, cabinets, windows and countertops.

FULL DECONSTRUCTION During a full deconstruction, all items of value are removed from the inside of a blighted or unwanted house, then the structure itself is carefully dismantled for salvage purposes. “With a ‘full decon,’ we’re essentially doing a whole house soft strip and then moving onto the structure itself,” Hassenstab said.

HABITAT RESTORE Omaha locations/hours: 1003 S. 24th St., Monday-Friday 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; and 10910 Emmet St., MondaySaturday 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Website: omahahabitatrestore.org Information: General, 402-934-1033, habitatrestore@habitatomaha.org; deconstruction, 402-884-7462.

Omaha’s Habitat ReStore Deconstruction Program funded in part by

JEFFREY BEBEE

The Habitat for Humanity ReStore at 10910 Emmet St. features a focal wall of reclaimed wood.

Reclaimed wood by the bundle in welcome demand for interiors C ertain older homes offer the promise of an in-demand treasure as the structure is fully dismantled, known as full deconstruction.

“These homes are pretty much taken down board by board. We go in and pull out the old-growth lumber,” said Matt Hassenstab. “You get everything from the lap siding to your floor joists to your beams and 2x4s. It all comes out of there.”

Omaha Habitat ReStore works with The Barnwood Store to re-mill the lumber. It is then packaged into bundles. Each bundle can cover a 20-square-foot focal wall.

“Reclaimed wood is definitely a very popular item right now going into businesses and homes — and we have a ton of it,” said Elli Erickson. “We can do commercial orders in any size. Prepackaged bundles are available for smaller projects at both Omaha Habitat ReStore locations.”

To showcase its supply and entice shoppers, Habitat ReStore built its own wood focal wall in-store at its northwest Omaha location. That wall caught the eyes of budding do-it-yourselfers Rebecca and Ryan McGee. “It was exactly what we had envisioned for a wall in our home,” said Rebecca.

The couple purchased a supply of reclaimed wood — an aged blend of light, medium and dark tones — at Habitat ReStore on a Friday and completed their wall on Saturday.

“It’s satisfying when we step back and look at our hard work and enjoy the results,” Rebecca said.

Aesthetics aren’t the only pride point. The McGees’ wall is also helping to elevate the lives of others and safeguard the environment.

“We loved that, through the Deconstruction Program, we were keeping something out of the landfill. Plus, our wall has a history, which is pretty cool,” Rebecca noted.

The program’s full deconstruction of a blighted residence produced the wood the couple used.

The McGees are sold on ReStore buying and the benefits of Omaha Habitat ReStore’s Deconstruction

Program.

They’re not alone. Less than two years old, the green endeavor is drawing increased attention and earning high praise.

The timing of their awareness of the Habitat ReStore could not have been better for Omaha attorney Jeff Putnam and his wife, Sue. They were at a Habitat for Humanity fundraiser when they learned about the Deconstruction Program, which was the perfect option for a high-quality yet hulking TV cabinet unit that “just didn’t fit with the house.”

“The Deconstruction Program was mutually beneficial,” Jeff said. “Habitat could potentially benefit from this piece, and we didn’t know what to do with it aside from destroying it. It was a win-win for both of us… We just stumbled onto the program, and it was a positive experience from beginning to end.”

For Johnson Deconstruct, Omaha Habitat ReStore’s deconstruction expert, partnership on the program brings a sense of pride. Company owner Zack Johnson said his team is not only keeping quality materials out of the landfill, it is also assisting a worthy nonprofit: “Habitat for Humanity is a great organization with really strong goals. It feels good to be able to help them strengthen the work they’re already doing.”

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Remodeling? Save money, reduce landfill, fund homes with Omaha Habitat ReStore’s Deconstruction Program

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