East End

The photo shows a house in the process of deconstruction where the load bearing wall framing has been removed and the house is being pulled down by a cable. The photo gallery below shows the deconstruction process.

Deconstruction in Dayton has been a way of saving valuable material that otherwise would have ended up in landfills in Montgomery County. Studies have shown that only 25 to 30% of building material debris is recycled, but as much as 75% could be recycled/reused with a concentrated effort. [1] [2] Many of the landfills in Montgomery County have very limited life spans as shown in the following graphics. Deconstruction diverts waste, increasing life span of area landfills. [3] [4]

Each piece of lumber or trim has nails removed with a denailing gun and the structure is taken apart with care to preserve as much wood as possible. The salvaged materials include oak, fir, pine and other valuable woods. Since these homes are nearly 100 years old, they were built with mature growth trees that are usually superior quality to the lumber that is being produced today with younger trees.

The homes include solid wood doors, wooden cabinets, mantels, and other materials that are very desirable. The limestone foundations can be used by persons interested in stones for landscaping or could be crushed as a base.

Across the nation, there has been a movement towards reducing construction debris in landfills, which includes also includes removing construction waste, during any new construction or renovation effort.

The City of Dayton has been awarded a total of $7.7 million in Neighborhood Stabilization Program (NSP) funds from the Department of Housing and Urban Development to respond to foreclosure crisis.

The City of Dayton has a plan to demolish 1,000 homes over the next 16 months that are vacant and deteriorated. Of these 1,000 homes, 40 homes will be set aside for deconstruction and the removal of reusable building materials through Dayton Works Plus.

[1] Freyman, V and Tessicini, J. “Planning for Construction Waste Reduction” Presentation at US Green Building Council International Conference and Exposition, Pittsburgh, PA, 2003.

[2] Pomerantz, M. “Deconstruction Industry Demolishes the Alternative” In Business, 23(3), 2000.

[3] Graphic Sources: Smith, Lindsey, Seaman, Laura, Wright State University Capstone on Deconstruction using information provided by Sue Pratt, County Corp and Montgomery County Solid Waste District, 2009.

[4] Range of assumptions provided by Dayton Works Plus Steering Committee; Material salvage percentages provided by University of Florida, Powell Center for Construction & Environment (2000).