Unbuilding: Salvaging the Architectural Treasures of Unwanted Houses

Book Description

The country's two leading expert advocates for salvaging parts of unwanted houses rather than demolishing them explain the "green" art of unbuilding (or deconstruction) and take the reader on a fascinating tour of the process. This is the first and only book that addresses this growing trend.Contains fascinating details on construction techniques for houses both ancient and of more contemporary vintage and methods used to determine their value or salvagability. Covers a variety of projects, from simply dismantling a wall to completely unbuilding an entire house safely, while saving the reusable parts and pieces for another building or for another purpose - including sales. It is satisfying, fun and economical to reuse old building materials both for their original purpose or for decorative purposes.

Customer Reviews:

It's not only environmentally sound, but economically profitable. .......2007-04-12

We live in an age of recycling. It's not only environmentally sound, but economically profitable. This applies just as much to reusable and salvageable building materials from structures scheduled for demolishing, as it does to ordinary newspapers and soda cans. Now U.S. Forest Products Laboratory research engineer Bob Falk has teamed up with Brad Guy (Director of Operations at The Hammer Center at the Penn State School of Architecture) to publish "Unbuilding: Salvaging the Architectural Treasures Of Unwanted Houses" an instruction guide to salvaging materials that can be reused and recycled from homes and other buildings by literally and carefully dismantling the original structures piece by piece. These materials can include ornate hardware, period lighting fixtures, windows, doors, mantels, hardwood flooring, and anything else that continues to have esthetic and commercial value. Often these are 'yesteryear' items that cannot be matched by anything available to day and have great financial worth in and of themselves. The authors draw upon their many years of expertise and experience in advising about new tools, deconstruction processes, and alternatives to conventional demolition tactics. "Unbuilding" is strongly recommended to the considered attention of building contractors, demolition experts, and environmentally conscious salvagers, as well as non-specialist general readers with an interest in recycling building materials for their value, utility and esthetics.

Deconstructing a Building.......2007-04-04

I've always liked the idea of salvaging architectural details from building being torn down. Now here's a book that goes way beyond merely saving a fireplace mantel or some columns. Here's what it covers:

Chapter 1 Unbuilding Opportunities
Redevelopment
Rural Property
Military Bases
Urban Renewal
Remodeling and Renovation
Building Auctions
Habitat for Humanity ReStores
What to Unbuild

Chapter 2 Deciding on Unbuilding and Salvage
Your Level of Involvement
Making Sure the Building Is Sound
Permits and Code Requirements
Making a Visual Survey
Case Study: Survey of a Deconstruction Candidate

Chapter 3 The Materials You Find
Develop a Plan for the Material You Remove
Assessing What's Reusable
Selling Your Stuff

Chapter 4 Getting Started
Organizing the Site
Tools for Unbuilding

Chapter 5 Safety and Environmental Health
Make Safety a Priority
Safety Equipment: The Last Line of Defense
Working at Height
First Aid and Medical Services
Fire Prevention and Protection
Lead-Based Paint Hazards
Asbestos Hazards

Chapter 6 Site Preparation and Soft-Stripping
House and Site Characteristics
Preparing the Site
Soft-Stripping
Loading Items from Soft-Stripping
Cleaning Up

Chapter 7 Whole-House Deconstruction
Maintaining the Building's Integrity
Roof Tearoff
Removing Interior Wall Finishes
Removing Electrical, Plumbing, and Ductwork
Removing Roof Sheathing
Removing Rafters
Getting the Material to the Ground
Taking down Trusses
Removing a Dormer
Removing Ceiling Joists
Removing Siding
Removing Walls
Removing Subfloors
Denailing
Stacking and Loading
Project Closeout

A First!.......2007-03-28

The Taunton Press with their great sense of style and photography combined with knowledgeable authors, who have taken the time to document the deconstruction and salvage process, make this book a must in the bookcases of contractors, architects, designers and any building owner considering salvaging or using salvaged building materials.

Better Trout Habitat: A Guide To Stream Restoration And Management

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Better Trout Habitat: A guide to Stream Restoration and Mana
Good Trout Habitat and Life Cycle Reference

Better Trout Habitat: A Guide To Stream Restoration And Management
Christopher J. Hunter
Manufacturer: Island Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Rivers | Earth Sciences | Science | Subjects | Books

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Similar Items:

Trout Stream Therapy
Trout and Salmon of North America
Trout of the World
Stream Hydrology: An Introduction for Ecologists

ASIN: 0933280777

Book Description

Explains the physical, chemical, and biological needs of trout, and shows how climate, geology, vegetation, and flowing water all help to create trout habitat.

Customer Reviews:

Better Trout Habitat: A guide to Stream Restoration and Mana.......2001-11-01

This book provides an in depth review of the methods and techniques used to provide habitat characteristics to a variety of streams. The writting style is excellent for both the lay reader as well as someone with a scientific back ground. However, it does not dwell on some fot the more technical details which requires a more technical level book to provide more indepth details. However, as a general manual to habitat resoration it provides an excellent background as well as the necessary caution needed when conducting these types of instream restoration projects.

Good Trout Habitat and Life Cycle Reference.......2000-06-07

This book offers a good variety of man-made trout improvement structures, but the current (2000) state-of-the art in trout habitat improvement trends toward a more natural, vegetation and channel reconstruction approach. This book provides excellent design guidelines and background information on trout and their life cycle, and perhaps the most useful part of this book was the author's ability to teach the reader enough about the habitat requirements of trout to allow the reader some latitude and innovation with their habitat improvement designs.

I personally enjoyed the workable, readable and philosophical approach to fish habitat improvement, and I believe that this book would be a good reference for anyone who wishes to improve trout habitat.

Book Description

Foundations of Restoration Ecology advances the science behind the

practice of restoring ecosystems while exploring ways in which restoration

ecology can inform basic ecological questions. It provides the first

comprehensive overview of the theoretical foundations of restoration

ecology, and is a must-have volume for anyone involved in restoration

research, teaching, or practice.

Customer Reviews:

Great Foundation.......2007-04-29

This book was a required text for a graduate level course I took in Ecological Restoration. It provides a comprehensive overview of ecological theories that should be considered as a context for restoration design. The topics covered range in scale from landscape and population ecology to plant genetics. It is a valuable resource to all who are interested in ecological restoration.

A Comprehensive study for the serious minded........2007-02-16

The book is an extremely thorough look at the many aspects of Ecology Restoration, and compiles and summarizes the extensive research done to date in depth. The writing style demands reader concentration and compares well with academic texts. (not an easy read)

Restoration Of Contaminated Aquifers: Petroleum Hydrocarbons and Organic Compounds

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Restoration Of Contaminated Aquifers: Petroleum Hydrocarbons and Organic Compounds
Stephen M. Testa
Manufacturer: CRC
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Environmental Science | Earth Sciences | Science | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 1566703204

Book Description

The second edition of Restoration of Contaminated Aquifers: Petroleum Hydrocarbons and Organic Compounds incorporates the latest advances in in-situ remediation and natural attenuation, and maintains the comprehensive, accessible structure that made the first edition a classic. The new edition broadens the scope of the first by examining all forms of hydrocarbon contamination. The authors emphasize the remediation of Non-aqueous Phase Liquids (NAPLs) and, Dense Non-Aqueous Phase Liquids (DNAPLs). They also address the growing role of natural attenuation. The second edition opens with an improved introduction. There are new sections on site characterization, remediation economics and site closure. And unlike other books on this subject, the new edition offers vital managerial and project management guidance, such as, initial project planning and assessment, a look at remediation economics, and a how-to on project closure and follow-up. Since its initial publication in 1991, Restoration of Petroleum Hydrocarbon Contaminated Aquifers has been the established, invaluable reference for environmental professionals and regulators. Its sweeping, yet approachable format is inestimable in the field, in the lab, and in the policy-making arena. Restoration of Contaminated Aquifers: Petroleum Hydrocarbons and Organic Compounds will continue to be the guide to the war against petroleum contamination.

Average customer rating:

Very good, gets a little technical towards the end

Venice Against the Sea: A City Besieged
John Keahey
Manufacturer: Thomas Dunne Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

International | Current Events | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

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Similar Items:

Venice, A Maritime Republic
The Travels of Marco Polo
Niccolo's Smile: A Biography of Machiavelli
The Autobiography of Benvenuto Cellini (Penguin Classics)
Selected Letters of Alessandra Strozzi, Bilingual edition (Biblioteca Italiana, 9)

ASIN: 0312265948

Amazon.com

"Venice is in trouble," writes John Keahey. The city is sinking into the sea. It has lost six feet over the last millennium and soon will lose more. The problem has become so bad that hotel concierges routinely distribute rubber boots to guests, and tourists cross historic squares on elevated boardwalks. Long-time residents flee not only the rising water, but also the rising cost-of- living and the rising industrial pollution. Venice, according to Keahey, "is evolving into a crumbling museum." Once, of course, it was an economic powerhouse with global reach; later it became the repository of some of the finest art and architecture in the world. Now it's sinking, largely due to the remorseless facts of geography, but also because the city's residents have abused their underground water resources. In Venice Against the Sea, Keahey offers a detailed description of what's gone wrong--and explores how the city might be saved, at least temporarily, through innovative engineering. This is a book anybody who has fallen in love with Venice will want to read, yet it issues a stark warning for people in coastal cities all over the world. If sea levels continue to rise, Venice's bleak fate may also be their own. --John Miller

Book Description

Venice is sinking - six feet over the past 1,000 years.The reasons for this are many.Although there is a natural geologic tendency for some sinking, humans have exacerbated the problem by exploiting on a massive scale underground water resources for industrial purposes.Coupled with these events - and perhaps most significant - are climatic changes all over the globe.The heating of the atmosphere after the last ice age, dramatically speeded up by humans, has led to a steady, continuing rise in sea level.This global warming is likely to persist beyond human control for hundreds, if not thousands, of years.Venetians, other Italians, and many in the world community are locked in debate over Venice's plight. Venice Against the Sea explains how the city and its 177 canals were built and what has led up to this long-foreseen crisis.It explores the various options currently being considered for "solving" this problem and chronicles the ongoing debate among scientists, engineers, and politicians about the pros and cons of each potential solution.Through extensive research and interviews, award-winning journalist John Keahey has written the definitive book on this fascinating problem. No matter what the experts decide to do, one thing is for certain - Venice's art, its buildings, and its history are too important to the planet's cultural identity to let it slip beneath the rising waters of the Adriatic.AUTHORBIO: John Keahey, a veteran newspaper journalist, is an Idaho native raised in Nampa, Idaho. He has degrees from the University of Utah, and lives in Salt Lake City with his wife, book designer Connie Disney.He is also the author of A Sweet and Glorious Land.

Customer Reviews:

Very good, gets a little technical towards the end.......2002-07-24

The first three-quarters+ of the book is excellent. It provides a good overview of Venetian history and explains how/why the city is essentially sinking. The author then gets into a TREMENDOUS amount of depth (no pun intended) concerning funding for a proposed gate project, various changes of Italian government, etc.-- probably more than you need to know, certainly more than I needed. Overall, though, the book was very good, even for someone who knows Venice as well as I do.

Restoring the Pacific Northwest: The Art and Science of Ecological Restoration in Cascadia (The Science and Practice of Ecological Restoration Series)

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Restoring the Pacific Northwest: The Art and Science of Ecological Restoration in Cascadia (The Science and Practice of Ecological Restoration Series)

Manufacturer: Island Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Popular Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

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Foundations of Restoration Ecology: The Science and Practice of Ecological Restoration (The Science and Practice of Ecological Restoration Series)
Flora of the Pacific Northwest: An Illustrated Manual
Forest Dreams, Forest Nightmares: The Paradox of Old Growth in the Inland West (Weyerhaeuser Environmental Books)
Environmental Restoration (Flashpoints Series)
Nature by Design: People, Natural Process, and Ecological Restoration

ASIN: 1559630787

Book Description

The Pacific Northwest is a global ecological Â“hotspotÂ”because of its relatively

healthy native ecosystems, a high degree of biodiversity, and

the number and scope of restoration initiatives that have been undertaken

there. Restoring the Pacific Northwest gathers and presents the

best examples of state-of-the-art restoration techniques and projects.

It is an encyclopedic overview that will be an invaluable reference not

just for restorationists and students working in the Pacific Northwest,

but for practitioners across North America and around the world.

Nature by Design: People, Natural Process, and Ecological Restoration

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Nature by Design: People, Natural Process, and Ecological Restoration
Eric Higgs
Manufacturer: The MIT Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Similar Items:

Environmental Restoration (Flashpoints Series)
Foundations of Restoration Ecology: The Science and Practice of Ecological Restoration (The Science and Practice of Ecological Restoration Series)
Restoring the Pacific Northwest: The Art and Science of Ecological Restoration in Cascadia (The Science and Practice of Ecological Restoration Series)
Forest Dreams, Forest Nightmares: The Paradox of Old Growth in the Inland West (Weyerhaeuser Environmental Books)
Flora of the Pacific Northwest: An Illustrated Manual

ASIN: 0262582260

Book Description

Ecological restoration is the process of repairing human damage to ecosystems. It involves reintroducing missing plants and animals, rebuilding soils, eliminating hazardous substances, ripping up roads, and returning natural processes such as fire and flooding to places that thrive on their regular occurrence. Thousands of restoration projects take place in North America every year. In Nature by Design, Eric Higgs argues that profound philosophical and cultural shifts accompany these projects. He explores the ethical and philosophical bases of restoration and the question of what constitutes good ecological restoration.

Higgs explains how and why the restoration movement came about, where it fits into the array of approaches to human relationships with the land, and how it might be used to secure a sustainable future. Some environmental philosophers and activists worry that restoration will dilute preservation and conservation efforts and lead to an even deeper technological attitude toward nature. They ask whether even well-conceived restoration projects are in fact just expressions of human will. Higgs prefaces his responses to such concerns by distinguishing among several types of ecological restoration. He also describes a growing gulf between professionals and amateurs. Higgs finds much merit in criticism about technological restoration projects, which can cause more damage than they undo. These projects often ignore the fact that changing one thing in a complex system can change the whole system. For restoration projects to be successful, Higgs argues, people at the community level must be engaged. These focal restorations bring communities together, helping volunteers develop a dedication to place and encouraging democracy.

The Longleaf Pine Ecosystem: Ecology, Silviculture, and Restoration (Springer Series on Environmental Management)

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The Longleaf Pine Ecosystem: Ecology, Silviculture, and Restoration (Springer Series on Environmental Management)

Manufacturer: Springer
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Similar Items:

Looking for Longleaf: The Fall and Rise of an American Forest
Tapping The Pines: The Naval Stores Industry In The American South
A Primer of Ecological Statistics
A Field Guide to Eastern Trees (Peterson Field Guides)
A Field Guide to Reptiles & Amphibians of Eastern & Central North America (Peterson Field Guide Series)

ASIN: 0387296557

Book Description

The longleaf pine ecosystem, once one of the most extensive ecosystems in North America, is now among the most threatened. Over the past few centuries, land clearing, logging, fire suppression, and the encroachment of more aggressive plants have led to an overwhelming decrease in the ecosystemâ€™s size, to approximately 2.2% of its original coverage. Despite this devastation, the range of the longleaf still extends from Virginia to Texas. Through the combined efforts of organizations such as the USDA Forest Service, the Longleaf Alliance, and the Nature Conservancy, extensive programs to conserve, restore, and manage the ecosystem are currently underway.

The longleaf pine ecosystem is valued not only for its aesthetic appeal, but also for its outstanding biodiversity, habitat value, and for the quality of the longleaf pine lumber. It has a natural resistance to fire and insects, and supports more than thirty threatened or endangered plant and animal species, including the red-cockaded woodpecker and the gopher tortoise.

The Longleaf Pine Ecosystem unites a wealth of current information on the ecology, silviculture, and restoration of this ecosystem. The book also includes a discussion of the significant historical, social, and political aspects of ecosystem management, making it a valuable resource for students, land managers, ecologists, private landowners, government agencies, consultants, and the forest products industry.

About the Editors:

Dr. Shibu Jose is Associate Professor of Forest Ecology and Dr. Eric J. Jokela is Professor of Silviculture at the School of Forest Resources and Conservation at the University of Florida in Gainesville. Dr. Deborah L. Miller is Associate Professor of Wildlife Ecology in the Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation at the University of Florida in Milton.

Beirut Reborn: The Restoration and Development of the Central District

Average customer rating:

An indispensable book in desolated towns projects

Beirut Reborn: The Restoration and Development of the Central District
Angus Gavin , and Ramez Maluf
Manufacturer: Academy Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Architecture | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 1854904817

Book Description

The renewal of Beirut's city center is currently the world's most challenging urban regeneration project. Led by the private sector, its institutional framework is pioneering. The planning and implementation embrace many issues: infrastructure renewal, urban archeology, new development and the restoration of historic fabric, the creation of a social arena where the city can reconnect, and the relaunching of the Lebanese capital, once pre-eminent in the Middle East, into a stabilizing world of emerging opportunities.

Customer Reviews:

An indispensable book in desolated towns projects.......2000-06-19

This book was vary helpful in a project I was working related whith town devastation and it rebuilt. I liked the way the authors presents the history of Beirut, how the city was developed and destroyed and how was the process of it reconstruction. The book is full illustrated with the correct amount of colorfull pictures and project drawings of the highest quality. Excuse my english, but it isn't my language.

Science for Conservators, Vol. 2: Cleaning (Conservation Science Teaching Series)

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Science for Conservators, Vol. 2: Cleaning (Conservation Science Teaching Series)
Conservation Un
Manufacturer: Routledge
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Similar Items:

Science for Conservators Series: An Introduction to Materials (Heritage : Care-Preservation-Management)
The Science for Conservators Series: Adhesives and Coatings (Conservation Science Teaching Series)
Conservation of Paintings: National Gallery Pocket Guide (National Gallery London Publications)
Painting Materials: A Short Encyclopedia
The Restoration of Paintings

ASIN: 0415071658

Book Description

For more than ten years, the Science for Conservators series has been the key basic texts for conservators throughout the world. Scientific concepts are basic ot the conservation of artefacts of every type, yet many conservators have little or no scientific training. These introductory volumes provide non-scientists with the essential theoretical background to their work.

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