Looking for lumber? How about wood flooring? Consider LumberStash.

Salvaging could be a huge part of the solution to our ridiculous building material waste problem.”

Jeremy Marshik

Anyone who has ever been involved in a construction or renovation project knows that a lot of waste gets made. The dumpster fills up fast, and all that stuff has to go somewhere.

It’s worth thinking about the end-of-life for radiators, hardwood flooring, reusable kitchen cabinets and appliances, deck boards, fences, solid wood doors, and built-in bookcases and buffets in older homes. 

Five years ago, Jeremy Marshik was a guy with an unfulfilling corporate job living in South Minneapolis with his family. He was sick of the only line of work he had done since college, and he wasn’t qualified for any living wage-paying jobs that seemed fulfilling.

He said, “It all started on neighborhood bike rides. I noticed an incredible amount of good lumber and other building materials in dumpsters. I’m a tree hugger, a nature lover; I always have been. I decided I was going to do something to help fix this problem.”

Marshik started salvaging reusable building materials from dumpsters in his neighborhood, and met a lot of contractors on job sites. He said, “People say ‘yes’ about 99% of the time. They’re happy to get rid of the stuff, especially knowing that it’s going to be re-used.”

He continued, “I think the main reason all these re-usable materials get thrown away is because they’re not quite valuable enough to salvage, haul to an expensive commercial building for storage, and wait on a shelf for buyers to come. We’re successful because we skip the middle step. Our business model is to sell quickly from the salvage site, or deliver directly to the customer. This saves us enough time and money to earn a living wage, selling what most won’t bother with. It’s flexible, fulfilling work.

“This model also puts 100% of the revenue from resale directly into the hands of the person who does the salvaging. Salvaging could be a huge part of the solution to our ridiculous building material waste problem.”

Marshik started LumberStash about three years ago as a part-time gig. It’s become a full-time job for him now, and part-time for several others. LumberStash’s mission is to earn a living wage by saving good material from the landfill, and to help others do the same.

How it works
Because LumberStash doesn’t have a brick and mortar warehouse or storefront, they rely on their online inventory – which they update almost daily. More than 1,400 people subscribe to the occasional email update about their quickly changing inventory.

Marshik said, “We currently save 1-2 tons of good material from going into the landfill every week.”

The LumberStash model allows smaller inventories to be spread out, which reduces the distance that reclaimed lumber needs to be hauled. They deconstruct decks, fences and all kinds of things from homes before demolition. They also pick up used or no longer needed lumber, list it on their website, and arrange pick-up or delivery with people who can reuse it.

County Deconstruction Grants
LumberStash can help property owners apply and meet requirements for county deconstruction grants. Hennepin and Dakota Counties have funding available for projects that reuse and recycle materials in the removal, alteration, or renovation of a building. Applicants must be a homeowner or developer of a property located within those counties.

The current rate of reimbursement is $2 per square foot up to $5,000 maximum to help encourage homeowners and developers to use salvage as part of their deconstruction strategy.

Hardwood flooring and more
LumberStash can remove old wood floors, or pick up flooring if it has already been removed. They frequently have quantities of 100-year-old flooring, which most agree is better quality than new flooring due to the age of the trees when harvested.

Marshik concluded, “When I started LumberStash, I set out to build an unquestionably environmentally-friendly business. If you have excess lumber (or see lumber in a dumpster that needs to be rescued) contact us with the location, a description, and photos. We like it if the customer can drop it off, but we can do pickups if the wood is of high enough quality to justify the trip. We have a growing network of skilled people who are passionate about salvage work. We’re happy to discuss large or small salvage opportunities. We’re flexible and creative.”

To learn more about LumberStash, sign up for their inventory update email or contact them, visit www.lumberstash.com.