At CadcoCorp we approach sustainable construction and development with a passion. We have had multiple experiences where re-using something that was “under our noses” has yielded more beauty and utility than our architects and we would have come up with on our own.

Currently, we are in the process of taking an old structure down to make room for the development of a new home. While tearing down an old structure is a decision that we examine carefully, this particular home presented multiple structural and design obstacles. Among them. the chimney was “filled” with masonry waste material (see picture attached) instead of proper brick. It was not structurally sound and also a potential source of carbon monoxide. The old bricks, however, are a different story and we are salvaging them. Their color, patina, and condition are all striking. We were able to salvage close to 3000 of them, enough to cover a surface of 400+ square feet. We are working with our architect to identify the best uses for the material as accent details in the current project.

In order to store and preserve the integrity of the bricks, as well as manage the space on our work site, we have palletized the bricks (see picture attached). That approach allows for the preservation and/or transportation of the material if we were to utilize it elsewhere.

We have found that cleaning of the old bricks is best achieved with a very light brick hammer (16 oz.) This ensures maximum productivity of the labor required to clean and palletize. Bricks of this quality would retail for $2-$3 per brick delivered, so we are better than breaking even in our approach, sourcing unique material and reducing landfill usage.