To give your house a look from the past, one of the best decisions you can make is buy architectural salvage pieces. To in this case, the term “salvage” means rescued or saved property. Usually, architectural salvage consists of old objects that were once part of a building. They include things such as wooden porch columns, Victorian moldings, pedestal sinks, glass mirrors, stained glass, and so on. They can be found in demolition sites, garage sales, and auctions. However, for the best pieces, you are better off going to an architectural salvage yard.
An architectural salvage yard is usually an establishment that trades in parts gotten from remodeled or demolished structures. They stock items such as chandeliers, fireplace mantel, ceramic tiles, bathroom fixtures, kitchen cabinets, door knobs, antique radiators, and oak doors. The good thing with these items is that they are cheaper than their newer counterparts.
Before you buy salvaged materials, bear in mind the cost it takes to restore them. That’s in addition to time and lack of any guarantees. But that’s not much of a hindrance, considering the role you would be playing in the preservation of architectural history. You also relish the joy of having a unique piece of art from the past.
How Does An Architectural Salvage Yard Look Like?
Like any other type of business, dealers in architectural salvage may look very different from each other. Some exist in the form of fully-fledged warehouses, while others are nothing but untidy junk yards. The rest have the appearance of museums with artistically displayed treasures. The dealers usually source their wares from property owners from whom they get salvage rights to houses earmarked for demolition.
To reiterate, these yards offer products such as wainscoting, barn beams, barn siding, doorknobs, keyholes, and small hinges. However, you may also go to these places to find faucets, sinks, tubs, lighting fixtures, brackets, and mouldings. If you wish, you could participate in the demolition work to get exactly what you want.
How to Buy From an Architectural Salvage Yard?
When making an offer to buy architectural salvage, you may want to get the best price possible by bargaining. However, that’s not necessary, especially if you are buying from a charitable organization or historical society. Such sellers only have few items to go around.
However, if you are buying from a yard operated by a demolition contractor, getting a lower price is very possible. Such businesses stock the items in large quantities and can afford to sell at much lower prices. So don’t be afraid to place your offer.
You can find these yards in several ways. Through a simple search on the internet, you will get a list of businesses dealing in architectural salvage. Popular e-commerce sites such as eBay are good places to begin. If that does not work, check local listings in the directory. If there is a historical preservation society in the area, don’t forget to give them a call. Better still, walk to a demolition site and find out the contractor with salvage rights.
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