By: Ian Hayes
Although “new” isn’t something you normally associate with the ReBuilding Center, we have some exciting new things to share with you. Starting Friday, August 3, you will be able to purchase cans of Metro paint and unused juniper lumber! Through strategic partnerships with MetroPaint and Sustainable Northwest Wood, we’re able to continue our commitment to strengthening the environment and our local communities through the use of salvaged, reclaimed, and sustainable materials.
Sustainable Northwest Wood
Photo credit to Sustainable Northwest Wood
Guided by the mission of supporting small, rural mills, Sustainable Northwest Wood offers only locally-sourced materials from Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified forests, salvage sources, and ecosystem restoration projects all across the Pacific Northwest. Their goal is to provide regionally-sourced wood as a useful byproduct of restoration projects, and many of their logs are pulled from waste streams where they would otherwise be chipped or pulped.
To start with, we’ll be offering 2”x6”x8’ #2 grade juniper, which performs well outdoors, lasts longer than any other native Pacific Northwest species, and works great as a substitute for chemically pressure-treated wood. You’ll also find juniper jacket boards in our lumber yard, which are great for creative projects. Jacket boards are the outer slices of the log that are cut off first when the log goes through a mill. They still have the bark attached, showing the original curve of the tree trunk, but the opposite side is flat. They’re usually considered waste, but we know better! Jacket boards are perfect for siding, fences, even rustic displays.
MetroPaint
Did you know you can recycle paint at Metro Central, Metro South and other recycling centers around Portland? Don’t let your leftover paint go to the landfill or clutter up your house, recycle it!
Using recycled paint can decrease your carbon footprint, reduce the need for landfill space, conserve the amount of water needed to make new paint, and prevent pollution caused by mining the raw materials used to make paint. MetroPaint is previously unwanted latex paint that is screened for quality, and re-blended according to a strict color-matching process that ensures consistency. It’s good for indoor and outdoor use, inhibits the growth of mold and fungus, and comes with a five-year limited warranty.
The ReBuilding Center will be stocking gallon cans of six different colors: Barn Red, Winter Sky, Fawn, Desert, Alpenfrost, and the coveted Mountain Snow. You can find them right next to the cashier station on a reclaimed wood display built by Process Improvement Coordinator Chris Larsen, for $12.95 per gallon.
New Point-of-Sale System Launches
For the first time ever at the ReBuilding Center, we are going to have an itemized point-of-sale system that lets us track inventory, including our new MetroPaint offerings! This means that we can have an accurate understanding of which varieties of paint and other select products we have in stock (and how many units) as well as which colors seem to be the most popular. We may even be able to post availability on our website, so you don’t have to call or visit to find out what we have in stock! This is a new process for us, so we’ll appreciate your patience and flexibility as we learn how to make it work best for you. We are open to feedback--please let us know what you think about the new register system, and “new” products!