Effects of Demolishing Structures
Considering all the natural resources that are used to building new houses (fuel, lumber and other materials) it is significantly more environmentally friendly to relocate a building then to demolish and building new.
It takes around 30 trees (25 Ft long x 16 inches in diameter) to build an average 1300 Sq.Ft. house, which equals around 10 acres of trees (7 football fields) and it takes those trees about 40 years to grow. If you take in to consideration that on average 15,000 residential structures are build every year in Calgary, that is an estimated half a million trees a year being cut down to build new residential structures in Calgary alone.
An average of 500 residential structures are being demolished each year in Calgary, by relocating these structures we are saving roughly 15,000 trees from being taken to landfills across the city. It is estimated that 60,000 tons of construction material from demolitions and new construction of houses is taken to landfills Province wide every year. This makes up 25% of all material in the landfills, these landfills emit 4% of all greenhouse gasses in Canada and these numbers are increasing ever year.
HOW WE PLAN TO HELP
While local Province’s, Municipalities, and Cities are seeking to control and manage the problem primarily through landfill/recycling regulations, one solution that offering both economic and environmental advantages is being overlooked. RELOCATION OF MOVABLE STRUCTURES!!
We plan to reduce the amount of materials taken to the landfills and the amount of natural resources used for new construction by relocating as many structures as we possibly can. Houses selected for relocated can be quality structures, which will then have a new basement and numerous improvements such as a new roofs, siding and windows. Many of these houses are filled with quality craftsmanship that is no longer being built in homes, such as oak trim, etched glass windows, solid wood doors, hardwood floors, hand crafted cabinets; all elements that should be preserved not destroyed.
With only a minimum expenditure of energy used to load and transport a structure to a new site, the lifespan of the original investment of energy to create the material is extended extensively. Statistics and comparisons overwhelmingly support the environmental benefits of relocation of structures verses demolition or even recycling.
There are move then just environmental positives to relocating buildings, there economical benefits too. When relocating structures more then just a building mover is involved! There are jobs created for excavators (digging the new foundation and building roads), concrete contractors, carpenters, roofers, electricians, plumbers and many more. Relocation also help increase tax revenue for local and provincial agencies while providing affordable option for families.
WHAT YOU CAN DO TO HELP
If you are thinking about demolishing a structure because it just isn’t working for you anymore and you would like a new one. First contact your local building mover to see if it is possible to relocated the structure. You can see if the structural mover maybe interested in purchasing the building from you or if they know of anyone that might be interested, list it For Sale to be moved on your local buy and sell website or in the local paper.
Make sure that if you are looking to save your old structure from the landfill you contact the Structural Movers plenty of time in advance as there aren’t to many of them out there and they are often booked for months in advance.
CONTACT INFO
6017-84 Street SE,
Calgary, AB T2C 4S1
P | 403-279-6395
P | 1-866-451-6395
F | 403-279-8526