recycling with rik

Some things you can put a value on. Some things you can’t.

Woodworker Laurie Falk can give you examples of both. For instance, he can put a value on the adjustable-shelf bookcase he made for his wife Irene Falk, who has a large cookbook collection she uses regularly.

“I like to cook with ingredients that I find interesting,” she says. “Like maybe substituting strawberry jam for sugar in a recipe. For me, it makes cooking less of a chore and more of an adventure.”

So Irene likes her dozens of cookbooks nearby. But spare shelf space in her kitchen was a problem. Laurie had a solution: a custom-made bookcase in the space between the doors separating the kitchen and the dining room.

Laurie, a retired Washington Water Power Co. lawyer, says while he didn’t take any shop classes in high school, he’s always been interested in woodworking and do-it-yourself projects.

“Maybe it’s my ‘cheap gene,’ ” he says. “Or maybe it’s what some people call ‘sawdust therapy,’ but I get satisfaction from making something useful I didn’t have to go out and buy. And generally, the materials I use are ones that are no longer of use to anyone else.”

Most of his materials come from the Habitat Store, where Laurie volunteers. The Habitat Store is a thrift store for building materials. Donors provide the stock and, whenever possible, donations are used in the construction of Spokane-area Habitat for Humanity homes. Excess donated materials are sold to the public, priced down to at least 50 percent of retail. All sales proceeds go to building future area Habitat homes.

“By donating, people keep these materials from going into the waste stream,” says manager Jeff Howard. “Since January of 2000, when we opened our doors, we’ve extracted about 1,000 tons of material. Our sales show that number is increasing dramatically. We’re trying to educate consumers and contractors to the benefits and cost effectiveness of reusing materials.”

Inventory at the Habitat Store changes daily and usually includes: lumber, windows, doors, cabinets, lighting fixtures, roofing, tile, electrical, plumbing (hardware and sinks, tubs, showers, toilets), insulation, flooring, paint, sheet goods (drywall, particle board, plywood), siding and tools. A new “West Wing” has just been opened that is stocked with household appliances (washers, dryers, refrigerators, fireplaces).

Back to Laurie the woodworker: He has also made two solid oak cradles.

“Cradles of equal quality purchased retail would cost several hundred dollars each,” Laurie says. “I made mine from mill-ends I got at a cabinet shop auction sale 15 years ago. I’ve got no more than $10 into each of mine.”

“But it’s more than that,” he adds. “How satisfying is it to build a cradle for your grandchild while your daughter is still pregnant? And what a thrill to see the child in the cradle you built from scratch!”

As Falk knows so well, some things you can put a value on. But some things are truly priceless.