For over 30 years in the salvage business, Second Use has proudly rescued tons of reusable materials from local Seattle schools. These materials not only avoid ending up in the waste stream but also carry with them the history and memories that continue to enrich our communities.

One of the best parts of these jobs is discovering what makes each school unique. So when our resident basketball fanatic, Coach Em, spotted Rainier Beach High on the schedule, we knew we were about to get schooled—in the best way! This place isn’t just a high school, it’s a launchpad. With a stacked list of alumni who’ve gone on to light up the NBA, Rainier Beach is the stuff of hoops legend—and that’s just scratching the surface of what makes it so special.

Notable RBHS alumni include NBA stars like Nate Robinson, Jamal Crawford, Dejounte Murray, Doug Christie, Terrence Williams, Kevin Porter Jr., and MarJon Beauchamp. And if basketball isn’t your thing, the school is proud to count former NFL players Trent Pollard and Alameda Ta’mu among its grads.

We’re proud to be part of the Rainier Beach High School Replacement Project! Once completed, the existing campus will be transformed into a brand-new, four-story facility spanning approximately 297,000 square feet. The new school will provide permanent space for 1,600 students in grades 9–12 and feature a regional Skills Center and a district data center. The project aims for LEED Platinum certification, reflecting a strong commitment to sustainability. Completion is scheduled for late 2026.
Learn more at: RBHS Replacement Project

Looking to score unique materials from the Rainier Beach project? Check out what’s currently in stock on our website! These one-of-a-kind items won’t last long — grab them while you can: Shop Available Materials

While the House of Tomorrow was very unique, and did meet the criteria for historical significance, it was not on the Pierce County nor the National Historical Register list. Further, it was built near the floodplain along Clark’s Creek, and numerous flooding events took their toll on the property. Relocation of the house itself was considered, but deemed too costly to pursue, so the county was forced to slate it for demolition.

The County did however want to salvage as much usable material from the house before it was razed, so Second Use was selected to remove usable materials throughout the structure. Water damage did take a toll inside, but the kitchen and upper floors did have some solid cabinets, doors and more that all could be reused or repurposed for projects.

Our crew spent a day on site, carefully removing each item and transporting them back to our warehouse, and was available to the public within a day. These cabinets shared the rounded style that was typical of the Smyser’s interior design. See the remaining inventory in our Tacoma warehouse.

Jobs like these help Second Use keep more than 3,000 tons of used building materials out of landfills in the Tacoma and Seattle area every year. We’re always looking for more salvage opportunities, so if you’re planning a renovation, reach out for a free assessment of your potential construction waste.

Materials currently available at Second Use from Saint Edward

The Lodge at St. Edward State Park

Seattle Times article regarding the project. (May have a paywall.)

You can see available materials from this location here.

Now more than ever, we are focused on removing materials from your project site. Whether it be a simple pick-up of materials already removed and staged, or you need our skilled salvage crew to do the de-install, your unwanted materials are what keep our doors open. And our doors are getting bigger!

While kitchen remodels are some of the most common projects we execute, we offer competitive salvage service for every part of your home. Cabinets, doors, windows, appliances, flooring, tubs, sinks, lights, tools, furniture, lumber are just a few of the many material categories we can divert from the landfill.

Long story short, don’t believe the hype. We are still here, working to divert your materials. Give us a call (206-763-6929 x0). We look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely,
Seth D’Ambrosia

Posted 9/20/2012

By total coincidence, Field Crew member Michael Greenwood recognized the bar. It belonged to a friend and her family.

The bar had a decorated past. In the Harvey family, father John Harvey booked bands for places such as the Moore Theater. He also promoted events such as the Seattle Pop Festival. Grandmother Laura S. Harvey, owned a beach house on Mercer Island, just down the street from John Harvey, and bands sometimes stayed there during their Seattle visits. Bill Wyman of the Rolling Stones visited the bar, and Led Zeppelin may have sat at the bar as well.

The family sold the bar with Laura S. Harvey’s Mercer Island home in 2009, following her death. However, several years later, the homeowner’s design plans changed and no longer accommodated the bar. The homeowner then decided to part with it. Fortunately for the Harvey family, the homeowner took stewardship of this unique piece to the highest place and donated it to Habitat for Humanity through Second Use.

When Second Use employee Michael Greenwood informed the Harvey family about the bar, daughter Michelle Harvey rushed over. She was nearly brought to tears looking at the bar, thinking of her family’s memories of it, and the thought of it leaving the family again.

“We just said, ‘We can’t lose it again,'” Harvey said. “It has a huge emotional zest that hit me hard.”

Second Use dropped the price of the bar to put it in Michelle Harvey’s price range, and sold it to her on Friday.

“It’s extremely important to us that we close the circle and keep these kinds of pieces in the community,” said Second Use co-owner Patrick Burningham. “Stories like this are a big part of what makes our business special.”

Harvey plans to put the bar in her living room, where she has other eclectic pieces from her grandmother’s collection. She says the bar will fit right in.

Posted 8/22/2012

Posted 6/27/2012

The Field Crew has allotted an entire month to this site. Please be patient with us as we push through this job and try to salvage as many materials as we can. Once it’s over, the Field Crew will go back to a more regular routine. If you want to get rid of materials, and it’s time-sensitive, consider bringing the materials out to us, rather than waiting for us to come to you.

Some of the materials already salvaged from the project include azul bahia granite, reggio ornate heating grates, built-in cabinets and paneled doors. We also got some unusual items like this concrete couch or this brass undermount sink. Click here to see a list of available items, or search the job number “111J5583.”
On Monday, the Field Crew busied itself with de-nailing and bundling trim; trying to remove huge concrete columns outside with a forklift; removing one of two solid marble columns in the upstairs bathroom; and of course collecting the usual odds and ends. To see what Seth, Flynn, Brad and Michael were up to that day, check out the pictures below.

Posted 6/6/2012