Let’s face it: when you buy a home, it’s not truly yours just because you signed the deed. It’s when you’ve turned that house into something that truly reflects who you are that you can say it’s yours.
Virtually everyone loves the opportunity to do remodeling work before they move in, or to launch into some repair projects the previous owner ignored.
And sometimes after living in a home for years, we suddenly decide our house needs a new look. We start replacing the furniture and making a lot of other cosmetic changes.
There are a lot of impressive examples of families that have beautifully transformed their home into the most impressive property on the block. And there’s no shortage of exciting remodeling tips that can give your home a great new look.
While you’re going from room to room, thinking about what you want to change or repair, chances are you’re not thinking about something else: recycling. But it would be a smart move if you did.
As you begin jotting down your list of home improvement projects, chances are you’re going to accumulate a decent amount of scrap metal. A good example is all aluminum, which can be used in siding, gutters, storm window frames and lawn furniture.
Everything that you replace is something you probably would have discarded and thrown away. But keep in mind that scrap metal can be recycled, and doing so is a great benefit for our environment.
If you’re about to embark on a home remodeling or repair project, this is also a great time to start thinking about what you’re likely to have in your home that includes scrap metal, and why it’s smart to be sure you recycle it.
What Kind of Metal Is Used in Homes?
When it comes to home improvement projects, quite a bit of metal is used in remodeling and repair projects. In fact, one of the most widely used materials in the construction industry is sheet metal.
This flat sheet, made from metals that include steel, brass, tin, aluminum and nickel, is ductile, meaning it can be used to create another object with great ease.
That’s why the home remodeling world is flush right now with great sheet metal home décor ideas.
Sheet metal fabrication, for example, is often used on manufactured homes because it’s very durable. Sheet metal is now being produced at a very high quality for a variety of uses in the home. Laser cutting has helped make it easier than ever to efficiently cut, slit or perforate these sheets for new uses, and sheet metal has long been popular for creating shower walls.
Sheet metal is also quite resilient, making it a great investment in your home. Resistant to corrosion, moisture, and the sun’s rays, its strength has only added to its appeal. It’s also why so many are opting for a sheet metal roof, since they can handle high wind gusts and can last up to 70 years.
And, of course, all homes need a proper guttering system so the roof and structure of your home won’t suffer from water damage. Metal gutters have become an inexpensive solution, easy to purchase and assemble on your own.
But there are also plenty of uses today for metals inside the home as well. Decorating with mixed metals has become increasingly popular. Think of the kitchen remodeled with stainless steel appliances, bronze faucets, and copper canisters.
Mixed metals are also easy to find in new bathrooms, and mixed metals can add characters to dining room designs as well, including on the lighting and other accessories. Dark bronze or black metal for kitchen cabinets, nickel for the knobs and pulls, bronze track lights, a metal tabletop … these are just some of the current trends for incorporating metal into your home décor.
What About Metals in Home Furnishings?
When you mention the term “metal furniture,” there are often misconceptions about it: people think a metal chair will be hard and cold. Those same people would be surprised to learn how many metal chairs, with comfy cushions and added upholstery, are made of metal.
Across this country, in both homes and offices, metal furniture and desks are very common, most often made from iron, aluminum and stainless steel. Cast iron is often used to make outdoor finishings because of its hardness and tough composition, and metal furniture is popular for outdoor decks and patios as well.
Stainless Steel is widely used for modern interior furnishings, including on hinges, slides, and body pieces. Molded chairs can be made of aluminum, while metal is also used indoors on brass beds, metal cabinets, and brass tables because of its sturdy quality.
In fact, steel indoor and outdoor furniture has been popular since at least the 1920s. By the 1940s, Arvin Industries began mass producing metal lawn furniture and dinette sets, and later expanded to sell electric irons and ironing boards, waffle makers, radios and then the first television sets, as well as outdoor steel furniture.
The reason so many homes and offices have furniture and equipment made from metals is simple: how effectively durable it is.
Today, homes and offices are filled with metals. And when people have items they no longer want, ensuring they get recycled is crucial both economically and for our environment.
Why Is the Recycling of Scrap Metal So Important?
When people discard furniture made from metal, it often ends up in landfills, which is a problem. As these products accumulate in landfills, there are chemicals within those metals – including mercury and lead – that can pose significant risks to the soil and water nearby.
Recycling scrap not only prevents that contamination but provides an environmentally-friendly alternative.
Recycling metals reduces the burden on landfills, removing millions of tons of material away from them, and reducing air and water pollution as well. Recycling can reduce greenhouse gas emissions and help conserve energy. Far less energy is used to recycle metals and use those parts to manufacture new products.
Recycling old aluminum, for example, uses 95 percent less energy than manufacturing a product from raw materials.
Scrap recycling also helps to boost green technology by creating more environmentally friendly products. It’s a win-win situation all around.
Conclusion
It’s a never-ending process: there’s a constant desire on the part of families to take on home remodeling projects. We all love to remodel every now and then.
The same is often true in offices around the country. In both cases, the desire to have your home or office look its very best leads to that decision.
It’s worth taking some time to consider what parts, furniture, and equipment you’re replacing that contains metal.
If it does, you have the ability to earn money by bringing that scrap to a recycling firm like GLE Scrap Metal.
Our environment and our economy benefit if we all make a commitment to recycle more. Anyone who is in the regular habit of filling your recycling bin with plastics, cans, newspapers and other small items, should make a similar commitment when it comes to replacing older furniture made of metal.
That includes being aware of what household items we want, and no longer need, that contain scrap metal.
GLE Scrap Metal performs environmentally-friendly processing and recycling of all base and precious metals, and this family-owned and operated business maintains a zero-landfill policy for scrap metals brought to us for recycling to help conserve energy.
The bottom line is that GLE is a company that ensures your excess materials don’t go to waste.
Call GLE Scrap Metal today at 855-SCRAP-88 to request a quote.
