Most people find they have an overage of construction materials when they finish a project. This is usually small amounts of things like bricks, concrete, timber, and tiles. You need to plan what to do with these products. Luckily you don’t necessary have to just throw them away. There are other options that could be much greener. As one of the leading architects London has, we want to take a closer look at what to do.

Why does it happen?

There tends to be an overage of materials with projects because you, the architect, or the contractor has overestimated how much they need. In some cases this can be intentional. It can be a good idea to order slightly more materials such as bricks to account for breakages. Sometimes there is an excess simply because of bulk purchases. Then, there are times when it is best to order extra material in case there is a change in the design.

What can you do with the overages?

One of the best things you can do with many materials is to save them for the future in case you need to repair or replace anything. This is a good idea with bricks and tiles as you will have an issue colour matching at a later date. It is better to have some surplus from your original order so it will be the same shade. Just make sure you have somewhere dry to store them.

You may also want to keep some materials for maintenance or other projects. For example, paint and timber are products you can use in lots of other jobs. This is better than throwing it away.

If you do find you have materials you need to get rid of there are a number of options available. For example you could find local charities that might need building materials. A donation is much better than wasting the products and ensures they go to good use. In the same vein, you may want to check the DIY community in your local area. You may find other people nearby who would use the materials.

A final thing you can do is take the excess materials to a recycling centre. Many of them are suitable for recycling and this is a much greener option than landfill. But, you will have to remember some items cannot be recycled. For example things like plasterboard and paint require specialist disposal.

Working with architects in London

Coffey Architects is a great team to work with whether you are planning a home renovation, a new build, or any other kind of architecture. We can find innovative solutions to all kinds of problems. More importantly, we can help your project to be green, eco-friendly, and sustainable.

So, if you want to work with top architects, London has few teams on our level. Get in touch today if you want to learn more about us.