Green stats to keep in mind before you demo

While surfing the site of our friends at Treehugger, I came across these interesting statistics about construction and demolition waste:

112,000 -- the amount, in tons, of construction waste burned buried in US landfills every year.

50 -- the percent of construction waste that is salvageable and reusable.

45 -- the percent of construction waste that is recyclable.

33 -- the number of mature trees used to construct a new 2,000 square foot house

It was an important reminder. We at TOH think renovating an old home is (bittersweetly) a project that never ends, but it is important to do so in a manner that's as ecologically sensitive as possible.

For the average homeowner, however, that need has to be balanced out with those more practical demands of limited finances and time.

Read on for some tips to keep in mind before you start your next project.

First, check out my story on figuring out whether deconstruction makes sense for you.

Also, take a look at our regular Salvage column by Amy Hughes for new ideas on how to give new life to old architectural elements.

Turning those old shutters into a room partition or getting an antique pendant lamp for that dark front hallway instead of a new fixture could not only give you a good conversation starter, but it can actually save you some dollars and cents too.

And those are some important numbers.