TinkerTek began taking apart old homes in the Gorge back in 1995, focusing on restoring 1890s houses using their original first-cut materials. With so many historic buildings facing demolition, it was hard to keep pace with the work and didn't have a practical place to house the salvaged home materials, lumber, doors, windows, flooring, lighting, and appliances. 

 

It was clear that the Columbia Gorge needed some type of Rebuild-it Center and in 2001, brainstorming began to take shape.  Thanks to a partnership with the Gorge Earth Center and generous support from the community, in the fall of 2003, the first building materials reuse center in the Mid-Columbia region was open! For the past 20 years, the Gorge Rebuild It Center has been rescuing all kinds of building materials, saving hundreds of tons of perfectly good stuff from going to waste.

 

In 2004, the TinkerTek team rescued a double-wide from Skamania Senior Services minutes before a demolition crew was to tear it down. The structure was relocated and remodeled to provide much needed office space at Gorge Rebuild-it Center, and a home for Columbia Gorge Earth Center.  The space has been used to hold forums, lectures and films for many years.  

 

We have successfully dismantled and salvaged dozens of structures for homeowners, construction contractors, and non-profits alike.  We have cleared multiple properties for the Friends of the Gorge Land Trust who's mission is to acquire and preserve lands for wildlife and people. 

 

If you need a site cleared or a structure dismantled and would like to reduce waste and conserve resources, contact us for a free quote!