Honestly, I run into this all the time with flips and rentals. You try to do something smart—reuse solid old materials, save some cash, keep stuff out of the dump—and then you hit a wall because the code says “nope.” Like you said,
Couldn’t agree more.“we’re just creating more landfill waste in the name of ‘efficiency,’ which feels backwards.”
I get that codes are supposed to protect people and make homes better, but sometimes it feels like they’re written for new builds and not for anything with a bit of history. I’ve had inspectors who’ll work with you if you show your math—energy audits, receipts, whatever—but others just stick to the book. It’s a gamble.
Curious if anyone’s actually seen a city or county that does case-by-case reviews for stuff like this? Or is it pretty much blanket rules everywhere? I’d love to see more flexibility, but maybe I’m dreaming...
I get where you’re coming from, but I actually think there’s a bit of value in the strict codes, even if they’re a pain. I remember trying to salvage some old wiring in my 1950s place—looked fine on the outside, but when I finally gave in and replaced it (because code said so), I found a couple of spots that were close to causing real trouble. Sometimes those blanket rules catch stuff we’d never see just eyeballing it. Still, I do wish there was a way to make exceptions for things like solid old doors or hardwood floors... seems like a waste to toss those just because they don’t have a sticker.
Totally get what you mean about the old wiring—sometimes the stuff hiding in the walls is scarier than you’d think. But yeah, tossing out solid hardwood or those chunky old doors just because they don’t have a sticker feels like a waste. I’ve salvaged more than a few and honestly, some of that old wood is better than anything you can buy now. Wish there was a little more wiggle room for reusing things that are still solid, instead of just following the rulebook to the letter every time.
I hear you on the old wood—some of it’s basically indestructible, and you can’t even find that kind of quality anymore unless you’re ready to pay through the nose. I get why there are rules, but sometimes it feels like we’re tossing out the good stuff just to tick a box. I’ve pulled doors out of demo houses that were twice as heavy (and probably twice as sturdy) as anything at the big box stores. It’s a shame when perfectly good materials end up in the landfill just because they’re missing a label or two. A little flexibility would go a long way, honestly.
I’ve run into this so many times on job sites. There’s a house in my neighborhood where the owner salvaged these gorgeous old beams—dense, heavy, full of character—but the inspector wouldn’t sign off because they didn’t have the right paperwork. Meanwhile, new lumber from the store warps in a season. I get the safety thing, but sometimes it feels like we’re losing out on both sustainability and quality just to follow the letter of the law. Maybe there’s a middle ground where you can verify integrity without tossing out all that history?
