Construction Junction - Building Material Reuse

What We Accept

Construction Junction accepts donations of used and surplus building materials from contractors, and individual donations of materials that can be used to renovate, build or remodel a home or apartment. Material donations must be clean and in working order.

We receive hundreds of items every week. Material handling is our greatest challenge and largest expense. We try our best to keep this list up to date, so please refer to this list before you bring items in or arrange a pick up.

We inspect all donations and reserve the right to reject material that cannot be resold or items we may currently have overstocked. Remember we are not a disposal service and cannot afford to throw your material away. For items we cannot accept, please consider donating to another nonprofit or listing your items on Pittsburgh Freecycle.

Appliances   Building Materials   Cabinets   Countertops   Doors   Flooring   Glass and Mirrors   Hardware   Interior Items/Furniture   Lights   Masonry   Office Items   Plumbing   Tile   Wallpaper   Windows/Shutters

 Appliances

• Condition requirements: Must be in good working condition.  Some antique appliances will be accepted - please contact us here.  All freon appliances must pay $10 recycling fee regardless of working condition. If appliances (non-freon) are not working but primarily composed of metal, they can be donated for scrap metal.
• What we DO NOT take: Appliances with cut cords, furnaces, hot water tanks, electric heaters.

Building Materials (Lumber, Sheet goods, Insulation, Trim/Mouldings, Pipe, etc.)

• Condition requirements: Linear materials must be at least 4' long.  Sheet goods must be half a sheet or larger.  Must be free of nails, rot, twisting, bowing and cracking.   Rolls of insulation must be new.  Shingles and siding must be in complete new/unused packages.
• Marginal styles (accepted as needed, please contact us here) - large beams, engineered wood products (fingerjointed, TGIs, etc.).
• What we DO NOT take: Wood with creosote.

Cabinets (Kitchen, Vanity, Bookcases, Entertainment centers, etc.)

• Condition requirements: Must be structurally sound with no significant water damage or splitting at the joints.  Must have all drawers and cabinet doors ATTACHED and INTACT.  Laminate/particle board must be intact.  Metal cabinets must be free of rust. 
• What we DO NOT take: Particle board low quality cabinets over 5 years old.

Countertops

• Condition requirements: Must be 4' or longer.  No cutouts without the sink.  Used countertops must be in excellent condition with no burn marks, peeling laminate, significant worn areas or cracks.
• Marginal styles (accepted as needed, call in advance) - Computer table tops.
• What we DO NOT take: Worn, stained, burnt, peeling, cracked countertops. Countertops with cutouts. 

Doors (interior, exterior, garage) 

• Condition requirements: No major splits/cracks, deep gouges, rot, bowing, twisting or excessive alterations.  No fogged or broken window glass in doors. Hollowcore and bifold doors must be in perfect condition (no exceptions!).
• Marginal styles (accepted as needed, call in advance) - Commercial solid core door slabs, metal or hollowcore bifold doors. Garage doors - please contact us here.
• What we DO NOT take: Hollowcore doors with any kind of damage, stickers, hooks, thumbtacks; sliding glass patio doors that are not assembled and complete in their frames; garage doors that do not have ALL associated hardware.

Flooring (Carpet, Wood, Tile, etc.)

• Condition requirements:  Wood flooring must be free of nails, rot, twisting, cracking, bowing, etc.  Tongues and grooves must be intact and must be within 1/16" of full original thickness.  Carpet, carpet tile, vinyl and area rugs must be new and free of holes or stains.  Rolls must be at least 8'x6'.  Vinyl tiles in full boxes are accepted.
• What we DO NOT take: Used carpet, used vinyl flooring or area rugs.  Engineered flooring, unless new in package and more than 100sqft.

Glass and Mirrors

• Condition requirements: No pre-drilled holes, cracks, breaks or broken corners.
• What we DO NOT take: Storm window panes from windows or doors.

Hardware (electrical, tools, nails, screws, knobs, pulls, lock sets, etc.)

• Condition requirements: Minimal rust.  Tools must be in working/usable condition. Gasoline powered tools (lawnmowers, trimmers, etc.) must be empty of all fuel. 
• What we DO NOT take: Out of code electrical hardware. Battery powered tools.

Interior items (Furniture, window treatments, etc.)

• Condition requirements: Furniture must be assembled, complete, and with no major damage.  No significant water damage or peeling laminate.  Antique furniture is accepted.
• Marginal styles (accepted as needed, please contact us here) - horizontal blinds (preferably new, bundled with all hardware).
• What we DO NOT take: Vertical blinds. Upholstered furniture of any kind: mattresses, foam, bed frames. Items missing pieces or without drawers/doors, curtains/window treatments, organs, pianos (try Piano Adoption PA).

Light Fixtures

• Condition Requirements: Must be 110 voltage.  Fixtures must be complete unless you are bringing in just the light globes.  No broken or cracked light globes. No pitted metal plated fixtures.  Ceiling fans must be complete (including all mounting hardware) and in excellent condition. All fluorescent lightbulbs and ballasts must be paid for through our recycling program ($1 per bulb or $1 per pound).
• Marginal styles (accepted as needed, please contact us here) - 2x2 or 2x4 Fluorescent light fixtures, commercial recessed fixtures.
• What we DO NOT take: 220 voltage lights, fluorescent light fixtures with leaking ballasts. No commercial light fixtures with ballasts older than 5 years old.

Masonry

• Condition requirements: Always contact us here first. Brick and block must be clean of mortar and mostly unbroken.  Glass block must be complete and unbroken.
• What we DO NOT take: Opened bags of mortar, QuikCrete, etc.

Office Items (Desks, Chairs, Cabinets, etc.)

• Condition requirements:  All furniture must be assembled and have all parts, including doors and drawers.  Filing cabinets must be in excellent shape, unlocked, with minimal dents and rust.
• Marginal styles (accepted as needed, please contact us here) - Large metal desks, oversized wooden desks/credenzas.
• What we DO NOT take: Cubicle partitions.

Plumbing Fixtures

• Toilets
  • Condition requirements: Toilets must be empty of all water.  No cracks (even hairline) or chips.  Only complete toilets (tank, bowl, and lid) will be accepted.  We will accept toilet tank lids by themselves.
  • What we DO NOT take: Toilets that have not been cleaned.
• Tubs
  • Condition requirements: No cracks, chips or significant rust around the drain (except clawfoot and antique tubs).  You may drop off steel or cast iron tubs (non clawfoot), but we will not pick them up. Whirlpool tubs - if tub and jets are intact.
  • Marginal styles (accepted as needed, please contact us here) - Clawfoot tubs without any feet.
  • What we DO NOT take: Excessively dirty, rusty or stained tubs.
• Sinks
  • Condition requirements - No cracks (even hairline), chips or significant rust around fixtures.  Stainless steel sinks must be free of dents or damage.
  • Marginal styles (accepted as needed, please contact us here) - Wall mount sinks, concrete laundry sinks.
  • What we DO NOT take: Sinks used to dispose of paint or harmful chemicals.
• Medicine Cabinets
  • Condition requirements - Complete units only.  Glass and mirror glass must not be cracked.
• Shower Doors
  • Condition requirements - Must be in excellent condition AND complete with tracks.  No excessive hard water scale or rust. No cracks or chips in glass.
  • What we DO NOT take: Shower doors without tracks.

Tile

• Condition requirements- Tile must be new, in complete packages and unbroken.
• What we DO NOT take: Used or broken tile, open bags of grout or mortar.

Wallpaper

• Condition requirements- Wallpaper must be in full unopened rolls.

• What we DO NOT take: We are NO LONGER ABLE to accept donations of latex paint, owing to the cost to Construction Junction. Latex paint is NOT accepted at the recycling drop off station. Please do NOT drop any building materials or paint at the City Recycling Bins in our parking lot. We do not accept oil-based paints of any kind, thinners, solvents, other household chemicals. **Your regular household waste service will pick up latex paint cans with the lids off for metal recycling if they have been emptied and wiped out.  You can dry bad or small quantities of latex paint with cat litter or sawdust and place it in bags in your regular trash.**

Windows and Shutters

• Condition Requirements - No rot or structural damage.  Double pane window seals must be intact (free of fogging).  No excessive cracks in glass.  Single pane wood sashes must be in excellent condition .  Aluminum and vinyl windows must be in excellent condition.
• Marginal styles (accepted as needed, please contact us here) - Steel frame with single pane glass, non-opening picture style windows, vinyl shutters, window screens or aluminum storm windows.
• What we DO NOT take: Storm door windows unless donated in the storm door; double pane vinyl sash windows; double pane windows without or out of their frames; window treatments (curtains, drapes, etc.).