Anything containing wood should be carefully inspected for mould contamination and insect infestation.

Building inspectors may not allow wood framing or steel structural materials, including lintels and I-Beams to be reused. Metals are salvaged from demolitions, but then sent right to recyclers.

Thanks for the info. We made the 1 1/2 hour drive and it was a waste of time. I wasn't thinking of building materials but rather things like door knobs, interior doors, etc.

I find that it takes a lot of effort to find salvage for a whole house. I go to Habitat Restore, and another local salvage place every couple of weeks. I've been doing this for the last year, and I've purchased a few light fixtures, and a sink.

Part of that time, I didn't have plans, so buying a door that might not fit wouldn't have been a good idea. But part of it is they just don't have everything every day.

Craigslist & Kijiji are other sources.

Some parts of the country have good deals, if you can find them. I bought 10 matching 5 panel doors for $10 a piece on craigslist. Antique stores that sell architectural pieces want BIG money for them. I've also bought some bits and pieces on ebay.

suz: Coincidentally, what is the "largest" salvage yard in NE? Actually, back up. Is your NE "New England" or NEbraska? (Or, god forbid, North Edmonton)

I've been to a few around, and they're good you curiosities or accent/decorative pieces, but I couldn't imagine incorporating a lot into a new construction. You'd almost have to design the home around a special piece like a mantel, bar back, or something large. You'd want the builder & architect involved early.

And to second what Mush said, most "architectural salvage" places want big bucks. I found a gorgeous sink we wanted to use, but they wanted $1200 for it. (And it would've needed to be reglazed)

It touted itself as the biggest in New England. That'll teach me to believe claims like that on the web. I hadn't heard of kiwiji. I'll check it out. I really hadn't thought about using Craigslist or eBay. I had stupidly imagined that a salvage business would have boxes and boxes of doorknobs, corbels, etc.

My architect had told me what would work in new construction and what wouldn't. Now that I think of it, the Brimfield Fair (MA or CT?) would have the things I'm looking for. I had hoped to add character to the house without a huge expense. Thanks for all of the input.

"(Or, god forbid, North Edmonton)"

Haha, the largest architectural salvage in North Edmonton wouldn't be saying much.

Kijiji is similar to Craigslist (and owned by ebay, I believe). It's much more popular in Canada than CL is.