Restoration Register

Architectural salvage in Waterloo and Wellington

For a heritage repair the salvage yard is often the only supplier that can help you. Brick fired from local clay a century ago, a door of the right proportion, hardware in the right pattern, old-growth pine with fifteen rings to the inch: none of it is manufactured any more, and matching depends on someone having saved it.

The yards in this region carry reclaimed brick and stone, doors and windows, mantels and trim, hardware, lighting, flooring and dimensional old-growth lumber. Two practical notes. First, bring measurements and a physical sample. Brick in particular varies in size between eras and regions, and a brick that is a quarter inch off will never lay in cleanly. Second, salvage is one-off stock, so quantity is the constraint that catches people out. Work out how many units you need including breakage before you go, because coming back for twenty more of the same brick six weeks later usually is not possible.

What to ask before you hire

  1. Do you have enough of this in stock for the whole job, including breakage? Salvage stock is finite and cannot be reordered.
  2. What are the actual dimensions? Historic brick and lumber sizes vary by era and region, so measure rather than trusting a nominal size.
  3. Where did it come from, and roughly when? Provenance matters for matching and it matters to a heritage committee reviewing the permit.
Grant funding

Salvaged materials are eligible under most municipal programs as part of the work they are used for. Kitchener funds 50% to $15,000 special and $5,000 general, and Cambridge 50% to $5,000. Keep receipts, since salvage yards do not always invoice in the format a grant program expects.

Contractors on this page

Part of

All heritage service pages · Grants by municipality