Pallet buildings are simple structures that are constructed by using materials harvested from old wooden pallets. For the most part, a pallet building is likely to be some type of storage shed or small building such as a pump house or chicken coop. By using old pallets as the primary building materials for the project, it is possible to minimize the amount of usable wood that is dumped into landfills as well as build the small structure for little or no money.
While many pallets are made using inferior grades of wood, there are a number of pallets created each year that use first grade wood that is both sturdy and durable. When used in a pallet building project, the pallets can be used as is and assembled into a loose structure. Pallet recycling can also involve disassembling the pallet components, making it possible to use the individual elements to create a more cohesive structure.
The pallet building is considered one of the prime examples of green building. Because the pallet is composed of more or less uniform cuts of wood, it is easy to use the wood to create various small structures using a pre-existing resource. This means that no tree has to be cut down in order to supply lumber for the building project. At the same time, reusing the pallet components prevents them from taking up space in a dump or landfill, which helps to make the effort more environmentally friendly.
In addition to being good for the planet, creating a pallet building also saves money. Often, old pallets can be purchased at low cost or obtained for free. This can help to reduce building costs dramatically. The low cost or free wood is ideal for use in building small backyard structures, such as a child’s playhouse, a small storage shed, or a doghouse. A pallet shed or a similar structure is also likely to take less time to build, since the lengths of the individual planks may require little to no trimming in order to use them.
Along with the wood, using old pallets to create some sort of pallet house or shed also yields some hardware that can be reused. By carefully extracting the nails used in the original pallet construction, it is possible to straighten and reuse those nails in the new building project. This also helps to save money as well aid in the effort to recycle existing materials.
Obtaining materials to create a pallet building is often a simple process. Some manufacturing plants and warehouses will give away damaged pallets for free, as long as the recipient agrees to take care of the removal process. Pallets that are in good condition can also be purchased for a relatively small sum when a company goes out of business or plans on replacing older pallets with newer ones.
