Renovation Materials at Discount Prices: The Loading Dock
“You could build a house with what people throw away” is the slogan that greets you at The Loading Dock website. The Loading Dock is a non-profit organization set up to redistribute surplus building materials.
About The Loading Dock
TLD operates from a warehouse located in southeast Baltimore. Since 1984 they have been working to redistribute salvaged surplus materials that would otherwise end up in the local dump. Donated materials are sorted and stored in the warehouse, and later sold at discount prices for home renovations.
These materials provide a low-cost solution to upgrade substandard communities throughout Maryland. This means renters and owners have a better place to live. Donors receive a tax write-off for the chartible donation, plus savings related to dumping, handling, and storage fees. And the environment wins too because these materials are reused rather than thrown away in local landfills.
What TLD Provides
Inventory changes as things are donated and sold. But typical items include appliances, cabinets, doors, flooring, lumber, lighting, painting and plumbing supplies. A friend purchased several cabinets that he installed in a laundry room. They look great (and brand new)!
TLD also has workshops like “Door Tune-Up” and “Plumbing 101″. These are great ways to learn tricks of the trade for common home improvement tasks.
Application Required
The only catch is TLD requires you to become a member. The cost is $10 annually, a nominal fee especially when compared to the savings.
What do you think? Any local resources like this in your area? Ever purchased any discount materials?
Image courtesy of Incase Desings’
July 2nd, 2008 8:18 am
I went there and was underwhelmed. They just didn’t have much I would use. I’ve heard great things about Second Chance Inc. by the Stadiums and have been meaning to check it out.
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July 2nd, 2008 12:15 pm
@Corey, Haven’t heard of Second Chance. Same sort of place as TLD? Did you think TLD had decent items, just not useful to you or not really much of a selection?
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July 2nd, 2008 2:13 pm
I love stores like that… I would GLADLY pay the $10 membership!
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July 2nd, 2008 3:04 pm
Not much selection, and what they had was heavily used. Used isn’t normally a problem, but the SE part of the city didn’t have great original materials in the houses to begin with. Add time and the stuff looks a lot worse… There are finds to be had there, like if you aren’t picky on paint or tile, but not a lot of finds for people looking for quality stuff.
I have heard great things about Second Chance. Seeing as they have 5 warehouses, they should have a better selection. http://www.secondchanceinc.org/
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July 2nd, 2008 8:24 pm
We agree with Corey in this house. Not worth the visit if you are looking for things you want that are in good condition. I am surprised you had a friend find cabinets that look great. Eric didn’t see anything there that even tempted us to come back in the future.
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July 2nd, 2008 8:41 pm
@Mary, I got the impression that you wouldn’t be able to find an entire kitchen’s worth of cabinets but they found two really nice ones for the laundry room. That stinks that several people didn’t really find much. Has anyone else tried the Second Chance Corey mentioned?
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July 3rd, 2008 12:43 am
I was thrilled when a Habitat for Humanity ReStore opened just a few blocks from me. I’ve donated many things and purchased many things there as well. Each ReStore is run differently – for example, the one I went to near my parents’ home in Franklin, NC, was more of a traditional thrift store with only a few materials, while the ones in my area are all usable appliances, bathroom fixtures (toilets, tubs), sinks, cabinets (including full kitchen’s worth), overstock or discontinued or scratch-and-dent merchandise from local hardware and building supply stores, things removed from houses being renovated (I’m going to donate the 8 year old good condition tub and surround, toilet, and sink/cabinet that I’ll be removing soon from the bathroom I’m renovating), and some home furnishings. I know others who have gotten some wonderful deals on things like lights and bathroom fixtures and trim from old houses.
All proceeds go to support the local Habitat, of course!
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November 18th, 2010 5:49 am
plumbing supplies should always come from reputable suppliers so always check their backgrounds :-*
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