Dan's Advice on Materials:

A. Flea markets and junk shops

B. Garage sales

C. Classified ads (one can peruse ads for materials offered, or take out an ad requesting materials)

D. Antique shops (hardware often is available at antique shops for a fraction of market cost)

E. Building sites. Simply talk to the contractor.

F. Salvage yards serving demolition contractors. Especially near larger cities, demolition salvage yards have a smorgasbord of building appointments. Search the Internet with "salvage" as the keyword.

G. Auto-salvage yards. Don't overlook possibilities in auto-salvage yards. License plates make great shingles, for instance.

H. Landfills. These days landfills do not allow reclamation. But occasionally there is one where scavenging is allowed.

I. Dumpsters. Seek out dumpsters that have the best likelihood of usable material--those near building sites, at lumber companies, and institutional dumpsters who would not otherwise have a use for building materials (schools, for instance).

J. Lumber companies and home-improvement centers. All large companies that market building material--wholesale or retail--always have culls, mismatches and cutoffs. Often simply contacting them will provide more material than can be used.

K. Manufacturing industries. Industrial activity usually produces byproducts. Byproducts can range from core-samples, 55-gallon drums and five-gallon buckets, and cribbage, to pipe trims, bales of material (paper, plastic, metal), and sludge. A quick analysis of the byproduct will lead to a decision on usefulness.

L. Landscapers, tree-removal firms, and lot-clearing contractors. Most of the medium-sized firms don't have enough refuse to market for mulch, and are thrilled to have someone take materials off of their hands. Often enough one can acquire cabinet-grade hardwoods.

M. Natural materials. Mud, sticks and rocks are classic building materials. They're in your backyard, and on the building site. Coupled with the materials that technology provides  (Portland cement, modern polymers, and fasteners), natural materials are surprisingly versatile.

A. Make it known that you are in the market for salvage building materials. You'd be surprised what friends and total strangers locate in their garages for you.

B. Approach the editor of your local paper, and ask that they offer a "free" section in the classified section. The materials advertised would be usable, and free for the pick up. The ads are also free of charge, or minimal. Most editors will recognize the potential of increased readership that a "free" column would encourage.

C. Get to know others who are in the market for salvage and free materials. Trading back and forth increases available inventory by a sizable percentage.

D. Get to know remodelers and contractors. Every remodel job results in usable material left over. They are happy to have someone pick it up, so they don't have to pay for disposal.