Nailing the art of building with pallets

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 20/09/2014 (4060 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Hefting a crowbar and a hammer, I felt like the John Henry of folklore as I checked out a jumble of pallets turned into shelves that were clustered in the local Canadian Tire parking lot. How I went from respected photographer to carpenter started with the website Pinterest where a kaleidoscope of pallet furniture pictures caught my attention.

 

Building with pallets seems to have an underground retro following. But with many warnings on the Internet to watch out for wood fumigated with methyl bromide and to not use pallet furniture in the kids’ room, I was concerned that building with recycled wood could have more health concerns than good. I asked Lori Devlin from the Canadian Wood Pallet and Container Association (CWPCA) to explain some pallet myths and information circling the web.

Only use pallets created in Canada with an ISPM 15 certification stamp, Devlin says. Canadian pallets are the safest, since they are heat-treated in a kiln and stamped with “HT.” The heat treatment allows the pallets to be shipped without spreading insects or disease across borders. Pallets treated with methyl bromide fumigation are banned in Canada because they pose a health risk.

Devlin cautions, however, that you use pallets at your own risk as you do not know what has been stored or spilled on them at the store or in transport.

“A lot of the wood is good still, and keeping them out of the landfills is great. It is amazing the things people can make out of pallets,” she says.

There are three problems to tackle when making furniture out of pallets. Where do you find building plans? How do you find safe pallets? And how do you start the actual construction?

As I tested my skills against aged wood that resisted disassembling, a few Canadian Tire customers wandered by to see what I was doing.

“Yeh, that is a great idea,” they all agreed, and then they walked away empty-handed to their vehicles. Meanwhile I battled to pull apart eight shelves that would require three trips to get home. I ended up with 25 pallets, and my blood was rushing with creative ideas. I would like a new couch. No, I need a garage. No, I will buy a piece of land in the country and build a cabin.

I surf the web for design plans and spend hours looking at sites that advertise free design plans which are not created for broken-up pallets. Meanwhile, my neighbours are grumbling as they eye my front lawn that’s starting to resemble a lumber yard.

I concluded that I will have to create my own designs. Thank goodness for the go-to-guy at Home Depot who could probably build a castle with a moat without breaking a sweat. You know the one.

Finally, armed with wood screws of differing sizes, power tools (better than shopping for shoes any day) and metal braces that will hopefully hold a 1,000-pound structure together. I start creating.

A picture frame seemed the easiest. And after a few days of cutting, re-cutting and cursing, I had a new art piece to hang on my wall — but not a true test of my new-found skills. So before I started building that country home, I decided to start with a two-by-three-foot garden shed.

Long hours of back-breaking work removing nails and three-inch staples out of the pallets led to three walls, a door and roof that were nearly square. (I should have stayed in geometry class.)

All in all, I fell in love with the look of the aged wood, and no new trees were cut down to satisfy my need for a shed. Previously, I could not find a storage solution that would fit in the space along the side of my house. Now my push mower is happy to be out of the elements, and when people say, ‘That’s cool. Who builds pallet furniture?” I can add my name to the list of pallet designers.

I do not regret the stubbed toes, callouses, lost nails or the tetanus shot. But the work is time-consuming. In the end, I am left with a very solid shed that you cannot find in any box store. It’s unique and has my stamp on it.

I just hope I will not be moving soon, as I have no idea how to lift it. And I think I will be holding off on building a cabin for a while.

If you make your own, keep in mind:

— Pallets can be hard to find. Most stores hang onto them as they use them for moving cargo with forklifts and for stacked storage. I have found that asking at customer service can yield a few. Canadian Tire is excellent; a lot of its stores have a “Please Take” pile for consumers to look through.

— The wood used for pallets splinters very easily. So it’s recommended you wear gloves and proper footwear when handling them. Sand the pallets thoroughly if you are using them for furniture. Always use a face mask and safety goggles.

To learn more about building with pallets, watch a video created by CWPCA at website http://goo.gl/txffQ.

 

–Postmedia Network Inc. 2014