New Uses for Old Things

I have a new favorite store. It's called Repurposed Materials and is located in Denver. They deal in products that are cast-offs or waste from industry.  For example, old mining tires which buyers have repurposed as stock tanks...

or old ski lift cable this customer repurposed as handrails. A very elegant repurposing, I must say!

Their warehouse is an awesome place to find stuff you never knew you needed for projects you didn't know were on your list of things to do!  

They have old logging chains, fire hose, roofing membrane, huge lengths of conveyor belting, reclaimed snow fence wood, rubber snow plow edging, street sweeper brushes, pool covers, 275-gal beverage totes....it was something to see!  

It was a good thing I was in a hurry because I could have wandered around in there for quite a while...with my project gears whirring madly. I really would like to use the reclaimed snow fence wood to make a board fence for the property. The boards are pressure treated, in good condition and are 2"x 6" x 8'. They are sold in bunks of 49 boards. Prices average $300 for a bunk. Not a bad price at all!

I went there for a specific item...old vinyl billboards to use as tarps for my big bales of hay.  The billboards are "made of UV-protected and waterproof vinyl layers that sandwich between them a layer of rip-stop nylon scrim to keep them from tearing". 

Regular tarps won't last long in this climate. These vinyl billboards are heavy-duty and should provide years of service protecting my hay from the elements. 

The last snow storm caught me before I was ready with my billboard, so I covered the hay the best I could with what I had.

Repurposed Materials had 14' x 24' billboards, which are just about the perfect size. They are heavy, weighing perhaps 40 pounds each, and are awkward to handle, especially if you try to do this alone.

My billboard's first job was advertising Kawasaki Mules. The people at Repurposed Materials ask that you keep the printed side down when using the billboards. 

At 14 feet across, it was just enough to fully cover both sides of the hay. The far end is completely covered, too. Just the "working" end is open. I'll fold back the billboard as I use the hay. 

 I need to drag a few more old boards and/or posts up from the barn to use to hold down the sides and then I'm good to go! 

My next order of four of these 1,000 pound bales of hay should be arriving in a couple of weeks. I have another billboard at the ready for them. I wonder what it advertised?