Historic homes and buildings offer a wealth of cultural heritage and aesthetic value. Due to traditional building techniques, they also frequently contain large amounts of valuable metals, which may be of interest to a metal recycling center. If you’re renovating an older home or sorting through the remains of one which has reached the end of its useful life, here are a few metals to look for.

What Are Some Metals Found in Historic Homes?

1. Lead

For centuries, lead was one of the most widespread metals due to its malleability and corrosion resistance. These qualities made it an ideal material for roofing, window glazing, and pipes and plumbing fixtures. The harmful effects of lead only became widely understood in the late 1800s, after which it was gradually replaced with safer materials.

Lead melts at high temperatures and is still widely used in industrial applications. As such, it’s possible to make broken or unwanted lead items available for use by giving them to a metal recycling facility. There, pieces of lead will be cleaned, melted into billets, and sold for further use.

2. Copper

Copper has been a leading alternative to lead for many years, as it’s similarly malleable, exceptionally rust-resistant, and safe for humans. That’s why most pipes in houses built until the mid-20th century were copper, and these have been a popular item at metal recycling centers since more affordable plastics were popularized in the late 1940s.

Other uses of copper include roofing, weathervanes, and as decorative items or in early electrical wiring. Copper items should be kept separate while sorting them, as copper can corrode iron, aluminum, and other metals.

3. Iron

Iron has mostly been used in architecture in either wrought or cast forms or as steel. Typical applications included steps and staircases, affordable alternatives to ornate stone facades, balconies and window frames, decorative fencing, and, to a lesser extent, roofing. Before recycling scrap iron, make sure that it’s not too extensively rusted. It may be possible to remove surface rust using a wire brush.

If you discover old metals in a historic home anywhere in North Carolina, put them to good use by bringing them to Holmes Iron & Metal Inc. Based in East Spencer and serving residents throughout the state, this metal recycling center accepts various metals, including iron, brass, and copper. Visit the website for more information on items they recycle, or call (704) 633-6119 to speak to a helpful team member.