Be your own handyman! There are plenty of times when calling a professional is warranted, but for those pesky small jobs, learning how to DIY will save you both time and money! Handyman Steve, will answer your question and show you the basics from what to look for before buying a house, signs that may mean significant cost and negotiating those into the sale, and how to fix just about everything from a doorknob hole to trouble shooting HVAC systems, electrical and plumbing issues. Each class will start with an overview of the topic and one or two YouTube videos for reference. We will go over the safe use of tools needed for a project and practice with those tools to gain confidence in their use. Students are encouraged to bring their own tools from home, even ones you have no idea what they do! Got a project in mind? Bring photos! Requirement: Safety glasses, well fitting work gloves, ear protection, and closed toed shoes. Note: PPE is also available to borrow from the workshop for general use! CLASS DESCRIPTIONS: HOME SYSTEMS & MAINTENANCE BASICS: This class will provide a platform for awareness and understanding of how residential utilities work; HVAC, wells, solar, generators, municipality provided utilities and homeowner’s responsibilities to maintain them. We will cover a lot of reference materials and practical knowledge of the important mechanics of a home. CARPENTRY BASICS: This class is designed to provide an awareness of what’s in your walls and how to use a variety of tools from hand to power. What you need in your tool box and how to use tools will be covered! EXTERIOR MAINTENANCE: This class covers the basics of windows, doors, decks, stairs and anything that is susceptible to climate extremes. How to weather seal, repair and prevent rot damage is the main focus of this class. We will use epoxy, caulk, and Bondo to repair wood. We’ll also look a various paints and stains to see how they perform and where best to use them. INTERIOR MAINTENANCE: This class is all about keeping the stuff you use most in good working condition to avoid costly repairs. We will discuss appliances and their maintenance and common failures. ELECTRICAL: Electrical will provide an awareness of how power gets to your dwelling and how it is safely distributed throughout. Fire Safety and new NFPA standards will be addressed. We will use a variety of tools to determine if a line is “live”, how to trace an outlet to a breaker, and how to replace or upgrade a breaker to GFCI. PLUMBING: Plumbing is intended to provide awareness of how water gets into and out of your dwelling. We will cover wells and maintenance issues, water from municipalities, septic systems, underground leaks, gutters, French drains, sump pumps and basements. For the practical portion of this class we will replace a toilet wax seal and rebuild the tank valves (it’s way easier than it sounds!). RENOVATING 101: In this class, we will discuss levels of difficulty for a renovation and how to best cost out a project. Material types, costs and labor costs will all be covered. DRYWALL: Due to high demand on expanding this subject, this is a newly offered class. We will go deeper into drywall techniques and fix different size holes using various tools and methods. PAINTING: Due to high demand on expanding this subject, this is a newly offered class. We will paint with various paints and applicators (brushes, rollers, paint can, paint gun.). If the weather is compliant, we will try an airless sprayer outdoors as well. DECKS: In this newly offered class we will discuss care and maintenance of decks as well as cover the different materials used in deck building. We will frame a wooden, pressure-treated 4X4 stoop with posts and railing. Just in time for your summer project!
