Students in the Construction Trades class are working on wrapping up one more major project before the end of the school year to put siding on the house they’re building on Hoven Lane.
Instructor Travis Oliver said it’s crunch time as the number of days left to complete their work is down to single digits. “We’re doing some siding,” said Oliver. “All of the soffits are just about done. We have a little bit in the front, and we’re working on the siding in the back. So, if you drive by, you probably don’t notice any progress, but we’re starting in the back and working our way to the front. We’ve got about 7-8 days of school left, so hopefully, we get to the front. My goal is to get 100 percent done, but that’s a moving target.”
On Thursday, Oliver taught the students how to use a laser to make sure they get the siding on straight (video below). “When I shoot siding and going around the house to put the siding on, I always want to make sure it’s flat,” said Oliver. “Obviously, I don’t want to have crooked siding, and I don’t want to teach the kids that that’s okay. So, we start off with a laser from a starting point, and I’m showing them that this might not be the only way to get it, but this is the way I’ve done it in the past and like to do it. As we go forward to the front of the house and continue to work, I’ll put the responsibility on the kids to shoot that, and then I’ll double-check it. I’ll double-check that they’re shooting the siding height at the right height, so it looks professional, and at the end of the day, there shouldn’t be any complaints.”
Because they want to get the siding done, Oliver said they’ve pretty much wrapped up what they’ll do inside. “The inside, we sheetrocked everything,” said Oliver. “We did a little bit of taping and mudding with a couple of kids to give them a little bit of experience. In a normal year, I’d probably tackle that, but I’m a little bit limited with my kids and with what else I want to get done. I want to get the outside done, so we’re kind of pulling off the inside. We have a gentleman coming into tape and mud that. It will be summer pretty soon, so my assumption is they’ll get somebody in here to do the trim work and flooring. All those little things to get the house done and wrap it all up. That’s the normal process, and then hopefully, it sells.”
There will also be one last open house before the end of the year. “Parents should see an email pretty quick, and the community will be invited,” said Oliver. “We’ll be doing a cookout with some brats and burgers. Looking for that to be the last week of school, probably a Tuesday or Wednesday night that last week. We’ll get everything shimmied up and cleared up here, put away, and then have some food for people to come through and see. This is a two-year house. Not typical in my time with what we’ve got done. But I always like those; it gives a chance for parents to see what they’ve been working on and the kids to tell them what they’ve been working on. I think it’s positive for the school district and my classes for those parents and the students.”
With the current cost of projects, Oliver said he expects the house built by the students could be more economical for someone than building new. “As far as I know, it’s still for sale,” said Oliver. “CHEDA is who to contact on it. They have given a few tours to a couple of people. With the cost of materials, I’m assuming if it works out right, it’s going to be more expensive to build a house than it is to buy this one. So, hopefully, it sells, and a family is living here, and they like it.”
