Home Maintenance Bootcamp

• 8:30am Site Open

• 9am-noon Morning Session

• noon-1pm Break for lunch. Bring a packed lunch.

• 1-4pm Afternoon Session

Most Common Interior Repairs to Walls and Ceilings

• Essential Tools

• Painting

• Caulking & Spackling

• Sheetrock Repair (including nail pops)

• Hanging things on the wall (pictures, mirrors, shelving, cabinets, etc.)

• wall and ceiling coverings

Most Common Flooring and Interior Trim Issues

• wood floors

• Laminate and LVT (luxury vinyl tile)

• sheet flooring and carpet

• Tile

• Interior Trim

Most Common Exterior Repairs

• Painting and caulking

• Minimizing water damage issues

• Crawlspaces and Basements (if present)

• Gutters and Downspouts (also leaf guards on gutters)

• Ladders, scaffolding, safety equipment

• Window and Door Repairs

Basic Plumbing systems

• Water Pipes: Materials, Size, Pressure

• Waste & Vent Piping: Traps, Slope, Pipe size

• Shut Off Valves

• Repairing water pipes, vent pipes, or waste pipes

• Minimizing freezing issues

• Basic repairs: Toilets, Sinks, Tubs, Showers

• A little about Plumbing Codes

Basic Electrical

• Volts, Amps, Ohms, Watts

• Direct Current and Alternating Current

• 120 volt/240 volt

• Reading a meter

• Breakers and fuses

• Switches

• Receptacles

• Light fixtures

• Appliances

• Basic wiring

• Electrical codes

Basic Heating, Cooling, and Venting

• Changing and/or cleaning filters

• Thermostats

• Why vent stoves, bathrooms, dryers, etc.?

• Fresh air or make up air?

System Issues

• Mold and mildew

• Water or weather related damage to materials

• Termites and insect damage (carpenter bees, ants, etc.)

• Insulation, energy efficiency, radon, indoor air quality

Well and Septic Systems

More Extensive Projects

• Reroofing or repairing roofs

• Structural repairs and/or foundation repairs

• Moving Walls (load bearing or non load bearing)

• Kitchen and/or bathroom remodels and upgrades

When to get professional help

• Safety Glasses

• Hammer

• Tape Measure (at least 20’ tape measure)

• Speed Square

• Carpenter pencil

• Utility Knife

• Chisel (¾” or 1” wide) (Optional)

• Small pry bar (Optional)

• 6 in 1 screwdriver (Optional)

• Dust Mask (Optional)

• Tool Belt (Optional)

• Construction Gloves (Optional)

• Ear Protection (Optional)

• The workshop happens regardless of weather conditions. We will adjust the activities of each day based on things like chance of rain, heat index that day, etc. We will also adjust activities to respond to what topic areas participants are most interested in and want to spend the most time learning and/or practicing.

• Overnight Camping available at $10/night

• The workshops covers knowledge and hands-on experience.

• Number of Participants capped at 12.

• This workshop is not eligible for use with a season pass.

• Youth, under 18, may not attend free with an adult. Instead, they should be registered independently.

• No refund policy

• Deep River Folk School Carpentry and Woodworking & Tiny Home Building Workshops

• Other Folk Schools or Education Programming: Greenwood Wrights’Fest, Piedmont Earthskills Gathering, Holistic Survival School, Wild Abundance

• Books  (See book table during workshop)

• YouTube Videos (quality is quite variable)

• Construction Shows (e.g. “This Old House”)

• Community College Classes (Quality varies)

• Mentors or Skilled Friends and Acquaintances

• Volunteering (e.g. Habitat for Humanity)

• Doing Projects and Learning by Doing

If you need to make incremental payments, we can coordinate that with you. Please email Morgan at deepriverfolkschool@gmail.com to request a partial payment schedule.

We are limited in our ability to offer work-trade and scholarship for this program, but please email Harvey if you would like to pursue that possibility. harvey.harman@gmail.com