Home Maintenance Bootcamp
3-Day Workshop July 10-12, 2026
Skills to live well in a building and do basic & intermediate maintenance on it
Houses need maintenance, updates and improvements over time. Additionally living in a building means we need to know simple things like how to install a hanger for a picture or mirror so it doesn’t fall down, or basics of how our plumbing, electrical, or heating systems work. This workshop covers the most important items you need to know to live well in a building and do basic to intermediate maintenance on the building. This workshop is a safe place to learn and practice important maintenance and basic repair skills since everyone in the class is a learner.
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8:30am Site Open
9am-noon Morning Session
noon-1pm Break for lunch. Participants bring their own lunch
1-4pm Afternoon Session
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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
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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?
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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
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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)
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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.
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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
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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
Lead Instructor: Harvey Harman
Harvey is a green builder, licensed General Contractor, licensed plumber, conservation-oriented land developer, organic farmer, teacher, and writer. Harvey is influenced by his experiences of living in various community settings, including a remote retreat center in the cascade mountains in Washington state, and five years in a traditional, rural village in Southern Africa. Harvey initiated and helped develop the Sustainable Farming Program at Central Carolina Community College (CCCC) in Pittsboro, NC, and has taught many classes at CCCC in the past 25 years in Sustainable Agriculture, Permaculture, Green Building, and Construction/Plumbing. Harvey was the Carolina Farm Stewardship Association Farmer of the Year in 1998. Harvey has been a Building Contractor for the past 25 years and was the Construction Director for Chatham Habitat for Humanity for 13 years.
Harvey is also a cofounder of Living Well Ecovillage and is passionate about building resilient and sustainable networks of people and communities. In his spare time Harvey loves to design and build small and tiny houses and share information and practical skills with others.