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The
Knack Of
House
Construction Workshops
Course Outline
More
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ELECTRICAL AND
LIGHTING
We
demystify the hidden nerve system of your home by applying the simple
black, red, white, and green colour code. You use special tools and
practice the tricks of making the job easier, faster and better. You
practice the installation and wiring of everything in the home from the
fuse panel to bathroom lights (including switches, light fixtures,
receptacles, split receptacles, panel breakers, and meter base), with
the stress on safety and quality. We discuss the criteria for planning
your light and receptacle circuits as well as the special
considerations needed for kitchen circuits and energy efficiency.
PLUMBING
People
consider plumbing the second most puzzling part of any house, but in
truth, it is the easiest job. You assemble hot and cold water supply
lines using the latest no blow torch, solderless techniques. Then you
solder joints copper piping and fabricate CPVC joints. You put together
a complete drainage system utilizing ABS piping. You practice the
installations of kitchen, hand basin, and bathtub/shower faucets. We
cover information about wells and septic systems. Then we stop and
discuss the pros and cons of various materials and designs and look at
ways to economize while producing a superior system.
FOUNDATIONS
We
teach you the one weekend foundation system, along with simple methods
to calculate your structural requirements. We take a critical look at
the standard techniques and materials, and e amine simple approaches to
deal with frost, Radon and moisture problems. We show you an engineer's
approach to a quality (better than Code) foundation. We thoroughly
cover the 16 factors that must be controlled for even a minimum quality
poured concrete foundation.
ROOFS, WALLS
AND FLOORS
Students
build roof, wall and floor systems employing time saving production
techniques, using both power tools and hand tools. By applying the
Optimum Value Engineering system, our graduates can design and
construct 15% stronger roofs, walls and floors using 1/3 less lumber
than conventional building methods. In addition, we cover a variety of
Pre-Engineered materials that enable you to cost-effectively e ceed the
Building Code.We take time to discuss various building methods
(including log), and evaluate materials and the sources for those building materials and tools.
HEATING AND
COOLING
Probably
more misinformation circulates on the subject of heating and cooling
than on any other. We get it all in perspective by sorting out what
really works from that which is supposed to work. Students learn a
simple method of calculating heating and insulation requirements. We
discuss Active and Passive Solar systems, R2000 and the Advanced System
as well as newer energy efficient stoves, heat pumps and furnaces, the
best insulations, vapor/air retarders, window selection, and
ventilation including an evaluation of ventilation hardware and systems
design in this newly emerging technology.
LAYOUT AND
DESIGN
Students
learn a simple three step process of translating dreams into reality
and also for translating dreams into plans suitable for permit
applications and construction. As well as discussing the pros and cons
of one storey versus multi-storey, crawl space versus basement: we go
into security and future e pansion. We also e amine the common mistakes
made in houses that are built for profit rather than people.
EXTERIOR
FINISHING
Students
learn to install flashing, asphalt shingles, and real wood siding.
Manufactured siding is also installed . We e amine the advantages and
disadvantages of different types of roofing and e terior wall materials
as well as their correct installation methods (how to avoid warranty
problems). Included in this section are e terior stains, paints, and
their application.
FLOORING AND
STAIRS
You
prepare and install ceramic tile using a professional process. We cover
weak and strong points of other flooring materials. This section
includes the design of stairways and how to prepare and build squeak
free sub-floors.
INTERIOR
FINISHING
Students
learn to install and finish drywall, including corners and special
moldings. You will learn how to reduce the labour by 50%. We compare
other methods of finishing interior walls and ceilings. You will learn
to use a Biscuit Joiner to finish your trim like a cabinet maker
Includes the design and construction of built-in storage systems.
THE KITCHEN
The
kitchen is the most e pensive space in your home and often the most
poorly designed. We teach you how to design a kitchen to suit you -
both physically and with regard to your lifestyle. We compare materials
and systems for counters and cabinets.
WINDOWS AND
DOORS
You
frame the walls for the installation of doors and windows as well as
install the doors and windows (windows and doors are the easiest
component to install on the e terior of the house). We discuss how to
incorporate windows into your design.
OTHER NECESSARY
EVILS
We
could call this section keeping control and avoiding headaches. In this
part we cover money matters, contracts, discounts, permits,
inspections, scheduling, hiring, safety, hazardous material, buying
tools, renting equipment and more.
|
More
Sites To Tell You About Our Workshop "The Knack"
People
Attend "The Knack of Home Construction"
Because They Cannot Find A House With The Quality And Features They
Want ...more
--->
For Most People
Buying Or Building A Home Will Be The Biggest Singular Investment of
Their Lives - What Price Is Good Information? ...more --->
Benefits of
Participating in The Knack of Home
Construction Workshop - 16 benefits compiled by graduates of The Knack
of Home Construction ...more
--->
The Thousand
Islands Institute's Proven Learning
Approach. There is no magic involved, we use the time-tested method of
"show and do", and the only "trick" lies in the research and
preparation of the information passed on to the participants...more --->
The Knack of Home
Construction Participant (Student) Profile Here is a profile of the
formerly ine perienced women and men who have attended The Knack ......
more --->
Are Different
Building Codes An Issue For People
Coming To "The Knack of Home Construction" From Different Parts of
America? No, the Building Codes Are All The Same! ... more
--->
The
Knack of Home Construction Workshops
A Workshop Where
Inexperienced People Come And Learn In A Hands-On Fashion How To
Build Or Self-Contract
Their Own Affordable
Custom Dream Home. Our Twenty Fourth Year
Of Helping People Help Themselves To Build Or Renovate Their Own Home
Over the last
24years, 3000 formerly inexperienced
women and men have come from across Canada and the USA to participate
in the Thousand Islands Institute house building school's workshop "The
Knack of Home Construction" - an intensive, nine consecutive day,
hands-on home building workshop - where people learn how to design and
build, renovate or self-contract their own quality and affordable dream
home.
The Thousand
Islands Institute is totally
independent. We carry on our own research and then just tell you about
the best in construction.
The Knack (The
Knack of Home Construction) workshop
includes hands-on learning of everything needed to design and build,
renovate or self-contract a quality home.
Everything you
need to register for The Knack of
Home Construction ... more --->
What's
Included In The
Tuition?
Besides the 64
hours of hands-on workshops - the
tuition includes all the tools and materials used in the workshops.
Included as well, is the one of a kind - 400 page, "The Knack Reference
Kit/Manual". Last but not least. included is a free followup consulting
- as a learning extension of the workshops, as the house is being
built/renovated.
"The Knack of Home
Construction" and Its
Participants Have Been Thoroughly Covered By the National Media in The
USA and Canada ...more
--->
About
The Institute's Director
Harry Pasternak
Harry Pasternak
started at age 12 in the family's
home construction business his father Carl started in the home building
business at age 11 and built homes for 70 years, the grandfather ... more --->
The
Thousand Islands Institute Advisory
Board
Here
are the advisory board members ...
more--->>>>>>
Over the past 24
years, by necessity, we have
developed the comprehensive The Knack Reference Kit
for use in the seminar portion of the workshops, which has now grown to
over 400 pages. 'The Knack Reference Kit', includes most of the
critical drawings and key information covered in the classroom work.
The comprehensive text allows time for asking questions you
can't draw, make notes, ask questions and carry on a discussion at the
same time! You take 'The Knack Reference Kit' home with
you. Below are a few examples from 400 page 'The Knack Reference Kit':
This set of
drawings are the results of a study
carried out by Peter Sheffield who specializes in structural
engineering. Sheffield shows the better way to laterally support the
top portion of all four foundation walls against the forces caused by
the soil surrounding the foundation which are trying to collapse all
four foundation walls, inwards...more --->
Here
Is A Better Way
To Build A One And
One-Half Storey Home And Save Time & Money While Increasing The
Structural Quality
Build the second
floor of a house at the same time
as you frame your roof!...more --->
The "Advanced
House" is the way of building the
most energy efficient home. The elements ...more --->
A
Sixty Year Old Method For Building Kitchen
Systems - The 32
Millimeter System
Because of
ingenious design and hardware anyone can
install a quality kitchen in a weekend....more --->
Many
Headaches On House Building Projects
Come About When A Change
Is Required
Here is a form
that will keep the headaches away...more --->
Here is three
dimensional drywall
that looks like wall paneling after its painted no taping required!
more --->
How
To Pick The Right Size
Piece Of Lumber To Build Your Floor Structure With (Sizing Floor Joists)
If you can read,
you can engineer your home successfully...more --->
Buy
Building Materials Is A Game If You Know
How To Play Successfully, Your Can Save
Tens Of Thousands Of Dollars
Here is part of
the game...........more --->
The
Common Mistake Made By Builders When
Building "Backsplit" Houses
Here is a common
error regarding the depth that a
footing must be below frost when building a backsplit...more --->
How
To Wire An Energy
Efficient Home Without
Destroying The "Vapor
Retarder"
Many "energy
efficient" homes are no longer energy efficient, after the wiring has
been completed.......more --->
Here is another
sheet from the Foundation section
of the The Knack Reference Kit...more --->
Cathedral
Roof Venting
Here are some
methods for 'venting' cathedral roof systems approaches that add to the
aesthetics of the house rather than detracting from the beauty of the
building...more --->
A proven method
of building without a
basement/foundation a saving of $10,000 to $30,000...more --->
How To
Save 80% On The Cost of Installing
The Second Floor and the Ceiling
of the First
Floor
Here is a way of
saving 80% of the cost while
making it higher quality and beautiful to boot...more --->
Not many people
loving taping and finishing joints
in drywall here is how to eliminate 50% of the drudgery...more --->
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Below Are A Few Houses Built By The
3000 Graduates of The Knack of
Home
Construction Workshop
7
Ways To Keep Your Home
Affordable While Building In High Quality.. more
There
are dozens of proven ways to keep your home affordable, while saving
substantially while you acquire a higher quality house. Buying
materials and arranging labour is a game; if you know the rules you
will play successfully. Here is a small selection of our well proven
strategies for putting you in control of the costs of the project.
Remember, for every $10,000 saved on construction you save
approximately, a further $5000 to$15,000 in mortgage interest
(depending on current mortgage interest rates).
1.
Save Big Money By Taking On Design & Construction Roles
Several
different kinds of people profit by their participation in the design,
management, construction and selling of a house. Decide which roles
shown below you wish accomplish yourself, tally the percentages saved,
and you will know approximately how much you can save on your Quality
Custom Home.
Real Estate Agent 6%
Architect 6% General Contractor Profit-Overhead 12% Site Supervisor 4%
Purchasing
Agent, Markup 6%
Hiring Trades, Markup 6%
Labour 30%
Materials 30%
If you design, general contract, site supervise, hire trades, buy
materials (and you will not require a real estate agent) you will save
approximately 40% (plus a lot of mortgage interest!). That is, you can
save 40% on the construction of a quality custom home without having to
drive a single nail.
2.
Saving On GST
Yes,
the Owner-Built Home-owner can claim the GST paid on the services and
materials (including land) that went into the new home (renovations are
also included). For example, you may claim the lesser of $8750 and 36%
of the total GST paid on new home construction. But, you only have two
years to claim.
Go to your nearest Revenue Canada office and pick up the GST Completion
Guide And Form. Yes, you also save the mortgage interest you would have
had to pay in a mortgage to pay off the GST.
3.
Purchase A True
Weekly Mortgage
Purchase
a True Weekly Mortgage and save approximately $75,000 interest per
$100,000 of mortgage on a 25 year term! Some banks claim they are
giving you weekly mortgage savings, but beware. Not all weekly payment
programs are created equal, and the cost of the mortgage can vary
widely. In order to protect your money and sweat equity, read The
Perfect Mortgage by Alan Silverstein before you decide on who will get
the opportunity to hold your mortgage.
4.
How To Play The
Buying Game
The
Knack will teach you how to get the best possible price on
high quality materials. For example some manufacturers will not sell
direct to the consumer, but you can still buy these products from
distributors instead of retailers. The Institute will show you how to
track sources for everything from insulation to cedar shakes and can
save you 25% or more. You have to be careful when shopping at a
distributor or manufacturer, sometimes they charge you more than
retail, but we can teach you a complete formal purchasing strategy in
order to avoid these pitfalls.
5.
How Non-Profit Research Groups Can Help You
Research
tells you where to get the best materials and hardware at the lowest
prices. For example, the American Consumers Association, a non-profit
consumer research and educational organization reports in its Consumer
Reports magazine that the Certainteed Bryn Mawr window outperforms the
Pella Designer window even though the Pella windows cost approximately
41% more! This free information can save you a lot of money; windows
are the singular most expensive item that will go into your home.The
Knack will acquaint you with many other useful non-profit organizations.
6.
Save Time & Money Use Off-The-Shelf Building Products
A
variety of Off-The-Shelf custom quality building products are available
to save you time and money. One example, is the pre-hung insulated
exterior door which installs in 20 minutes (versus the traditional
method which takes 5 hours!), has an R value of 5 with excellent
weather-stripping (compared to the traditional doors R-1 and marginal
weatherstripping), with an overall savings of 50%.
Another example is the Kitchen Cabinet 32 Millimeter System. The
kitchen costs more than any other room in the home, but you can control
the expense by using a simple, fifty-year-old kitchen fabrication
technique known as the 32 Millimeter System. Available at a number of
retailers, the components come knocked down, but go together easily
with the ingenious hardware provided. It takes one Saturday to assemble
and install these units even if you think you are all-thumbs. Your
quality kitchen cabinet system could now cost $2400 instead of $8000
and more. There are hundreds of easy to install Off-The-Shelf quality
products available.
7.
Everyone Can Get A
Mortgage Even With
Only 5%-10% Down
Remember,
almost everyone can own a home, regardless of income, because of a
federal crown corporation, Canada Mortgage Housing Corporation. CMHC's
policy enables Canadians to obtain financing with only a 10% down
payment; that is, 10% of the cost of construction (an amount which you
can reduce by 30% or more) and the land. If your land costs $30,000 and
if you are going to do most of the work yourself then your only
additional costs will be for building materials and construction
permits. If the materials were to cost $60,000 and the land $30,000
then you would only need $9,000 down! There are other programs which
only require a 5% down payment.
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20
Ways To Build Or
Renovate Better Than Building Codes Require While Avoiding Mistakes
Many Builders Make
Free
house construction information listed below will increase the quality
of your home while you save substantially in both construction costs
and mortgage interest simply by knowing what you will find here without
attending our house building workshop.
What Price
Is Good Information?
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Here
are just a few samples of the
things you’ll learn at The Knack: |
How
To Protect You
and Your Family From Lead In Your Drinking Water!
The
University of North Carolina’s environmental quality
institute
study shows that a new submersible pump for a well, adds 8000 parts per
billion of lead to the drinking water! — the USA standard is
5 ppb |
Is
Your
Woodstove, Fireplace Or Furnace Leaking Deadly Carbon Monoxide Into
Your Home?
It
is estimated that seventy-five percent of the homes using a furnace,
wood stove, or fireplace, will have dangerous levels of deadly carbon
monoxide(CO). |
The
Highest
Quality Kitchen Cabinets at the Absolute Best Price?
Aside
from making the cabinets yourself, which is entirely possible by using
a $200. Biscuit Joiner — there are the four places to buy
kitchen
cabinet systems. |
Can
Anyone Learn
To Design Their Own Custom Quality Home Better Than An Architect?
McGill’s
School of Architecture’s Witold Rybczynski, professor of
architecture and author of many books on housing and house design
(including Home) was interviewed on Canadian Broadcast
Corporation’s national morning radio show
Morningside—the
host asked Rybczynski who was the best person to design ones own home,
the architect or the homeowner? Rybczynski replied — "the
homeowner"! |
How
Do You
Avoid Costly Maintenance Problem With Ceramic Tiling Adjacent To
Bathtubs?
Ceramic
tile is one of the most affordable high quality, low maintenance
interior finishes — if the right materials, proper
preparation
and installation methods are used. ...The best base material to sheath
the wall studs is Mesh-Reinforced Cement Board ... |
How
To Avoid Leaky ‘Valley
Flashing’
?
Valley
Flashing consists of 12 foot long, two foot wide pieces of sheet metal
with a slight bend down the middle, used to keep water from coming in
through the roof and destroying the structural integrity of the roof as
well as damaging the interior . ... however, quality Valley Flashing
must have 5 bends in it |
The
Best High
Quality Asphalt Shingle Roof?
Until
recently, the ‘rule of thumb’, when it came to
buying
asphalt roofing shingles, was to buy the shingle that weighed the most.
However, a recent study shows that practise may not be the best
approach. |
How
To Make Your
Drinking Water Safe!
There
are no legislated standards for safe drinking water in Canada ;
fortunately there are in the USA. But in either case — if you
get
your water from a private well— then test the water at a
reliable
laboratory [Suburban Water Testing Laboratories (800) 433-6595] . |
Are
Damp Basements
Preventable?
The
first important step is to always hire a Structural Soil Engineer (not
an agricultural soil specialist!) to investigate the land (preferably
before you buy). |
Any
Accurate
Resource Books For Designing A Home Free Of Poisonous Chemicals?
Canada
Housing And Mortgage Corporation states that most disease is caused by
an unhealthy home environment! |
How
To Design A
Home That Can Change For The Future!
McGill’s
School of Architecture’s publication The Next Home
is an thorough study in home design and construction planning/costing.
The notion behind the book is that a home can be so well designed that
it can “accommodate the fluctuations in today’s
households ... |
Is
Vinyl Siding
Maintenance Free?
All
vinyl
siding must be washed with detergent and rinse once a year to maintain
the warranty! |
Are
Building Codes
Correct When It Comes To Roof Venting?
“The
1:300 ratio of vent space to roof area adhered to … since
the
1940s has been accepted without any scientific
substantiation,”
says Bill Rose, a researcher architect for the University of Illinois
Building Research Council. “It’s an arbitrary
figure that
somehow became code.” |
A
Better Finish Than
Drywall?
One
research organization says that: “Unlike traditional plaster,
which is labor intensive and costly, veneer plaster uses far less
material and labour , and is therefore more affordable...some custom
house builders can finish walls with veneer plaster at the same cost or
at a slightly higher cost than with gypsum wallboard
(drywall)...” |
Will
Good
Design Enable You To Live Comfortably In A 1200 Sq. Ft. Home?
In
Donald
Prowler’s book Modest Mansions.
Prowler states that “ Most homes today are poorly designed:
They
waste so much space that they are expensive to build, uncomfortable to
live in, and costly to heat and cool”. |
Which
Is The Best
Kitchen Sink?
Unfortunately,
all sinks are not created equal in terms ease of installation,
features, styles and colour, durability, and cost.You have to consider: |
Which
Is The Best
House Insulation With The Least Health Risks?
Research
recommends loose Rock Wool (generic name) with no added chemicals for
both walls and roof (oil coated loose is second best). |
How
To Cut The
House Framing Time In Half While Increasing The Structural Integrity of
The Home
Here
is a
forty year old method developed by the USDA's Forest Products
Laboratory. |
How
To Construct
A 'Healthier' Home
Here's
one way to build a healthier home by not using any wood! |
What
Kind Of Roof
Truss Do You Need To Buy For An Energy Efficient Roof System?
A
truss
with a raised heel?
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W.G.A. THE KNACK Reg. No.:
R20625
W.G.C. THE KNACK I.D.506-01013
© The Knack,
Copyright 1980 -2006 Harry Pasternak
©
The Knack Of Home Construction, Copyright 1980-2006 Harry Pasternak |
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