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One-Day Seminars  
    Fee: $85   Time: 10 am - 5 pm  
    #1 Owner Contracting 1 Monday, June 29 (9 am to 4 pm)
    #2 Owner Contracting 2 Tuesday, June 30 (9 am to 4 pm)
    #3 Cost Estimating Wednesday, July 1 (9 am to 4 pm)
    #4 How to Prevent Home Owner Nightmares Thursday, July 2 (9 am to 4 pm)
    #8 Garden Hardscapes Sunday, August 23
    #13 Kitchen Design Saturday, June 27
    #17 A Roofing Primer Saturday, August 22
    #18 Solar Electricity for Your Home Sunday, September 20
    #19 Painting: Tricks of the Trade Saturday, August 29
    #7 Earthquake Retrofitting Saturday, July 11
    #10 Garden Design two Sundays, July 12 & 19
    #20 Controlling Termites and Dryrot Saturday, July 12
    #12 Installing Windows, Doors and Skylights Saturday, August 15 (9 am to 4 pm)
    #6 Residential Green Building and Remodeling Sunday, August 2
    #59 Alternative Materials Cob and Strawbale Saturday, September 12
    #11 How to Inspect a House Sunday, July 26
    #5 Foundations Saturday, July 25

 
  #1   OWNER CONTRACTING 1:
        PROJECT MANAGEMENT
Instructor: Scott Achelis

If you buy materials and hire subcontractors, you're owner contracting. Being organized is essential to getting the work done on time and on budget. A successful project manager who supervises general contractors uses a typical project to show you how to efficiently manage all the pieces and people in your project.

#2   OWNER CONTRACTING 2:
        LEGAL ASPECTS
Instructor: Sterling Johnson

If you hire casual labor or even licensed contractors to work on your home, you could end up paying thousands of dollars for unexpected insurance claims, lawsuits or liens. An attorney specializing in contract law will explain how to protect yourself from the most common insurance, contract and lien nightmares.

#3A   COST ESTIMATING
Instructor: Bruce Morris

An experienced general contractor shows you how to prepare a detailed estimate of both materials and labor for new construction and remodeling. This estimate will help you plan out the materials and subcontractors you will need and what features you can really afford. Bring a calculator.

#4   HOW TO PREVENT HOMEOWNER
        NIGHTMARES
Instructor: Ron Kelly

Conflicts over costs, materials and/or workmanship inevitably arise during construction. A mediator's steady diet is the projects that blow up. They'll share the secrets to avoiding disastrous delays and litigation. You'll learn the negotiating skills needed to work out quick and fair resolutions of disputes and misunderstandings. Page is an experienced mediators and general contractors.

#8   GARDEN HARDSCAPES:
        MASONRY WORK
Instructor: Bill Steele

Learn to design and install functional and ornamental planting beds and border edges, paths, patios, promenades, retaining walls, walkways and other garden features using block, brick, pavers, stone, tile and other such basic masonry construction materials.

#13   KITCHEN DESIGN FUNDAMENTALS
Instructor: Beverly Wilson

Your kitchen should express your needs and tastes and increase the value of your home. A professional kitchen designer covers all the topics and details you need to know: layout, selection of materials and fixtures, storage options, lighting, electrical, plumbing, planning with attention to measurement and scale, and structural alterations.

#17   A ROOFING PRIMER
Instructor: Vincent Corbett, Jr.

Replacing an aging roof is one of your most important, and most expensive, home maintenance projects. Find out what your roofing options are, how much they cost and how each type is installed from an experienced roofing contractor. Composition shingle roof and skylight installation, estimating costs, proper tools, tool usage and safety will also be covered. Se habla Espanol.

#18   SOLAR ELECTRICITY FOR YOUR HOME
Instructor: Connor English

Now you can produce your own electricity and "sell" the excess back to PG&E, running your meter backwards! Plus you can receive thousands of rebate dollars from the State at the same time. Learn how to size, specify and design your own solar electrical generator. A short field trip to a functioning house/ system in Berkeley and current catalog of available equipment are also included. Bring your PG&E bill.

#19   PAINTING: TRICKS OF THE TRADE
Instructor: Scott Perry

Save time and money and improve the quality of your next painting project. Learn about: tools, brush and roller selection, paint quality and types, sealants, and the fastest ways to prepare surfaces for interiors and exteriors.

  #7   EARTHQUAKE RETROFITTING
Instructors: Tony DeMascole & Jim Gillett

If your house hasn't been properly bolted and reinforced, the next earthquake could cost you $25,000 to $50,000 or even more. Engineer Tony DeMascole explains how to strengthen your wood frame home; retrofitting contractor Jim Gillett shows how to install expansion and epoxy bolts, shear paneling and structural hardware with slides and demonstrations on a full-scale mock-up. Save hundreds of dollars with the most efficient designs and proven materials.

#10  GARDEN DESIGN
Instructor: Cecelia Littlepage

An overview of drought-tolerant, low maintenance organic design techniques. We'll review spatial design fundamentals to create an individualized design solution for each student. These may involve decks, play structures and water features as well as plant and tree selections. The final product will be a to-scale drawing of each student's yard. Bring a sketch (with dimensions) and snapshots of your yard. NOTE: fee for two-Sunday course: $175 per person

#20   CONTROLLING TERMITES & DRYROT
Instructor: Greg Nichols

Undetected decay can cost the owner, buy-er or seller of a residential property a great deal. Preventing and controlling this and other structural pests before they get to the real damage stage can save thousands of dollars. Don, author of The Termite Report, will teach you how to inspect your home to avoid problems and damage and to hire competent professionals if necessary.

#12   INSTALLING WINDOWS, DOORS &
          SKYLIGHTS
Instructor: Glen Kitzenberger

Replacing a window, door or skylight is a common first-time project for novice do-it-yourselfers. Learn how to do it right.
WINDOWS: new and replacement; wood, aluminum, vinyl, double pane, double hung, sash.
DOORS: prehung, sliding, French
SKYLIGHTS: types, curb, light shafts

#56   RESIDIENTIAL GREEN BUILDING AND REMODELING
Instructor: Greg Van Mechelen

Learn about healthier building materials, how to lower your utility bills, reduce home maintenance and minimize remodeling construction waste. Local architect will present ways to incorporate green building materials and methods into your home remodeling and improvement projects. The class also includes exposure to a variety of alternative and mainstream materials.

#59   ALTERNATIVE MATERIALS:
         COB AND STRAWBALE
Instructors: John Fordice - cob
Dietmar Lorenz - strawbale

Two natural building methods are currently undergoing renewed popularity. Cob is an ancient technique using a mixture of earth, sand and straw; it requires only simple handtools and can easily be shaped into imaginative structures. Strawbales are highly insulative and create an Old World character of thick walls and deepset windows. The methods are gaining building code approval in many communities.



#11   HOW TO INSPECT A HOUSE
Instructor: Paul Rude

Homeowners, prospective buyers and property sellers learn how to get the most out of a home inspection from an award-winning, certified ASHI professional. The house may look fine, but reduce surprises - your greatest protection against making a mistake is to be well informed. Is it safe, sound and sanitary? Find out how to protect your equity/investment with preventative maintenance. Field trip to property in afternoon.

#5   FOUNDATIONS
Instructor: Eric Burtt
New construction, existing evaluation, repair, reinforcing and replacement. Issues of settling, rotation, cracks, floor slope, etc. Consideration of caps, curbs, underpinning, piers, floor releveling, jacking, shoring, rein- forcing bar, forms, design, engineering and cost. Interrelated issues of foundation affecting seismic bolting, drainage and pest isolation. Bring a sketch/picture of your lot or foundation to discuss in class. Need a map or directions to BEC? Go to the mapquest website.
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