Building a future
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No comments [ Add Comment ]By Carolyn Losee
Standard-Examiner correspondent
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KAYSVILLE -- Before Chase Lewis ever helped build a house from the ground up, he knew his future career would include working with his hands.
Lewis has always admired the work of master craftsmen and believes the beauty of their work can be enjoyed for generations to come.
"I like hands-on things," Lewis said. "It's been pretty fun to build my first house while learning and fun to do it with everyone else."
Through the Davis School District's Careers and Technical Education classes, Lewis and other students learn the step-by-step process how to build a home.
Lewis, 16, is proud of the nightstand and chest of drawers he built at Davis High School's wood class last year. He eventually got the hankering to build something bigger and better, he said -- a house.
The team effort of working with your peers is very rewarding, Lewis said about the house they built on 686 E. Rosewood Lane in Layton.
"In years to come, I can drive by and always say I helped build that house," he said.
Lewis is excited that the carpentry program teaches the skills he needs to enter the construction industry. The main emphasis of the program is residential carpentry with instruction in concrete, framing, drywall, roofing, building cabinets, electrical, plumbing and door and trim work.
Lewis hopes to gain the skills that will give him an edge in the job market. When he graduates, he plans to attend Davis Applied Technology College where he can study construction further and eventually receive his contractor's license.
Carpentry isn't just for the guys, said Melanie Bredthauer, 17, a junior at Davis High. When she registered for the carpentry class this year she thought it would be a fun class to "build things and work with my hands."
Hammering uses muscles not often used, she said.
"Now I can hammer like it's nothing," she said. "When the time comes, I've learned how to basically fix my own home."
Her confidence using carpentry tools was very limited, she said.
"I feel pretty tough now," Bredthauer said. "The class is teaching me good skills. It's cool to know as a group we worked together as a team to get something done that's awesome."
Doug Cox , a general contractor for 35 years, teaches the construction class at Davis High. He said the students learn life-long skills.
"The construction class gets their feet wet in the carpentry professions," Cox said. "The students learn what is the right and wrong way to do construction. Either they become construction workers or they leave having the handyman skills for their own homes."
He said a former student in the program, a sub-contractor, poured the concrete for the basement of this years' house.
Neil Hancey, supervisor of Davis School District's Careers and Technical Education, said the public can see the homes the students built at an open house on May 24 from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. He said there is always a waiting list of interested buyers for the homes. Three homes are for sale by the school district and two are low-income homes for local communities. Hancey said the district doesn't negotiate for the low-income homes, but the market analysis said the district homes should sell in the neighborhood of $300,000 to $750,000.
"The faculty and students produce a quality product that the students and potential buyers can be proud of," Hancey said. "What is important is teaching our students quality standards for building. The kids do a fantastic job."
Proceeds from the sales will be used to purchase more home-building lots and building supplies, said Hancey.
"We are always in the process of looking for land for these student projects," he said. "Our greatest fear is to find land and keep the program going."
Davis School District student-built homes
Davis High School
686 E. Rosewood Lane, Layton
Carpentry instructor: J. D. Cox
Cabinetry instructor: Bry Sorenson
Rosewood Meadow subdivision, plat #2
Layton High School
2401 N. 125 West, Layton
Carpentry instructor: Rob Wilcox
Cabinetry instructor: Bruce Trimble
Quail Crest subdivision, plat #627
Northridge High School
2400 N. 88 West, Layton
Carpentry instructor: Bart Larsen
Cabinetry instructor: Bruce Trimble
Quail Crest subdivision, plat #612
Viewmont High School
944 W. 1600 North, West Bountiful
Carpentry instructor: Tim Kidder
Cabinetry instructor: Val Heiner
Olsen Farms subdivision, plat #4
Bountiful/Woods Cross high schools
387 E. 3100 South, Bountiful
Carpentry instructor: Bob Bodily
Cabinetry instructor: Kent Russon
Plat #1
Contact Neil Hancey, supervisor of Careers and Technical Education for Davis School District, with questions at 402-5112.
