Area family gets new house thanks to CV-TEC kids

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July 2, 2008

By LOHR McKINSTRY The Press Republican Wed Jul 02, 2008, 12:00 AM EDT

MORIAH -- Thomas Holland got a new house, and some students got loads of experience building it.

The two-story woodframe house on Cookshaft Road in Moriah was constructed by students from the Yandon-Dillon Educational Center in Mineville, in cooperation with the Housing Assistance Program of Essex County.

"It's been a pretty phenomenal year for the building-trades class," said instructor Kevin Shaw. "Our partnership with HAPEC has been a really great blend. We hope it benefits more families in the Adirondack region."

GREEN DESIGN

The house is designed to be energy-saving, Shaw said, with top-quality insulation and a passive-solar design for maximum light.

"It's a very tight, very green design. It took a lot of problem-solving."

The building has balloon-frame construction, in which studs run the full height of the structure for solidity.

"It's unique in its design. It's a very old type of construction," Shaw said. "Settlers in this area used it with post and beam. It fits into the architecture of the Adirondack region."

BIG PROJECT

The house was a first for the Champlain Valley Technical Education Center's Mineville campus, he said.

"The building-trades program doesn't usually build houses this complex. They worked right through the winter on it. The students fought all kinds of environmental conditions. I can't say enough about the fortitude they exhibited."

Housing Assistance Program representative Bruce Misarski said 90 percent of the work on the 20-by-30-foot home was done by the students.

"They got in and hit the ground running. They really have something to be proud of."

He said the Holland family was in dire straits.

"They have been living in a trailer that's 30 years old. Tom called me, asking for help. This property is going to be worth a lot more to their family than an old mobile home that has no value."

The trailer has holes in its sides, and its electrical system is balky, he said. Once the Holland family move into their new home, the trailer will be hauled away for salvage.

THRILLED WITH WORK

The house was built using grant money obtained by the Housing Assistance Program, and Holland took out a construction loan. Some of the work -- drywall, insulation, railings and interior floors -- has been contracted out.

Holland said he can't wait to move in.

"The students did an excellent, excellent job. I can't thank them enough. They did a lot of work."

He said no matter what the weather, the building-trades students worked on the house.

"They were here every day, in rain, snow, wind. We appreciate all they did. They should be proud of themselves."

He and his companion, Lavina Drake, and his son, William, a senior at Moriah Central School, hope to move in by the end of July.

"I said, that train is coming," Drake said. "I can't wait."

Student Nathan Patnode said he and the others worked hard.

"The roof was the toughest. We set the rafters on by ourselves. That was during the winter. We had to reach up and hold 250-pound beams."

The skills they developed building the house are invaluable, he said.

"It was still fun. We had a great experience."

lmckinstry@pressrepublican.com