Times Standard Article

Humboldt County partners with CR,
CCC to offer free green building training
The Times-Standard Posted: 11/22/2010 01:15:08 AM PST

Humboldt County, in partnership with College of the Redwoods and the California Conservation Corps, will provide free training and hands-on experience in the green building profession for young adults.

The county recently received California Clean Energy workforce training grants, in which CR is a partner and is providing much of the training for the grants, according to a CR press release. The deadline to apply is Dec. 17.

The 13-week program is focused on disadvantaged persons ages 18-24 and provides green building classes and a paid work experience with the California Conservation Corps. The students will take part in the CCC training class beginning Jan. 24. in Eureka and perform hands-on work in the CR Construction Technology class, CT-15 Field Techniques for Historic Preservation, starting Jan. 31.

There will be job placement assistance upon completion of the program. Free housing may be available in the CR dormitories on the main Eureka campus for those who live outside the Eureka area.

This program can serve residents of Mendocino, Humboldt, Del Norte and Trinity counties.

Participants will also be given the opportunity to develop workforce entry skills at the Eureka Adult School.

For more information or an application, call StepUp Program Coordinator Laura Chancellor at The Job Market, 445-6226.

HPR Club secretary Greg Deangelis (white hardhat) assists CCC students, Dan and Tim (foreground) in removing three generations of roofing at the Annie B. Ryan field school.

Stripping Paint

We all know that paint on old houses probably contains lead. Windows are often difficult to open or have been painted shut. We had a lecture on safely removing paint in the course CT-17 Material Science: Glass. I have taken this information and also tips from Bill's window Restoration Workshop and experimented on windows from my own house to fully develop a safe way to remove paint.

The most important thing to remember is that lead paint is most dangerous in its dry, air born, dusty form. So keep it wet. How? With steam. Jiffy Steamer makes a professional steamer that holds more water than the personal steamers so that you don't have to refill as often. As your drycleaner knows, steam is the gentlest, safest, most efficient method to remove wrinkles from fabrics. Steam also softens paint and glazing putty and swells the wood so that paint and putty can easily and safely be removed from wood with a putty knife or scraper.

Steam box made with inch and a half rigid insulation.

Custom shaped scrapers can be ground to match the profile of the window. With a heat gun leading the way paint comes off in a soft pliable form and the shape of the profile is unaltered. Whatever paint didn't come off after steaming can be removed safely with a heat gun. HEPA filters are suggested when working around suspicious materials.

Lead paint is not something to take lightly. Precautions such as wearing a Tyvek suit, nitril gloves and a HEPA filter particle mask is highly recommended. Disposal of hazardous materials is important, double bag the waste and deliver it to you local hazardous waste dumping sight. In Eureka, CA there is a 15 gallon limit per visit, open on Friday and Saturday 9 am to 1 pm.