We kicked off our 2019 kids DIY classes at Tum-A-Lumber with a cool block lamp project in Hood River and Pendleton this past weekend. All together, 55 kids designed and built their very own lamps with 1” blocks! You can learn how to build your own lamp by checking out our DIY Projects page. Check our upcoming classes here!
Check out this video we made with Tum-A-Lum Lumber about our upcoming DIY classes this year!
February sure was a snowy month for us in the Gorge. But that didn’t stop us from making! 12 women honed in their woodworking skills and built new friendships. So cool to see the variety of projects that kept us on our toes! Our next series is coming up soon at Gorge MakerSpace on Tuesday nights April 23rd-May 14th. Spots are filling quickly so sign up soon! Here’s the link. :)
We are excited to offer our next Intro to Woodworking for Women series in February! Participants will build confidence and friendships while learning basic skills and tool safety to design and build their own projects. Space is limited to 12 participants and you can register by clicking the flyer above. We hope to make things with you real soon!
Green Building. Sustainability. LEED. EPS. HERS. Net-Zero Energy. Passive House. High Performance. All buzzwords in the home building industry. But what do they mean and why should you care?
If you are a home builder or have ever had a home built or remodeled, then you know there are many options in design, materials and methods. Building code provides the minimum standard for home building that is always evolving to advance building practices. Today’s advanced building practices become tomorrow’s code. Certifications like LEED, Net-Zero and Passive House as well as scoring tools such as EPS and HERS showcase homes currently being built better than code. They all have different checklists and options but similarly define how a home relates to its site, use of local and renewable materials, indoor air quality, water efficiency, energy efficiency & renewable energy. Energy modeling and diagnostic testing with equipment such as blower doors and duct blasters measure the home’s performance and enable comparison of efficiency similar to the miles per gallon ratings of vehicles. Home buyers cause use this information to estimate annual operating costs and carbon footprint. Home builders can use these certifications and scoring tools to differentiate themselves in the market, take advantage of utility incentives and stay up to date with building practices. Better built homes are durable, affordable, comfortable, healthy and energy efficient.
More insulation: R-49+ attic, R23+ walls, R-30+ floors
Air sealing: <4 ACH50 (air changes per hour at 50 pascals)
Windows: U-0.25 or better
Whole home mechanical ventilation: ERV/HRV = Energy Recovery Ventilator/Heat Recovery Ventilator
Moisture sensing ventilation fans
Smart Thermostats
95%+ AFUE ECM gas furnace or 10 HSPF 14 SEER+ electric ductless mini split system
95%+ tankless gas water heater or 2.4 UEF electric heat pump water heater
100% high efficiency lighting
Take a look inside an energy efficient EPS home. Features: Zip System R-sheathing, Rain screen system, BIB wall insulation, Air sealing measures, Mitsubishi ductless mini split system, Efficient gas tankless water heater, 100% efficient lighting
We had an amazing time at Ladies Night at Tum-A-Lum Lumber in Hood River last week! So many women came and made candle holders to take home for the holidays that we lost count. We went though almost 3 large totes of 2x and 4x wood scraps and burned out 2 Forstner bits! Luckily our cordless 18V Milwaukee drills held up to the challenge. And our Milwaukee friend lent us a power sander for the evening which was much better than hand sanding. Adding 2 of those to our wish list this year!
Wow, what amazing women we have been woodworking with this past month! We co-hosted two women’s woodworking series this fall with Jack Perrin of Gorge MakerSpace in White Salmon, WA and Bekah Rottenberg at Wy’East Middle School in Odell, OR through Hood River Community Ed. Each class started with a beginner box project and then progressed onto individual projects that some women even designed themselves! It was so awesome to coach skill building and confidence building through woodworking. We are so excited for more to come in 2019!
Our last workshops of 2018 at Tum-A-Lum Lumber in Hood River and Pendleton were super fun! With the help of adults, over 50 kids built bat boxes out of cedar to take home to provide homes for new bat friends. If you were unable to attend the workshop you can download the plans here and build it at home. We served over 400 kids this year and are excited to plan our 2019 workshops so stay tuned!
We were so excited to be a part of the first ladies night at Marson and Marson in Cle Elum, WA! Over 100 ladies came to socialize, eat, drink, do a scavenger hunt and make tea light candle holders from wood. Ladies learned about drill settings and the difference between spade bits and Forstner bits. They sanded and then finished their projects with chalk paint which can be scuffed up when dry to create a rustic finish. Check out the photos below!
We had a blast this weekend at Tum-A-Lum Lumber in Hood River and Pendleton building step stools with 46 kids! Parents joked that they were having more fun than their kids. Perhaps, but I saw smiles all around with kids so proud of what they made. They took home skills of measuring, marking, predrilling, screwing, gluing, hammering, painting and staining. If you were unable to attend the workshop you can download the plans here and build it at home. Excited for next month’s bat house workshop!
