Good, solid home improvement advice is often hard to come by. And trying to have a working knowledge of everything from bathtub faucets to home insulation values can be difficult.
But in recent years, do-it-yourselfers have found an invaluable home improvement source: the classroom.
Throughout the Chicago area, numerous institutions offer courses on home repair and improvement to hundreds of students. In fact, the number of classes being offered has increased along with people`s renewed interest in working on their homes.
”The classes we offer are extremely popular with students,” said Robert Fitzpatrick, dean of continuing education at South Suburban College in South Holland. ”Right now in the south and southwest suburbs, many people are investing in their current homes rather than thinking about buying a new home. So they`re looking for ways to improve their living space. These classes can give them lots of options.”
According to Louis D. Blatnick, who instructs a class on Home Remodeling and Rehabilitation at Harper College in Palatine: ”The people we`ve attracted have been unbelievably devoted to the subject of home improvement. They just can`t learn enough.”
Most commonly, home improvement classes are found through the adult or continuing education departments of local community colleges. Most of these are ”self-improvement” courses that give no credit toward a degree.
Shop and learn
But similar classes can be found outside the classroom.
For example, the Handy Andy home improvement store chain occasionally offers free classes for its customers.
”The classes are done on a store-by-store basis, and each store will post signs promoting the classes,” said Jim Sutter, the general merchandise manager for the 26 Chicago area Handy Andy stores. ”The classes usually cover projects that are relatively complicated and ones that a customer doesn`t do frequently-maybe once every four years-projects such as installing ceramic tiles, installing a garage-door opener or installing drywall.”
City and community organizations are another source for classes. For instance, Chicago`s Center for Neighborhood Technology, a not-for-profit technical assistance corporation for Chicago residents, offers workshops on home energy conservation to neighborhood groups, according to senior engineer John Katrakis.
The cost for such workshops is nominal, depending on the size of the group and length of the session, and run an hour to a full day, Katrakis said. Rich rewards
People who run these classes say the biggest benefit to students is the opportunity to save money by doing home projects themeselves.
”But the classes also greatly appeal to those people who (just) enjoy working on their homes,” said Barbara Rizzo, the director of MONNACEP (Maine- Oakton-Niles-Northfield Adult and Continuing Education Program), which is conducted through Oakton Community College in Des Plaines.
”There`s a certain self-satisfaction to handling your own home improvement project,” she said.
”Some students also take the classes because they want to educate themselves so when they hire a contractor, they know what he`s talking about,” added Fitzpatrick. ”This type of information also helps them when they`re buying a home.”
The classes attract a variety of students, from those wishing to make minor upgrades to those trying to sell their homes.
Available topics cover every aspect of the home both inside and out, from simple, everyday repairs to major rehabilitation.
Running the show
For example, Blatnick said his class on Home Remodeling and Rehabilitation at Harper College is more about project management than about practical repair.
”We`re not showing people how to put washers in faucets and so on,”
said Blatnick. ”We`re preparing people to properly handle a rehabilitation project. We teach them how to approach a home project properly in terms of permits, cost estimating, what could go wrong, etc. When you hear about home remodeling horror stories, that`s just poor planning.”
Blatnick`s course also examines the construction of a building-from the shell, to the roof, to the foundation and mechanical systems.
”In addition to the classroom work, we try to do some practical, hands-on work,” said Blatnick. ”During one recent class, a student volunteered the use of her Arlington Heights house and we inspected the place from the roof to the crawl space. The entire class was up on the roof of this home.”
While there is already a wide range of home improvement courses to choose from, colleges and other institutions add other classes based on feedback from both students and teachers.
”For example, landscaping is a hot topic now,” Fitzpatrick said. ”That could be related to the concerns over the environment.”
What follows is a partial list of home improvement classes being offered in the next six months. You can also check with your local community college, adult education center, community center or municipality for more offerings.
– William Rainey Harper College (1200 W. Algonquin Rd., Palatine, 708-397-3000) will offer a class on Home Remodeling and Rehabilitation on Mondays beginning March 11 for eight weeks. The class will cost $30. A class on Home Landscape Design will also be held on Wednesdays beginning March 13. The class will cost $37.50.
– Oakton Community College (1600 E. Golf Rd., Des Plaines, 708-635-1808)
offers a number of home improvement courses through its MONNACEP branch. Titles for the winter and spring terms include Repairs for the Home, Kitchen Remodeling Techniques, Window Replacement and How to Remodel Your Bath. Classes will be held at Niles West High School (Oakton Street and Interstate Highway 94, Skokie) and Maine South High School (1111 S. Dee Rd., Park Ridge). MONNACEP will also offer several home landscaping classes this winter and spring at the Friendship Park Conservatory, 395 Algonquin Rd., Des Plaines. Titles include Garden and Home Landscape Equipment, Wildflowers in the Home Landscape, and Evergreens. Tuition runs from $12 to $37.
– South Suburban College`s Continuing Education Division (15800 S. State St., South Holland, 708-596-2000) will offer numerous home improvement classes during its eight-week spring term, beginning in March. Titles include Landscaping Your Home, Basic Electricity I and Basic Heating and Air Conditioning I. Classes will be held at Thornton Fractional North High School (755 Pulaski Rd., Calumet City), Hillcrest High School (175th and Crawford Avenue, Country Club Hills) and Oak Forest High School (152nd Street and Central Avenue, Oak Forest). Tuition runs from $30 to $36.
– The College of Du Page (22nd Street and Lambert Road, Glen Ellyn, 708-858-2800) will offer several non-credit home improvement classes during its late-winter and spring terms. Titles include Basic Home Repair, Getting Ready to Sell Your Home, Rejuvenated Landscaping, and Treatments and Trends in Window Decor. Fees run from $17 to $68.
– Triton Community College (2000 5th Ave., River Grove, 708-456-2500)
offers numerous home improvement classes, including Basic Home Repair, Wallpapering Made Easy and Interior Decorating. Classes are held at several west suburban high schools, including Oak Park-River Forest High School (201 N. Scoville Ave. Oak Park) and Riverside-Brookfield High School (3500 S. 1st Ave., Riverside). Classes begin in mid-February and cost $30-plus, depending on the course.
– The City Colleges of Chicago Continuing Education Program (265-5343)
offers several home improvement courses at numerous locations, including Kennedy King College (6800 S. Woodlawn Ave.), Olive Harvey College (10001 S. Woodlawn Ave.), Truman College (1145 W. Wilson Ave.) and Wright College (3400 N. Austin Ave.). Courses for the term that begins in March include Basic Home Repair, Advanced Home Repair, Fundamentals of Home Plumbing and Fundamentals of Home Wiring. Courses cost $20 to $50.
– The Discovery Center (2940 N. Lincoln Ave., 348-8120) will offer a class entitled Planning a Renovation Project from 6 to 8:30 p.m. on Feb. 28 and March 7. The class will meet at the Chicago Bar Association Building, 321 S. Plymouth Ct., and will cost $50.
– The Professional Remodelers Association of Illinois (664-6541) will hold several home improvement classes for community groups throughout the year. Groups interested in requesting such classes should call the
association.
