Looking for a storage shed for your garden tools, lawnmower and other equipment?
The woodworking students at Ballenas Secondary School (BSS) are taking orders and can custom build a shed to suit your own needs. Under the guidance of woodworking teacher Byron Ayers, students have already completed one garden shed for a homeowner in Columbia Beach and are now working on another project.
He said the carpentry and joinery students have worked on a wide range of projects and constructing the garden sheds involves several skills.
He said their sheds are top quality and much less than you would pay at any big retail outlet. Prices for the sheds depend on the size but he said a model they would charge $1,200 for would easily cost $3,500 elsewhere.
“Our sheds are half the price and twice the product,” stated Ayers.
He said the sheds use 2 x 4 construction, balloon framing, cedar bevel siding and also have a cedar shake roof.
He said now that they have constructed a couple of the sheds they have worked out the kinks and they would like to build even more of them.
“We could easily do 10 per semester,” Ayers admitted.
Ayers has been over seeing the fully equipped technology shop at the Parksville high school for 19 years now and said over the years he has had some very skilled students.
He said he is responsible for many fingers but mostly he provides guidance.
Ayers said having his students build things for the community is a win-win situation and he is hoping the garden shed project will take off.
He said it is disappointing now that there is no more funding for the Construction Zone (C-Zone) project which started in 2007.
It had seniors in the community work with students to build and paint toys, furniture and model buildings for Munchkinland, Discovery Centre and Storybook Village located at Qualicum Beach Elementary School.
The technology department is taking orders for their high end sheds and would welcome orders for the next school year.
For more information you can e-mail bayers@sd69.bc.ca.