The volunteers at Habitat for Humanity Vancouver Island North will be doing a construction dance in a more confined space for part of the upcoming builds.
Volunteer Paul Ryniak is part of the creation and will be supervising the new prefabrication shop.
Habitat has rented a space in the same building as the Restore and Ryniak has set it up and a frame has been built so that volunteers can come in and build walls for the projects.
“We will get our volunteers to cut certain lengths [of boards] and then basically they just put it in the slots,” Ryniak said.
Holes for wiring will be drilled on-site and doors and windows will be cut into the walls as per the plans they are provided with. Instead of hammers they will be using air nailers in order to preserve the welds on the frame.
The walls will be stored at the warehouse until they are transported to the build site.
Ryniak said he is hoping that the timing works out that while the bottom floor is being raised there will be enough time for the team to construct the walls for the second floor. The goal is to build a wall every hour.
“Instead of shooting for five, the first time we are going to shoot for four a day and that way we can make sure the quality control is there,” he said.
Ryniak has been volunteering with Habitat for three years.
“I’m not a professional builder but I can do the process, so everything has been given to me,” he said.
Before moving to Campbell River Ryniak taught industrial arts to junior high students. Before that he worked as an architectural engineer model maker.
“I didn’t make the design, but I worked from someone else’s drawing and that is what I will be doing here,” he said.
Ryniak is hopeful that the prefab shop will increase efficiency and allow for more quality control.
“It’s exciting,” he said. “When you look at the whole thing, why wouldn’t it come out perfect?”