The tiny house constructed by the MWV Career and Tech Center construction trades class sits outside Kennett High School as work continues Tuesday. (RACHEL SHARPLES PHOTO)
Sophomore Ryan Fay (left) and junior Junior Logan Gavin (right) carry part of a counter into the tiny house on Tuesday. (RACHEL SHARPLES PHOTOS)
The tiny house under construction at Kennett High school features full-size appliances. New in this second tiny home is a loft area. (RACHEL SHARPLES PHOTO)
Construction Trades Instructor Paul Cail explains facets, like the tile shower behind him, of the tiny house constructed by the MWV Career and Tech Center construction trades class on June 7. (RACHEL SHARPLES PHOTO)
The tiny house constructed by the MWV Career and Tech Center construction trades class sits outside Kennett High School as work continues Tuesday. (RACHEL SHARPLES PHOTO)
Sophomore Ryan Fay (left) and junior Junior Logan Gavin (right) carry part of a counter into the tiny house on Tuesday. (RACHEL SHARPLES PHOTOS)
The tiny house under construction at Kennett High school features full-size appliances. New in this second tiny home is a loft area. (RACHEL SHARPLES PHOTO)
Construction Trades Instructor Paul Cail explains facets, like the tile shower behind him, of the tiny house constructed by the MWV Career and Tech Center construction trades class on June 7. (RACHEL SHARPLES PHOTO)
CONWAY — Paul Cail, construction trades teacher at the MWV Career/Technical Center at Kennett High School, is set to wrap up his second tiny house project with his students. The project has taken three years due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
That means Cail has had three different groups of students working on the house. Students who labored on the project were Jackson Burke, Chris Cherry, Bryson Eldridge, Logan Gavett, Brynne Gove, Andrew Hynes, Griffin McAuliffe, Emily Walker, Ansel Barclay, Sawer Battles, Andrew Bushey, Zander Leatham Downs, Ethan Frechette, Reed Karnopp (lead builder), Ashton Oliver, Colin Sheldon, Jordan Egers, Connor Walker, Jake McGlew, Ollie Hewson, Nash Harrigan, Lincoln Garland, Keagan Durkee, Anthony D’Agostino, Logan Eldrige (lead builder), Jack Sequin (lead builder), Will Smith, Ethan Lane (lead builder) Andrew Evans, Clem McAuliffe, Ben Davis (lead builder), Trevor Sylvester (lead builder), Dom Jones, Kevin Kay (lead builder), Cam Leavitt (lead builder), Ryan Fay and Grace Ruddy.
“The lead builders go back two to three years ago except for Reed Karnopp,” Cail said.
"COVID has been the hardest part of this project," he said. "At one point, early on, when we weren’t shut down, we were able to do a week on and a week off which didn’t allow for any rhythm"
He said the students "were out of the frying pan into the fire with this thing right away. These kids are doing things for the first time that they've never done before," including tiling a floor and doing tongue-and-groove plywood construction techniques.
Now, he said, “We’re finishing up the trim and putting all of the appliances in."
Junior Logan Gavin and sophomore Ryan Fay, who moved in the refrigerator/freezer, an oven and countertops, said they are proud to have been part of the project.
The hardest part, Fay said, was the tongue and groove. "It was very tedious.”
This is the second tiny house the Eagles have built in the past four years. The first home totaled 192 square feet and included a living room, kitchen, bathroom and sleeping loft.
This year’s home totals about 320 square feet and is 6 feet longer and 6 inches wider, with a larger loft space. It also has a living room, kitchen, bathroom and two loft spaces — a bedroom and a reading area.
Cail believes they have better utilized the space. For example, there is a pocket door to the bathroom.
This one also has a gambrel-style roof. "The other one was just a regular club pitch roof. And this allowed more headspace and a lot more living space,” Cail said.
Cail received support from the community, including White Mountain Oil and Propane, Portland Glass, Cormack Construction, Tamarack Builders, Gary Ward and Jon Fielding (who did electrical work), Cail said.
“I have five former students (Asher MacPherson, Matt Coolbroth, Chris Plauche, Ben Jones and Jack Sequin) who now work for White Mountain Oil and Propane, and Jack and Matt were here last week installing a water heater and a propane heater for the tiny house," he added.
Shane McKinney, sales manager for White Mountain Oil and also a product of the career-tech center at Kennett High (Class of 1990), is impressed by the program at the high school.
“White Mountain Oil has worked well with Kennett, and Kennett has worked well with White Mountain Oil,” he said Wednesday. “We’ve gotten some good talent out out of the program.”
During the 2016-17 school year, four schools competed in the Tiny House New Hampshire initiative. Besides Kennett, they included Alvirne High School in Hudson, Seacoast School of Technology in Exeter and Huot Career and Technical Center in Laconia.
The New Hampshire state lottery launched a scratch ticket game called "Tiny House Big Money" in January, and the house that took first place was to go to the winner.
The Eagles finished second in the statewide contest at the 50th N.H. State Home Show at the Radisson Hotel in Manchester on March 18-19, 2017.
The winning school was Huot of Laconia, which utilized members of the Lakes Region Home Builders Association workers to complete its tiny house.
While nothing in the rules forbade using professional help, Kennett's house was almost entirely student-built.
The Eagles did receive financial help from the MWV and N.H. Home Builders Association.
Kennett’s first tiny house was posted on eBay, where it sold for $25,000.
This year’s project should be complete by the end of the month and has already been sold.
“It’s staying here in the valley,” Cail said smiling. “Karen Pearson (administrative director for the MWV Career and Technical Center) has bought it for her brother to stay in when he visits.”
Cail said the house sold for $35,000.
“We have a waiting list for other ones, but we're going take a year off probably before we build another one," Cail said.
Students are also building a teardrop truck camper.
“It's going to be a sliding camper,” said Cail, adding, "These truck caps go anywhere from $15,000 to $35,000.”
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