Free demonstrations and advice for the home renovator

Press, 22 May 1986, Page 27

Free demonstrations and advice for the home renovator

Anyone who is building or renovating their home should make a special effort to visit the Building Centre at 211 Cashel Street this Saturday between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m.

Free of charge, the Building Centre are holding a four-hour session of demonstrations which will be given by specialists in the different areas of home improvements.

Altogether, there will be 31 non-stop demon-

strations which give firsthand advice on how it is all done, as well as show the experts in action. As the demonstrators are all experts in their different fields of home renovating and building, their advice is invaluable to those contemplating any adjustments to their new or existing homes. The Building Centre gives free advice and is a library of different building products which are permanently exhibited at the centre. The Saturday demonstrations are a mini-home show which has been provided by the centre for 20 years. According to Mr Bill Harrison, the manager of the Building Centre, these mini-shows were the forerunners of the Home Shows that are now popular. The Building Centre was set up by the Canterbury Master Builders and other associated groups as a non-profit organisation 20 years ago. Its task was to promote building and help with home improvement advice. Funds for the running of the centre are provided by the current exhibitors at the centre. The initial objective was to make enough surplus from the rented display spaces for scholarships and grants to students and other young people training in the building industry. “Unfor-

tunately, we only make enough to give prizes at the Polytechnic for their students in the building trade,” Mr Harrison said. These are given in the form of books. "We’re here as a commercial operation so the costs build up,” Mr Hamson said.

In spite of this, Mr Harrison says he takes a lot of pride in what they can do for the public. “We act as the ‘gatekeepers’ of knowledge, in that we direct our customers to the right people. We don’t get paid any commission by the different exhibitors so we aren’t partial to any one brand, but we can advise them, after which the choice is left to them,” Mr Harrison said. The Building Centre charges for some classes and seminars on home building and renovating but informative brochures are given away free. “Unfortunately, we can only provide product information from exhibitors who pay to display at the centre,” he said. It is important to note, however, that there are 200 exhibits at the Building Centre. According to Mr Harrison, most home renovators usually begin renovations in the bathroom, and second, the kitchen. The mini-show covers both these areas and trained builders and consultants will be present for giving advice on related problems in this area. i “It’s top-to-bottom building advice: from reroofing; to the exterior maintenance of the home and paving; and on into the interior work. It’s all going to be there,” said Mr Harrison.