Green Builder & Office Manager

Thinking about a career in the green or high-performance building space? We sat down to talk shop with Mainers from six different fields: solar, weatherizing and energy auditing, architecture, construction and landscape design. Read on to learn how they got started, their favorite parts of the job, training required and what it might take for you to get there. 

This interview has been edited for length and readability.

LIZ ZELNICK, Green building carpenter & office manager, Kolbert Building

Liz Zelnick
Kolbert Building

GHM: How did you get into this line of work?
LZ: I graduated from University of Maine Orono with a bachelor’s in civil engineering and a focus in transportation. Graduating in 2008 at the peak of the recession, I took the only job I was offered, which turned out not to be a good fit. After several years in that job, I went back to school for a master’s in energy and environmental systems management, while working as an energy auditor. At the audit firm I learned about building science and the basics of air sealing, which was a pretty novel/radical idea then.

My mom gave me a copy of Nina MacLaughlin’s book, Hammer Head: The Making of a Carpenter when she knew I wasn’t happy with my job. I have always loved making things and learned I was never cut out for a 40-hour desk job.

GHM: What are some of the jobs you held before getting into your current field?
LZ: Previously (and chronologically) I was a civil engineer, energy auditor, office temp, credit analyst, bookkeeper, solar installer, waitress/assistant manager.

GHM: What training is required for the work you do?
LZ: Maine doesn’t have a specific apprentice- ship/licensure path like most states do, but generally 2-3 years is considered a carpenter proper. Little training is required to begin in carpentry, however, the ability to learn quickly and attention to detail are key. I had experience with power tools and manual labor, which helped me know what to expect. My background in engineering and building science helps since we mainly focus on reducing environmental impact and reliance on fossil fuels for our customers.

GHM: What do you like best about your job?
LZ: I enjoy the ever-changing work that we do. One day we’re discussing a design for a built-in shelving unit, picking up mate- rials at the lumber yard, building the shelf (including seemingly endless sanding and painting) and installing it for customer use. Another day we’re stripping old cedar shingles off a house to install a new energy efficient window and debating weather-resilient practices, then weaving new shingles back in around custom milled trim. Some days/ weeks are painfully repetitive, both mentally and physically, but seeing the daily progress or the end product is always worth it.

GHM: In what ways is your industry growing, shrinking or changing in Maine?
LZ: Carpentry in Maine is staying relatively steady; new builds are slowing slightly in the Portland area as available land is quickly depleted, but an aging workforce and steady need for renovations keeps us busy. I hope to see construction and the trades in general become more diverse, but as an Asian woman in Maine, it’s a very slow trend.

GHM: What advice do you have for anyone starting out in the field?
LZ: Advice for newbies: never be afraid to ask for help. Admitting you don’t know something is always better than finding out later that you screwed up. Also, never stop learning; it’s okay to nerd out over industry publications, tools, and new methodology, and on rare occasions you join a crew that nerds even harder than you.

GHM: How does this job help you make decisions about your own home?
LZ: Based on what I’ve learned, I am renovating the upstairs of my house — double stud exterior walls with dense pack insulation, efficient but affordable windows, low VOC interior and exterior paints, LED flush fixtures [recessed cans are a thing of the past], and I will be doing all finish trim myself.

GHM: When you aren’t working, how do you spend your time?
LZ: When not working, I enjoy exploring the plethora of breweries around Portland, cooking, woodturning and pottery.

This article first appeared in the Fall 2019/Winter 2020 edition of Green & Healthy Maine HOMES. Subscribe today!