November 23, 2005
Lake Contractors Help Build New Home In 5 Days
Andy Hutchinson of Lake Stevens has built plenty of houses, starting as a kid on his dad's construction crew and now as a general contractor with his own company, Halo Construction.
But build a quality home in a week? Hutchinson honestly didn't think it could be done.
So when ABC's reality televison program "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" asked Hutchinson to help build a house in five days to benefit a Port Orchard family, he jumped at the chance.
Hutchinson, fellow Lake Stevens contractor Jason Lyons and several of Hutchinson's crew were originally slated to pull up cabinetry and do finish work toward the end of the program.
They ended up working 18-hour days, involved in every phase of the home's construction from framing to finishing the deck just minutes before the new house was "unveiled" to the ecstatic family and a screaming crowd of fans.
"I'm glad we got to be such a big part of it," said Hutchinson. "Watching it on TV you have no idea of the scope of the project, how many people are working on it and everything behind the scenes."
"Extreme Makeover" each week identifies a family in need of better housing and in dramatic fashion, knocks down their old house and build a new one on the site.
Earlier this year, the Kirkwood family of Port Orchard contacted the television show seeking help. A project to finish the basement to make more room for the family's five children had ended up with the entire house consumed by toxic mold.
On Tuesday, Nov. 8, "Extreme Makeover" host Ty Pennington and his team of "designers" arrived at the Kirkwood's door. Twenty-four hours later the home was demolished and five days later the Kirkwoods were moving into a brand new, 3000-square foot house.
Getting it done in a week was a challenge. Not only did it rain just about the entire time, but the concrete slab beneath the house froze and had to be re-poured, putting the project about 12 hours behind from the get-go. A nail shortage during the wee hours of the morning later added another four-hour delay.
Hutchinson and his crew were asked to help make up the time and stepped right in with the framing, moving from that to siding, windows, cabinetry, baseboards and doors.
"On Monday they made me take the day off," said Hutchinson. He was back on the set next day for the big push to get everything done before the "reveal".
"We were building the big wrap-around deck right up to about 30 minutes before the family came home," said Hutchinson. "The girls were right behind us with the paint."
The house was supposed to be unveiled Tuesday, Nov. 15 at noon; they actually presented it at 3 p.m.
"Being there when the family saw the house for the first time made it all worth it," said Hutchinson. "The mom and dad and older kids were jumping up and down and the little ones were just staring with their hands over their mouths. It made me feel good to be able to help them."
The primary contractor on the project was Howland Homes of Seattle.
All the materials and labor were donated by dozens of subcontractors and suppliers. More than 100 people worked on the home around the clock for five days, supported by hundreds of volunteers.
Some of the contractors who had signed on to help had to leave when delays threw off the schedule, but appeals on television and radio brought in new help.
Hutchinson met Ty Pennington and some of the show's other "designers," who worked on individual projects in a big tent adjacent to the house. "Except for Ty, who was working both on this house and one in Idaho, you saw them all day, every day," said Hutchinson.
For Hutchinson, whose company specializes in insurance repairs - rebuilding homes that burn down or are damaged by water or wind - helping put up a new house for a family in need was a perfect fit.
"We enjoy doing it because we're helping people," he said.
The Port Orchard episode of "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" is expected to air on ABC in January.
Copyright 2005, The Lake Stevens Journal
Re-published with permission.
