Building a House in Four Days
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May 4, 2005 • What's it take to build a house in four days and four hours? Kevin Green, president of Kevin Green Homes,
The story line for ABC's Emmy-nominated television series is familiar • deserving families receive dramatic home makeovers or an entirely new home. The recipient in this case was a local hero • a firefighter who helped save a paramedic last year shot by a sniper; he is also a single-father raising five children.
In reality • this is reality T.V. you know • it took coordination, proper staging, multiple crews, generous donations, and tremendous stamina to get the job done. And if Green had it to do over again, he would.
While the success of the job is attributed to many, one sub-contractor shared how their construction technique and the use of lifting equipment helped reduce time and labor.
Advantage Framing,
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According to Green, it was essential to have the wall panels and roof gables built in advance in order to get the job done on time. Prior to the start of the show's taping, these pieces were brought in on trucks and staged for construction.
Image 2: A parade of SkyTrak 6036 telehandlers carry in pre-built trusses at the start of the job. The telehandlers and other equipment totaling $19,000 were donated by RSC Equipment Rental.
Kim Humbert, Advantage Framing spokesperson, explained that working with “pre-built wall panels is a completely different process than stick framing. The ability to produce wall panels in the shop cuts cost because it reduces waste. You also get a better quality product because the panels are built in a controlled environment. It also helps the contractor better control the budget.”
Lift equipment logistics
The site was extremely congested. “With only about 10 feet on either side of the new foundation, it was not possible to get a forklift to the back of the house,” explained Jim Humbert, who ran logistics on the job for Advantage Framing and is a vice president of the company.
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That's where the crane came in. The 40-ton National 1800 boom truck, donated with an operator by Midwest Crane & Rigging,
Image 3: Framers use a National 1800 boom truck to lift wall panels and trusses. The crane and operator were donated by
According to Brad Miller, crane rental manager, they chose a crane that was sure to be more than they needed. In preparation for the job, Miller could only do drive-by visuals of the job site. “We couldn't measure in advance,” he said, “because we didn't want to tip off the homeowners,” who hadn't yet been told they had been selected for the show.
“Last year we framed 500 houses and may have used a crane four times,” said Jim. In those cases it was to swing trusses for three-story buildings. “We've never swung wall panels with a crane before, but we found it to be more efficient,” he said. With a skilled operator coaching the framing crew on how to make the best use of the crane, they found that they shaved off about one-third of the time estimated to get the job done. “We could set the panels right where we needed them,” said Jim. In some cases the operator, directed by a signal person on the roof, was making blind lifts to the back of the house.
“We had an excellent operator,” said Jim of Vic Lamanno, a nine-year veteran at Midwest Crane & Rigging. Lamanno not only suggested lifts the framers could make to save time, he also consulted with the framers on rigging the pieces to be lifted, a new experience for Advantage crews.
The experience was a positive one. Seeing how lifting wall panels can be more efficient, Jim Humbert said, “In the future, we're going to use cranes more often.”
Behind the scenes
Several weeks prior to the start of the job and behind the scenes during construction, RSC Equipment Rental was there to help keep things running smoothly. “In two pre-job meetings we discussed schedules, equipment needs, and other issues,” said Larry Reeves, RSC district manager. RSC became involved in the project after being approached by contractor Kevin Green, who is a loyal RSC customer.
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“We became their on-site problem solver, before and during construction. We knew the plans and the restrictions and selected equipment accordingly,” he said. Among the $19,000 worth of equipment RSC donated were the SkyTrak telehandlers used by Advantage Framing and a Skyjack 8831 rough-terrain scissor lift used by Robertson Plumbing, both RSC customers.
Image 4: Thousands came to watch the construction project, visible in the background behind a SkyTrak 6036 being used to unload material.
RSC's
“We're used to dealing with contractors who need something today or yesterday,” he said. With about 22 delivery vehicles at the ready, Reeves said they were prepared to get the equipment there when the crews needed it.
“I would donate equipment and time for an event of this caliber any day,” added Dan Doak, outside sales manager. “I'm very proud to be a part of an organization that would allow us to participate in such a worthy cause.”
The Johnson Family
Stephan Johnson works three jobs to support his family. He's a firefighter, but also works as a barber and window washer on the side. This single father is raising five children • three of his own plus two neighbor boys he adopted when their mother died. What's more, Johnson is a local hero. Last year, he was one of six firefighters who risked their lives to save a paramedic who had been shot during a fire rescue mission.
The blended family squeezed into the modest 1,200-square-foot ranch house, where three of the boys slept in the basement. When word reached the
“Support from the community has been overwhelming,” said Kevin Green, president of Kevin Green Homes in
When the project was complete, the Johnson family moved into their new home • roughly four times the size of the one it replaced • and also learned that college scholarships had been established for the children. Contributions and other offers continue to pour in.
