Posted 10:10 am Sunday, February 28, 2010
Onsite Insight: ‘Extreme' Contractors Swiftly Ripping House Down, Building It Up
By STEVE HALLFORD
Special to the Tyler Courier-Times--Telegraph
Special to the Tyler Courier-Times--Telegraph
An amazing transformation has taken place at the site where a very special Mineola family's home once stood. Gary Bayless and the "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" team have changed the landscape of the Carrs' property at an incredible pace.
This "Carr race" drew a great deal of attention, when excavator and demolition contractor Eugene "The Wrecking Machine" Toole said "yes" to Bayless' request of leveling a house for a worthy East Texas family.
Eventually, when Toole learned more about the general location of the job and was given a rough outline of the family's special needs, he was even more enthusiastic. He humbly said that we should all do good things for our neighbors because it reflects God's love.
He was like a kid anticipating Christmas morning. The 6-foot-4 Toole was so revved up, that I believe he could've huffed and puffed and blown that house down.
When he finally got to climb into his oversize Tonka (a monstrous Kobelco with thumb-bucket), he was ready to rumble. Cheers rang out over the sound of crushing shingles, plywood, trusses and studs.
The concrete work, underslab plumbing and electrical work were expertly coordinated by Chuck Schmidt Concrete of Tyler, Jeff Crymes with United Plumbing in Whitehouse, and Mark Caskey with PRO Electrical Services of Chandler.
The Transit Mix Concrete plant in Mineola donated the concrete through which Brundage Bone pumped the specially designed quick-drying mix.
These bighearted contractors have provided a firm foundation for this fine family, while setting a rapid pace for the rest of the job.
There are 14 hours allotted for framing the Carr home and "Joe the Framer" from Golden is up to the task. Joe Rogers and his crew are standing the walls and trusses on this 4800-square-foot home most of the day Saturday and will work through the night to have the home dried-in by 4 or 5 a.m. today (about the time same today's Tyler newspaper is delivered to you).
Rogers' crew of 18, his brothers-in-law, Steven Russell and Lynn Hemphill, and their crews have joined forces to do their part in making the Carrs' house and dream home. When told, "What he is doing is important," Rogers points to the sky and says, "That's what's important," then he get right back to work.
Paul Smith, of Smith Masonry in Jacksonville, is heavily invested in the Carr project on two fronts -- he's not only the masonry contractor; he's also a 24/7 project manager. This fun-loving family man says he is proud to be chosen to oversee the masonry portion of this job, and happy to help manage the entire project until the job is completed.
Smith has been laying brick for 30 years and has owned his own business for 18 years. On this job, he has the incredible responsibility of laying more than 3,000 square feet of outside stonework in 24 hours while constructing a 20-foot-tall full-masonry fireplace in fewer than 16 hours. Smith, a fourth-generation brick layer, will be joined by his dad on the job site Sunday, who will be sharing his labor and 55 years of expertise on this time sensitive undertaking.
Please thank these selfless contractors, subcontractors and suppliers. I'd like to compare these wonderful people to a fine timepiece that has an open face, busy hands, is made of pure gold, is well-regulated and is full of good works. God bless these busy hands and the great work that they're doing for the Carr family.
Hallford is one of six project managers volunteering on the project to work around the clock under Gary Bayless and will be filing daily reports from the work site.
