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Operation Home Delivery From "Assembly Required" episode DASR-213

(Continued from page 1)

Prefab Assembly, Day Three

The crew has reached the halfway mark on this six day blitz build. It's a good thing they are ahead of schedule, because in just three days, Jillian and the volunteer crew will be leaving. The plan for the day includes hanging drywall, followed by the mudders, as well as finishing the vinyl siding on the house and the soffit on the porch.

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	Figure F
	Figure G
	Figure H

Right away there seems to be a problem. The original house plans called for four 2x10 porch beams. Right now they have 2x6 porch beams, and it's not strong enough for local building codes. Everyone thinks they have the answer to the problem. It’'s up to Jillian to make the executive decision about what to do. The situation is resolved by putting in six porch posts and spreading out the load (figure F).

Meanwhile, inside the house, the drywall has been put up and its time for Dave Samanie and his crew of mudders to take over. Their job is to go over the drywall, making sure the surface is smooth, so when they are done the crew can paint (figure G). The deadline for the mudders is noon tomorrow. Dave is determined to get done on time, even if he has to stay there all night. Jillian is grateful, because she knows if the mud doesn't get done, her crew won't be done.

Despite Dave's crew working hard to get done so the volunteers can finish up, the weather has a different idea. The La. humidity has slowed down the drying process considerably, and there is nothing the crew can do. They can't paint until the mud dries and Jillian knows her time there is slipping away. Waiting has cost them a full day and finishing by the end of the week seems almost impossible. Jillian decides to take action and begins laying the floor (figure H). Is it enough to help them recover from the day's setbacks?

Prefab Assembly, Day Four

There are only two days left on this intense La. blitz build. With the forecast calling for 88 percent humidity, there's not much the crew can do but watch the mud in the house dry. With a little creative thinking, they might be able to help speed up Mother Nature. Using portable space heaters, they heat up the house to help the drying process. While the crew waits to prime the walls, the trades come in to take care of all the details that will turn this shell into a home. They begin installing cabinets in the kitchen and the toilet in the bathroom, as well as hooking up lighting fixtures and plumbing.

By dusk, a skeleton crew is all that remains having lost some volunteers who had to return home. Jillian and the remaining crew make the decision to work through the night if they have to. They will not rest until the walls are primed and ready for painting the next day. Even the electricians are putting in 12 hour days to get everything done. They know how much this means to the Carringtons, and to Jillian.

Figure I

Prefab Assembly, Completion

It's day six, the last day of the blitz build. Today is the day everything comes together, and the house becomes a home for the Carrington family. It's a mad dash to the finish, and with the arrival of the AmeriCorps volunteers, a new life is injected into the crew. They decide to give daughter Brianna a perfectly pink room, while boys Jacob and Christopher will get green on their walls.

The time to dedicate the home approaches. Jillian is thrilled to be nearing the finish line, having set out to build a beautiful home for these Hurricane Katrina survivors. As the Carringtons stand in their finished home, they see a stable and secure future for their children. Their house started on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., and with the help of dozens of volunteers and professionals, they now have a house they can truly call home (figure I).

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RESOURCES :

Habitat for Humanity International
Website: www.Habitat.org

Bayou Area Habitat for Humanity
Website: www.bayouhabitat.org

The American Red Cross
Website: www.redcross.org

FEMA
Website: www.fema.gov

Streamline Films
Website: www.streamlinefilms.com