When Pat Hermann was asked to donate time in helping lay a new septic field for a Michigan home featured on ABC’s Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, he was more than willing to help.
The owner of the family-owned, Leonard-based Alumna Enterprise, which does both commercial and residential excavating, septic systems and water mains, and 14 others friends and employees were among the almost 2,000 volunteers selected to help with the makeover in Armada Township last month.
The featured home, a 120-year-old farmhouse owned by the Gilliam family, had encountered a severe mold infestation, which killed David, a husband and father of six, last Christmas.
A new, more elaborate, and beautiful seven-bedroom home was created in 53 hours and 54 minutes ? a new record in the history of the show.
‘It was amazing to see something that big come together that fast,? Hermann said.
Armed with Red Bull energy drinks and coffee, Hermann and his crew spent 26 hours straight, from sun up to sun down installing a 5,000 square-foot septic field using a more advanced four-tank system called AdvanTex.
At night, huge stadium lights blazed the country sky so the crew could keep working.
Counting the time it took to transport equipment, set up equipment and work on the project, Hermann said he logged 122 hours of work during the week of production.
Hermann was asked to participate on the show by Urban Land Development, who is the creator of the AdvanTex septic tanks, and said they ‘probably donated $25,000 an hour? worth of labor. The cost of the septic components came to about $16,000.
‘It was a great feeling to help them out,? Hermann said. ‘A little bit high pressure, to say the least, but it was a good day. It was a once in a lifetime opportunity.?
Working with Hollywood was ‘a little frustrating? at times, according to Hermann, because they’d be moving equipment that was really loud and then have to be quiet on the set so cameras could tape the backstory of the home.
Hermann’s sons, Jarrod and Austin, daughter Rachel and wife Janine were also on hand to help.
His wife said the designers on the show were ‘just wonderful? and friendly. They’d always be autographing T-shirts for the volunteers, but the show’s host Ty Pennington, was ‘doing his Hollywood thing.?
The Hermann’s said what touched them the most about the project was during the big reveal, when the family got to see the new house ? which always tends to be a tear jerker.
‘You should’ve seen all these big, macho construction workers crying,? she said laughing.
Although they’re not sure if they’ll actually be seen on the show (the producers tape 700 hours of film and use 44 minutes worth), you may still catch a glimpse of them in their blue T-shirts.
The Armada Township home will be featured on this Sunday’s edition at 8 p.m. At 7 p.m., WXYZ Channel 7 will air a special appreciation dinner party they hosted for all the Michigan volunteers.