Blog: 'Extreme Makeover: Home Edition' rebuilds home for Maple Heights family

MAPLE HEIGHTS, Ohio - NewsChannel5 is on location with the "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" crews as they rebuild the Anderson family's home on Anthony Street in Maple Heights. Keep checking back here for updates, photos and video of the progress.

WEDNESDAY UPDATES

6:05 p.m.: We learned from ABC crews that the episode of "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" featuring the Anderson family is tentatively set to air in December. No exact date has been confirmed.

4:37 p.m.: Construction teams continued work in the neighborhood Wednesday, trying to fix up the entire area. Check out what the builder plans for the neighborhood by checking out this story by NewsChannel5's Ted Kortan: http://bit.ly/b5Rw9X

4:15 p.m.: It’s been a quiet day at the site of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. The family will be holding a new conference at 6 p.m. In the meantime, a local landscaper is donating time, plants and services to make the neighboring homes look as nice as the Anderson’s new palace.

TUESDAY UPDATES

10:22 p.m.: We now have a photo album showing images from reveal day. Check it out here: http://bit.ly/dbhQwg

9:40 p.m.: The neighborhood was filled with excitement as the Anderson family's new home was revealed. Check out how neighbors reacted in this story by NewsChannel5's Ted Kortan: http://bit.ly/cBAAvu

6:44 p.m.: The family is still inside the home, where Ty and the other Makeover team members are showing them around. This could take a long time, crews said. All of the windows have covers on them so that no one can see inside. The crowd is starting to thin out a bit.

6:06 p.m.: We now have the video posted of the bus being moved to reveal the Extreme Makeover house: bit.ly/a71Hya

5:09 p.m.: The bus has been moved! We are working. In case you missed the live feed, we are working to get the video posted online. Check back in a bit.

4:10 p.m.: Right now, Ty and the cast are getting the crowd excited about the reveal. A stand-in limo is driving up for rehearsal purposes. The family isn't there yet. Ty just ran down the whole block giving high-fives to the crowd.

3:01 p.m.: There's light rain for the crowd that's gathering to watch the unveiling of the home. A bus just pulled up from the Sight Center. There are probably a thousand or so people here. It looks like they're getting closing to the bus moving event.

2:00 p.m.: Crowds at the home are growing, and traffic is getting backed up in the area. Cars are parking about five blocks away from the home, and the rain does not seem to be keeping people away. In fact, the sun has started to shine a little bit in Maple Heights, and the rain might hold off for the big reveal.

1:10 p.m.: We've all watched as the "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" project has constructed a beautiful new English Tudor style house for the Anderson family of Maple Heights. With all the half-timbers, brick, stone, metal accents, railings and landscaping, there is a plenty to see from the street in front.

But what about the back of the house. Go here to see video of the other side of the house: http://bit.ly/9DKSVP .

12:10 p.m.: In recent days, Ty Pennington has been absent from the construction set in Maple Heights, and some people have been asking where he went. Well, Ted Kortan found the answer.

Pennington and other members of the crew went to North Dakota to start filming for another episode of the season. Now, Pennington and the crew are hurrying back to Cleveland to meet up with the Andersons and show off their new home. Check out the rest of the story here: http://bit.ly/decZjy .

11:45 a.m.: The crowds are growing at the home in Maple Heights, as spectators arrive in droves for the revealing, which will take place around 3:30 p.m. Crews have set up guard rails and fencing around the the area, sectioning of certain areas for the crowds.

If you are planning to attend the event, you will probably want to get there early to get a good spot, as it took our crews an hour to get through security.

10:45 a.m.: The activity in Maple Heights is much less frantic than it has been the past few days, but the scene still has people coming in and out to prepare for this afternoon's festivities. Workers have put boards down over the new lawn, to prevent it from getting torn up with the rain.

9:45 a.m.: The rain has stuck around throughout the morning, but that isn't have any kind of impact on the construction because that part of the process is completed. However, the rain could alter the unveiling of the home, depending on what the show's producer's have planned.

If you're thinking about attending the unveiling event this afternoon, you will want to pack some rain gear because the light rain is going to hang around throughout the day. Check out Christine's forecast for all of the details: http://bit.ly/bl850S .

6:05 a.m.: For the first time since construction started last week, the scene is calm around the Anderson's new home in Maple Heights. The volunteers who worked tirelessly to build

the house are now resting, and only a few people are still at the home making sure that everything is ready before the Andersons return home from Colorado.

MONDAY UPDATES

10:45 p.m.:  Work crews continue to put finishing touches on the interior of the home in preparation for tomorrow's reveal. We've been given no new information regarding a timetable for the 'move that bus' moment.  As we previously announced, the unveiling is scheduled between 2 p.m. and 5 p.m.  Meteorologist Mark Johnson is predicting periods of rain on Tuesday. Anyone attending the reveal should bring rain gear. Lets hope the big moment can be squeezed in between raindrops.

7:15 p.m.: The furniture truck just pulled away a few minutes ago. The crews are still inside shooting video and the designers are inside doing some decorating. A dry cleaning truck just pulled up and has been unloading the family’s clothes that had been sent away to be cleaned. The crews have also been doing a few good deeds around the neighborhood. They landscaped about 10 other yards and had enough extra sod to do a neighbor’s yard. The team is already starting to pack up things like the massage tent. It won’t be long until the whole setup is cleared from the neighborhood.

5:45 p.m.: There is a lot of excitement out in front of the house. The furniture truck has arrived to the cheers of the crowd. Volunteers are being organized into groups to help unload the huge semi-truck full of furniture.

5:05 p.m.: There are hoards of people walking past the house. In fact, school buses are now bringing people in to see the work site. The crowd in the spectator area is four or five people deep. So far, spectators have been impressed. http://bit.ly/bfi95F

4:24 p.m.: Here are some photos showing the outside of house today: http://bit.ly/b2Oqha -- Note that the crews are not letting us inside at this point.

3:15 p.m.: There are few sprinkles at the site, and clouds are moving in and out. The rain isn’t hard, so it’s not slowing down the project. Workers continue with the landscaping, as they plant a few decorative shrubs. Not long ago, a car sped up the driveway and woman got out of the car with blue shopping bags full of the hardware pieces for the doors. Apparently, they were overlooked.

Tomorrow is the big reveal. While the construction company has not met with production about the exact schedule for the day, they do believe the reveal will happen sometime between 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. No official time has been announced. If you want to get close to the action, get there early. Be sure to wear comfortable shoes, dress appropriately for the weather and expect to be there for a while. It’s a big production. http://bit.ly/dlVWof

12:21 p.m.: The work continues on the inside of the home. Through the new Pella windows, workers can be seen scurrying around. The landscaping is fully in place, and the outside looks finished. A lot of spectators are showing up, and the shuttle bus is continuing to run from the Stafford Park lot.

11:58 a.m.: The food team expects to serve about 10,000 meals to crews and volunteers throughout the duration of the project. NewsChannel5's Ted Kortan got a special behind-the-scenes look at this part of the build. Check out his story here: http://bit.ly/bSllFa

9:30 a.m.: The crews are putting together the final touches before introducing the Andersons to their new house tomorrow. We are not able to provide any details or photos from the inside of the house, but the designers are working ahead of schedule and most of the interior has been completed.

Today is all about putting together the final touches, such as the decorations and landscaping. Even with the rain during the construction process, the construction crews have been able to work faster than expected.

6:00 a.m.: The security at the construction site is clearly present, which won't change much once the Andersons move into the house. As part of the project, a full-scale security system has been installed in the house, which includes numerous camera and alarms.

Also, the house will use fingerprint technology for the Andersons to gain access inside the residence. The fingerprint-entry is beneficial for security reasons and because the Andersons are visually impaired, so the fingerprint access reduces the need for using keys.

5:20 a.m.: The work continues inside the house, as crews prepare for the official debut of the home tomorrow. Most of the exterior work has been completed, as the crews have put in a new sidewalk, lawn, lights and landscaping.

Inside the house, volunteers continue the around-the-clock efforts, but our cameras are not allowed inside the house before the Andersons see their new home.

SUNDAY UPDATES

9:30 p.m.: Dry wallers are making rapid progress and putting the finishing touches on the unique surface of the interior walls. They are rapidly working with precision and skill on this special home.

8:00 p.m.: Exterior lights are bringing a new glow to the home.  The bright flowers

and landscape lighting are really bringing the exterior of the home together.

6:45 p.m .:  Yesterday, they crews were running a few hours behind because of the rain, but they are now working ahead of schedule.  They expect to be done by noon tomorrow when the decorators will come in.  Right now crews are working on landscaping.  It's a big transformation from the mud pit of a yard yesterday!

2:15 p.m.: Thirty of the people working on the house are young adults who are involved in the YouthBuild program based in Euclid. NewsChannel's Ted Kortan talked with them about the role they're playing in this major project. Check out his story here: http://bit.ly/9FDaT5

10:15 a.m.: While there are a few areas on the outside of the home that are still unfinished such as the garage, construction crews seem to be focused on working on the interior of the house. Crews can be seen through the windows working on a banister and walls.

9:37 a.m.: Day 5 of construction at the Anderson home is well underway, and it's a much drier start to the day. We are getting our first daylight look at the outside of the house without plastic covering it up.

SATURDAY UPDATES

10:36 p.m.: Work on the home is non-stop. There is a lot of noise out here. You can hear beeping, hammering and other construction site noises. Even though the sound will continue throughout the night, neighbors told us they are not upset --- they're just happy for the family.

9:08 p.m.: It appears as if crews are making significant progress inside the home. While our crews are not allowed inside at this point, we can see a lot happening through the windows. It's clear all of the focus is now on the inside of the home. TV lights are shining on the house from all directions, and will likely be on all night as crews work around the clock to finish the home.

7:45 p.m.: The rain is still coming down here, causing a river of mud to flow down the street. But the volunteers and workers are relentless -- and are not letting a little rain stop them from building the Anderson family's home. They're slipping and sliding all over the place. All of the windows are now installed in the house, and crews are adding some features and accessories to the exterior of the home.

6:15 p.m.: The house looks like it's almost finished. Pillars and brick are all up. There's been significant progress in the last 24 hours. Xzibit and Michael are at the top of the house shooting a segment for the show.

6:05 p.m.: The rain is starting to pick up a bit, but crews are still feverishly working on the home.

3:10 p.m.: The crowd keeps getting larger. People arriving are taking the shuttle bus to the home from the parking lot at Stafford Park. The city of Maple Heights is providing the service.

2:05 p.m.: We just posted some new photos of the construction site. Check them out here: http://bit.ly/axrKD7

1:16 p.m .: It's sprinkling a little bit in Maple Heights. There is some drying equipment at the house, but it's not there due to the rain, it's to help with the drywall installation. There is a lot of trash being taken out of the home -- it's all scraps left over from the construction. A shuttle is taking spectators from a parking area to/from the home.

12:36 p.m.: Crews are working on a big stone arch entryway to the home. Workers are inside the home, and it appears the interior work is underway now that the outside is almost finished. There's a lot of mud out here, and workers' boots and shoes are covered in it. More than three dozen spectators are at the site, and more are walking down the street. Now that the rain is subsiding, workers are are shedding their yellow raincoats.

12:18 p.m.: Construction workers said with exception of a few shingles, most of the roof was already on when it started raining this morning. No water got into the home so there was no damage inside. Right now, they're installing patio doors on the rear side, which will go to a deck. It looks like the front of the house will now face Raymond, where it used to face Anthony. Crews are installing the exterior brick on the front, as well as half-timbers. Plastic sheeting is on some of the scaffolding, protecting some of the work from the rain.

11:43 a.m. The rain is coming down in Maple Heights, but crews continue to move steadily along with construction.

FRIDAY UPDATES

5:15 p.m. There are about 70 people out just watching the construction. Since trucks are going in and out of the site, at times, the view of the construction is completely blocked, but the spectators are still happy to be a part of the project.

5 p.m. After practice today, a few Cleveland Browns players stopped by the construction site, including wide receiver Josh Cribbs., who stopped to talk to NewsChannel5 and take pictures with the volunteers.

4:15 p.m.: It looks like an anthill, with about 50 people working feverishly. The whole first floor looks to be framed in. A crane is moving pre-assembled floor pieces off of a flatbed semi to start the second

floor.

3:30 p.m. Walls are going up quickly and the excitement is increasing. On NewsChannel5 at 5 p.m., Ty Pennington talks about the emotions that go into building each home for the show.

3:15 p.m.: While the hammering continues at the job, photographer Ted Kortan went to check out the shuttle bus parking lot at Stafford Park. The parking lot is packed. People are taking the bus, which is running continuously every 10 minutes, over to the work site. And this shuttle bus isn’t your average bus. It’s a lot like the airport shuttle buses. The park can be a little tricky to find, with all the activity in the neighborhood. It’s located at 19800 Stafford Ave. The shuttle bus runs 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Once you get off the bus at the construction site, people still do have to walk a few blocks.

2 p.m.: Construction continues at the site, but crews are running a couple hours behind. ABC producers told NewsChannel5 that the new home will be a two-story Tudor. The old house was 1,500 square feet and the new one will be 3,600 square feet. Producers told a few details about the new home, but we don’t want to give too much away and ruin the surprise that awaits the Andersons when they return home.

1 p.m.: About 10 guys are working on the basement. You can see crews putting in the heating and cooling ducts. The work site is still attracting a lot of buzz in the area, as people are constantly walking up and snapping photos.

10:30 a.m.: There are lots of things to do out at the scene of the Home Makeover house Friday, even if you can't volunteer. The American Red Cross, the Diabetes Association and the Vision Center are offering screenings and a holding a blood drive. The Vision Center also has goggles that people can try on that allows them to experience what the Andersons see.

10:23 a.m.: The show's producers offered to put neighbors near the construction site in hotels for entire process. Or if they stay, they will have access to all the amenities offered. There is free food and a front row seat to watch what's happening.

10:03 a.m.: Sticks are in the air -- you can see walls being put up for the home.

9:35 a.m.: By 10 p.m. tonight the structure of the home should be complete. The roof will be on and crews will start work on the interior.

9 a.m.: Crews are still pouring floor of the house. There is a small army of carpenters attacking the project now. All you hear is hammering and cutting and see them measuring. "It's quite a scene. Everyone is busy. No one is just standing around. At this point, it's like a beat-the-clock project."

8:35 a.m.: How safe is it to build a 3,000 square feet house this fast? NewsChannel5's Justin Michaels asked an expert at the scene of the construction. He said, "It's a good crew. It couldn't be done any safer.

8:20 a.m.: About three dozen volunteers are surrounding the home. The basement walls are complete. The workers are pouring the floor and positioning pre-fabricated wood to get ready to frame the house.

6:55 a.m.: The foundation is nearly complete on the home. Construction should start soon.

6:05 a.m.: The first picture of the Anderson family's new home is revealed. It will be a Tudor-style home with lots of wide open spaces.

There are still 106 hours left to get the home built.

THURSDAY UPDATES

9 p.m.: Crews are preparing the site for work to start on the home's foundation, which is slated to begin at midnight.

6:30 p.m.: It's a busy beehive! The dump trucks continue to remove dirt from the site. The construction crews said they are almost done with that step, as 50 truckloads of dirt have been hauled away. Crews will soon start bringing in stone that will be part of the foundation of the new basement. The basement is not included in the 3,100 square feet that will make up the rest of the new home.

3:30 p.m.: Dump trucks have taken away the last of the debris from the old home. Three backhoes are digging a new basement for the home -- and it looks like it's going to be a lot bigger than the old one. They're placing the extra dirt in dumpsters. Advertisements are being posted on the crowd-control fence that was put up. The whole area is being decorated. There are a lot of smiles coming from the people who are walking up to see the status of the build.

1:56 p.m.: The house has been demolished. Two big backhoes brought the house down. The front windows of the home were blown out by explosion prior to when the construction vehicles moved in. The crowd cheered as the house was torn down. A marching band was also playing in the front yard as the house came down. Ty talked with us, and he has a flesh-colored bandage on the pinky of his left hand. He jokingly said he's going to survive.

12:52 p.m.: Bystanders are being pushed back as crews get ready to let off more explosion. A man on a bullhorn is yelling for people to get back. The demolition has yet to happen. Volunteers helped remove the remaining trash items. We were able to get a tour of the Extreme Makeover bus --- we'll

post the video of it soon. Ty is walking around just fine -- there's not visible bandage on his hand.

12:14 p.m.: Crews are setting off concussion bombs inside the home, and smoke is coming out of the windows. It appears that the explosions are only for effect purposes. The SEALE bomb squad is supervising the event, and Xzibit is dressed up as one of them. The house is still standing.

11:10 a.m.: The injury to Ty Pennington does not appear to be too severe, as he was transported from the scene. Medical personnel looked at his hand and treated him, and he then went back in the house after receiving treatment.

10:05 a.m.: "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" star Ty Pennington injured his hand during a shoot, and is currently getting looked at by medical personnel. Pennington cut his hand inside the house, and he was bleeding badly when medical workers came to his aid.

It is unclear how bad the cut is, but we will update the blog when we get more information.

9:40 a.m.: Demolition time is nearing, and the Extreme Makeover crew seems to have something big planned to tear down the house. Members of the Southest Law Enforcement Area Bomb Squad arrived on the scene and entered the house, showing that there should be some excitement for the teardown.

Xhibit, one of the show's cast members, arrived in full SWAT gear and a helmet. He also had a battering ram.

9:10 a.m.: Demolition has started inside the home, as the ABC camera crews and construction workers have entered the house to start the process. The exterior demolition has yet to begin, but crews are inside and working on tearing down the house.

8:45 a.m.: Initially, the word was that the house would be demolished around 8 a.m., but demolition has yet to begin, and the producers now say that the plan is to have the current house down and cleared out by noon. About 25 members of the Maple Heights marching band is at the house, and they will play as the house is being demolished.

A number of volunteers are starting to arrive, and the crews are getting everyone up to speed on the schedule.

7:25 a.m.: The construction site in Maple Heights is the slowest it has been since the Anderson's first found out that their home would be featured on the show. The volunteers, construction workers and show's producers are meeting to discuss the day's events.

The slow pace won't last for long, as a local marching band will march down the street in about 40 minutes. Workers' next big order of business is to demolish the Anderson's current home, which will take place later this morning, likely around 8 a.m.

6:45 a.m.: The show's production crew has arrived on the scene for a day of filming.

6:20 a.m.: Crews have finished putting in gas and sewer lines for the new home, and they are filling the hole in the street with concrete. Construction workers dug a hole in the street yesterday to update the infrastructure to the home, and that part of construction is complete.

A tree company also worked overnight to tear down some of the trees in the yard to make room for the upgrade in size. The Andersons will be moving up from a 1,100 square foot house to a home with 3,000 square feet.

5:20 a.m.: Crews are working to prepare the Maple Heights home to be demolished later this morning. They have been working through the night to get the family's furniture and personal items out of the house, and have also started construction in the street to install new infrastructure in the home. 

Volunteers have come from all over the city, and some of them are working on the project before heading to their job or class this morning.

WEDNESDAY UPDATES

6 p.m.:  The build teams says it's going to have to take down two very large trees in the backyard. They're in the way of the build. The television crews have also set up the time-lapse camera that will stay in a fixed position. The family is inside the home collecting items they need for their vacation to Colorado. The moving trucks have pulled up and are prepping to move the family out of the home.

5 p.m.: Crews are going to restage the "Braveheart march" again. They shot it once, but decided they need to do it a second people. About a 150-200 people are lining up again. A man with a bullhorn is shouting directions to the people involved. A huge mountain of water is growing at the location as suppliers drop it off for the workers. They have also. Chef Robert is getting a food tent set up. There are cases of apples and bananas at the site.

4 p.m.: Ty brought out the couple to the cheers of the volunteers. There has been constant cheering and the volunteers are even waving little American flags. The crews are taping from a variety of angles so every 5 to 6 minutes, the cheering starts all over again.

3:36 p.m.: For the last hour, the crews have been organizing volunteers into parade columns for the “Braveheart march.” The bus will lead in all the volunteers, dressed in their blue shirts and hardhats. They have been pumping up the crowd and honking