Crew members -- aided by a flame-throwing Megasaurus -- demolished the Drumms' tiny, dilapidated house Saturday night to make way for the new one.
"We started at about 10 or 11 (Sunday) morning after a setback last night. During demolition, we discovered a cistern that was previously unknown," said Joel Rensberger, production manager for Dan Ryan Builders.
The cistern filled the basement with 2,000 gallons of water. However, advance methods and chemicals associated with concrete pouring allowed the crews to be working an hour ahead of schedule.
Rensberger said that overnight Sunday, workers would finish pouring the walls, install basement plumbing, waterproof the walls, and prepare and pour the basement floor.
"By sunup, we should have the framers on the house," Rensberger said.
They will be working a 14-hour shift, he said.
The project will yield a 2,500-square-foot house, according to Art Miley, a Dan Ryan project manager from Shippensburg, Pa.
Rensberger expects 1,500 tradesmen to be working on the house through the week. He compared the coordination of scheduling to a ballet.
"There are so many men and women working together that you would expect confusion and chaos. (It's more like) 40 dancers on stage, but no one's touching each other," he said.
Dan Ryan Builders is serving as the lead contractor on the project. Representatives of the home builder joined the design team (Ty Pennington, Paul DiMeo, Eduardo Xol, John Littlefield and Didiayer Snyder) in sending the Drumms off to Walt Disney World last Friday afternoon.
The foundation crews from Northstar Foundations were using equipment donated by David H. Martin Excavating Inc.
Construction has been scheduled for just 106 hours at the Quincy Township property.
The episode, part of the show's sixth season, is scheduled to air in January 2009.
