"I think my hand got on camera," said Ethan Bradley, 19.
Joel Rensberger, production manager for Dan Ryan Builders, said volunteers were racing to get outside work finished due to a weather forecast that predicted rain. The Frederick, Md., home building company was given 106 hours to build a new house for Matthew and Blasia Drumm and their three children.
Eighty men and women worked on the house Wednesday night in a method that Rensberger called "all going crazy." Dan Ryan Builders plans to hand over the house keys to the "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" design team Thursday at 2 p.m.
"We came through (Tuesday) night, and we installed cabinets and ceramic tiles as day broke," Rensberger said. A solar array was connected to power the house, he said.
Barrick & Sons landscapers worked with the Penn State Mont Alto students and others from the Pennsylvania College of Technology. The backyard fence, gutters and shutters were added.
Donald Elower, Blasia Drumm's father, arrived at 12:30 p.m. to discover a polished exterior.
"They were putting gray brick in a walkway up to the house," he said.
The Thurmont, Md., man pressed against the spectator fence as he quietly took in the scene.
"It's unreal. ... I can guarantee I'll never forget this," he said.
Rensberger said volunteers would use their last few hours to touch up paint and apply more trim and handrails.
"Painting drywall in this kind of environment is always a challenge," he said, explaining that people always bump themselves or things into wet paint.
Despite the hundreds of people on set, Rensberger said a spirit of cooperation has prevailed. Also, he said, no injuries have been reported.
"Not so much as a Band-Aid has been needed," he said.
"It's a good experience," said Josh Reiter, who graduates from Penn State Mont Alto next month. "It's hard to believe that that many people can get together."
"And do it that fast and that well," Braun added.
The 2,500-square-foot house impressed the college students.
"It sticks out like a sore thumb up there," Porambo said. "I don't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing."
