Aug 21 2009
One lucky Washington-area family will soon be surprised by ABC's Emmy-award winning reality show Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. The program will air as a two-hour special featuring SIPA member Winter Panel as they help construct a new energy-efficient house with structural insulated panels (SIPs) for a deserving family in just one week.
The name and location of the family home will not be released until later this month.
"Everyone at Winter Panel is very excited about this project," said Dave Gauthier, President of Winter Panel Corp. "This is a great opportunity to showcase the speed and ease of construction with our SIPs, while at the same time helping out a family who richly deserves our show of thanks for all they have done. This family will not only be rewarded with a new home this summer, but will enjoy the energy-saving benefits of SIP construction for all the years to come." Gauthier and several Winter Panel staff will be providing onsite assistance to local builders Burch Builders Group LLC and G&M Contracting, Inc, who are leading the construction of the project. They will be joined by hundreds of local volunteers who will be organized by the United Way of the National Capital Area.
"SIPs really shine in this type of construction," said SIPA Executive Director Bill Wachtler, who worked with Extreme Makeover: Home Edition to incorporate SIPs into the project. "Prefabricated SIPs shave 50 percent off the normal framing time, they are excellent for a volunteer work force, and the homeowners will get an energy-efficient home that will keep their utility bills low," he added.