Church Members Perform An Extreme Home Makeover
Donning a protective mask, Dan Willistein picked up his sledgehammer and gave the wall of his kitchen a good smash. He wanted it down. Drywall, insulation, and large pieces of wood and metal were left in his wake.
More than 35 people smashed, hammered and sawed their way through what used to be the back section of Dan’s home. The demolition crews continued through the downstairs bathroom and entranceway until in a matter of hours an empty shell of a house emerged from the cloud of dust.
Termed “demolition day†by members of Dan’s church who gathered at his Spencerport home, the mission was simple — clear the way for Dan to begin construction of a new basement, kitchen and bedroom.
Dan and Jaime Willistein are expecting their third child in October and their home just doesn’t have enough space for their growing family. “We need more room for the kids to eat, sleep and play,†said 26-year-old Jaime. “Right now, we only have three small bedrooms and that just won’t be enough space once our third child arrives.â€
He has other worries.
“The foundation isn’t level and portions of the house may not be structurally sound,†he said.
Dan, 28, is a mechanical engineer and is the worship leader at Ridgeland Community Church in Henrietta.
“After we are finished today, Dan can start framing and building a little at a time,†said Dan Cymbal, 38, lead pastor at Ridgeland.
Becky Cymbal saw the day as a sort of extreme home makeover.
“We wanted to bring our church together to help Dan and Jaime so they wouldn’t have to spend a lot of time and money to start the remodeling process,†she said.
By lunchtime, most of the hard work was done. Everyone took a short break and enjoyed the sloppy joes, macaroni salad, chips and bottled water provided by members of the church.
Marilee Elash, 61, was delighted to be part of the make-shift demolition crew.
“I have a little experience working with wood trim around my house, but you have to be so careful when you remove it from the wall so that it doesn’t get nicked or damaged,†said Marilee. “Today, I can just smash away and not have to worry about anything. I’m having so much fun.â€
The volunteers gutted the back section of Dan’s house, taking out the bathroom, mud room and kitchen. They took down the back wall of the house, so he can build an addition.
Tags: Air, Basement, Building, drywall, experi, Home Remodeling, money, remodel, remodeling, remodeling project, time and money, Wall