Donating the Mold Proof System to Extreme Makeover was one of the most exciting and rewarding experiences of my career to date. We arrived in Tucson on the afternoon of Tuesday, January 27th. Upon checking into our hotel, we proceeded to a meeting with over 120 framers at Yarborough Construction where we learned that we had three sites where Mold Proofing would be necessary. We spent the remainder of the evening overseeing the preparation of press releases and planning for Tuesday and Wednesday’s application process.

We arrived at our first site on Wednesday morning where we treated all of the lumber that would eventually surround all doors and windows. Unfortunately, due to a snow storm that had shut down transportation in Texas, we had to pull inventory from Mold Proof of Arizona. Unfortunately, this was not our only challenge. The sprayers and tips donated by Sunbelt Rentals were acting up and causing inconsistent application. We pushed through it and moved by mid-afternoon to the truss plant where 8,000 board feet of trusses awaited our five-man crew (actually 4-man and 1-woman). With delinquent sprayers in hand, we were forced to use paint rollers to even out the coverage on every inch of truss. Scott Walter (Mold Proof of Tennessee) arrived from Phoenix, AZ by 3:30 and our two crews were able to complete the trusses by sundown.

Thursday morning began slowly with breakfast and a planning session on how to apply the Frame Surface Protectant to cover over 38,000 board feet of OSB and structural lumber in one day. With a new donation of sprayers from the Home Depot our pace was increased and rolling was unnecessary! Carson Medford of Mold Proof of the Triad jumped on a sprayer and began tearing through piles of 2×4’s, 2×6’s, etc while Jay Colburn (Mold Proof of the Mid-Atlantic and resident mold expert) kept us moving with technical, equipment and planning assistance. Scott Walter (our resident engineer and Mold Proof of Tennessee) was forward thinking enough to arrange for lighting and large equipment needs (forklifts, etc). By 4 p.m. the volunteers began arriving (and boy did we need them).

Chris and the guys at Yarborough Construction were kind enough to bring in dinner for us while our volunteers kicked into high gear. With local volunteers from local churches, sororities and even the girlfriend of our waiter from the night before, we had three sprayers pumping out FSP and the finish line was in sight. With the temperature dropping quickly, the final pre-constructed walls and beams were finished and the volunteers even remained to help us clean up.

On Friday, Maggie (Mold Proof of Arizona) and I hit the phones contacting local media sources and coordinating with Extreme Makeover Home Edition. We were invited to the VIP tent at the construction site to enjoy watching our Mold Proof wood become a home for the Bell Family. Witnessing our work become part of this project brought tears to my eyes as I recounted some of the obstacles that were overcome through the years as Mold Proof became a North American service brand.

At this point, pictures were in order, so we descended to the construction site (outfitted with hard hats). While taking pictures we began to realize the opportunity at hand. TV cameras were all over the place and cast members were testing their lines. Carson Medford was the first to enter the house and begin assisting the framing crew with truss installation. At that point, Jay Colburn and I began hearing Didiayer Snyder (the newest cast member) running lines about the “Green, Lifetime Warranted coating on the structure”. We positioned ourselves for camera exposure and a chance to talk on camera as filming continued. And while we never got “an interview”, we were all excited to learn that Mold Proof would get its national television debut as we witnessed Ms. Snyder’s explanation of our mold prevention system 15-20 times!

Before dinner we spent time getting to know various people who had been instrumental in the project including John Wesley Miller (primary builder) and Hank Krzysik (architect). As dinner time approached, the temperature began dropping again, so Jay and I purchased a couple sweat shirts. As we were talking to our money taking friend about our part in the project and talked of our desires to meet T-bone (Theron Canevari, a producer on the show), our desire quickly became a reality. I spent the next five minutes talking to T-bone about Mold Proof and our desire to work with Extreme Makeover in the future to permanently prevent against mold.

Our trip to Tucson began as a desire to expose Mold Proof to North American consumers, architects, engineers, realtors and builders. And while it will undoubtedly help catapult Mold Proof and its Distributors to recognition and sales, the blessings of the experience and memories created overshadow everything else. For the five members, the Tucson team became the original Mold Patrol that that found a brotherhood rooted in commitment, support and integrity, and it taught us all what it means to be a member of the Mold Proof Team.
*The Extreme Makeover home in Tucson will be the first green verified home in the nation under the new NAHB (National Association of Home Builders) guidelines. The National Green Building Standard is the first green building rating system to be approved by ANSI, making it the benchmark for green homes.

The standard defines what green practices can be incorporated into residential development and construction on a national scale and how home owners can operate and maintain their green homes.
The National Green Building Standard also provides for flexibility – allowing home builders and home buyers to make green choices based on climate and geography as well as style preferences and budget. The Bell’s Extreme Makeover house will fall into the silver category of ratings with NAHB guidelines.

Many in the industry feel the NAHB standards allow for more flexibility in the green market than LEED does. It takes in account for climate zones which is usually a blanket choice in LEED. This home will be a major build as it is also getting national coverage on its green principles.