“Yeah but your people don't use nails either Nigal.”

“The few Habitat homes I saw some time after they were occuppied looked just fine.

Its a damn fine idea and organization if you ask me.”

“Since the majority of HFH homes are for first time home owners the construction end is particularly helpful. They might be first generation owners for their entire family. Having to help build the thing makes a difference. There aren't many stones that can be thrown at that program.”

“This white dude.... was talking to this Indian dude... and the white dude asks the Indian dude.... what did you call this land before the white man came ????
And, the Indian dude says........

OURS”

“Great, Trekker John. Now I have JibJab's twisted version of Woody Guthrie's song "This Land" running through my head. ;)”

“You need to rough up the surface to get the cement to bond. You can use mechanical or chemical means. Get a maul and beat the surface of the existing concrete until it starts to chip up exposing the agregate. If you don't like beating things go buy yourself some rubber chemical gloves, an acid resistant brush, an acid respirator and a few gallons of HCL. Brush the HCL on the surface of the concrete and watch it disappear. When the surface is rough looking with exposed rocks apply some baking soda and water solution to neutralize the acid. Wash away the foamy mess with a hose and allow to dry. Apply some concrete bonder to the surface and pour the heaviest test concrete you can find. Allow the concrete to cure very slowly. Keep it moist and out of the sun. I would think your half inch pour would be fine just don't drive cars on it and keep it away from water. I would say you should be able to do a better job on this yourself than a contractor. The chicken wire idea may work but, I would use fiber mix instead.
last edited: 5/25/05 12:36:53 PM”

“it is inside a barn, so sun is not an issue”

“

Family suing reality TV show over repairs

When a reality-show television producer says “Trust me,” run.

That’s the lesson Gary and Sharon Rosier of Lemont Township say they learned when Fox Broadcasting’s “Renovate My Family” promised them a new and improved home designed to accommodate their recently paralyzed son, Steven.

Instead of a handicapped-friendly home that made their life easier, they got a shoddy wreck of a house that latest estimates say will cost $350,000 to fix, the Rosiers’ attorney, Mark Belongia, said.

“Essentially what they did is build a movie set,” Belongia said.

Wiring remains exposed; door knobs are round, impossible for Steven to grasp; a dryer is vented into the home rather than out of it; smoke detectors don’t work; plywood covers basement windows; siding and plumbing was improperly installed; the furnace has no foundation and is stuffed in a crawl space and sod was installed directly over limestone paving, Belongia said.

“They didn’t care (that it was impossible for the grass to live). All they needed was for it to be green for the episode they shot of the people coming home,” said Belongia, who filed suit on behalf of the family Wednesday in Cook County Chancery Court.

Fox Broadcasting in Los Angeles referred all calls to the production company, Rocket Science Laboratories, which did not return phone calls.

While the Rosiers, who live near I-55 and Lemont Road, did sign a contract giving Rocket Science considerable latitude, their suit claims they were told at the time of signing that it was not a final contract, just something they needed to sign to be considered for the show. The company refused their requests to let them consult a lawyer before signing, telling them time was of the essence, the suit claims. For those reasons, it should be void, Belongia said.

The family, which was approached by a producer at the 2004 Boat and RV show at McCormick Place, thought the show would make their home more handicapped-friendly, Belongia said.

Their son Steven was 15 when he was paralyzed in a March 2003 snowboarding accident.

As a carpenter and an office worker, respectively, Gary and Sharon Rosier didn’t have a lot of money to plow into rehab, Belongia said.

One of the things the Rosiers asked was that the oak floor Steven and Gary installed together before Steven’s accident be left alone. Instead, it was replaced with laminate, the suit said.

Among the other problems is an “endless” pool installed in Steven’s room intended for therapy.

“It was so powerful it forced him under and almost drowned him,” Belongia said. His mother had to rescue him, he said.

In addition, the suit claims, a deck, barn and patio that Gary Rosier had built were demolished.

“Fox tore it all out and threw it in the garbage,” Belongia said.

To add insult to injury, about $13,000 in power tools Gary Rosier had at the home were missing when the family returned, the suit claims.

The family has also learned that, despite assurances, they are liable for the taxes on the home “improvement,” the suit claims

The work on the home, which consisted of tearing the structure down to the foundation and rebuilding it in nine days, was done in July 2004. The show aired in September.

The Rosiers also are suing DuPage County, claiming it never performed a final home inspection on the work. Officials with the county could not be reached for comment Wednesday.”

“Lets follow the thread of logic here. Fox = Rupert Murdock = conservative = Bush. Toda! It’s all Bush’s fault!

Heehee. Sorry V, that was all in jest. That really is bullshlt.”

“Soooooooooooooo... will the whole season be dedicated to hurricane re-builds? Why I think ole Ty and crew might just be overwhelmed and shedding tears every week....”

“tonights show which I didn't watch was about a soldier that lives in Clarksville, Tn. who lost a leg in Iraq. This season shows has already been completed but watch for it next yr.”

“Ewker, I think you saw the preview for the season kickoff. Tonight's was a rerun on the Native American woman who died in Iraq, plus a center for Native American vets.

Yeah, I'm figuring they have almost all the shows taped already for this year, but something tells me they'll get into New Orleans/the Gulf Coast ASAP.”

“Treebait and I were wondering about that too Lizs.

Seems like a whole lot of woe over there to wring some shows out of.”

“Seems like a whole lot of woe over there to wring some shows out of.

lol, love that comment HPM”