Ty Pennington Opens Up and Candidly Answers Questions During Keynote Address

Ty Pennington, the Keynote Speaker at Sprayfoam 2015, might have gotten into the construction industry by chance. But, being involved in SPF and supporting its growth is a conscious, specific endeavor he made after first-hand experiences with it during his time on "Extreme Makeover – Home Edition."

 

During his Keynote Address at Sprayfoam 2015, Ty spoke with us rather than at us, "which is something I really enjoy doing," he says. "We have the chance to inform and grow from our interactions with each other, all with the same desire to make this great product and industry realize its full potential." Read more behind-the-scenes notes from Ty here. During the Keynote, he interacted with the audience and even dared to open the mic for people to ask off-the-cuff questions, which he answered while on stage. Some of the comments from Ty at SPFA's special reception for him on Tuesday night and during the Keynote include: 

 

>>One common concern with SPF is finding the right contractor, which is a problem that runs closer to home than Ty ever thought it would. "My mom even asked me!" he exclaimed. The question he hears is, "How can I make sure I don’t get #$*& by a contractor?" His answer, in the past, was to get references and have due diligence. He also recommends a new company, now, as well, called www.Porch.com. "They are going to revolutionize not only what you do to your home, but what it’s worth. It will, basically, be a ‘black book’ value of your home. It will also show other work done in the area and the credentials of the workers. "You can see what other people are doing in your neighborhood," explained Ty, who is all about rounding up communities to help support each other.

>>Ty said one of his "ah-hah" moments for SPF was after he had it installed in his mom’s house in Florida. "We put SPF in the house then left the house for 5-6 days, during which time it didn’t have any power going to it. When we went back, the house felt like a refrigerator, and it was in the mid-80s outside." Ty said this experience with SPF changed him. "If I wasn’t a believer before, I was then! I am not sure people understand the comfort level it provides." However, "in the SPF industry,  it is so important to have someone well trained and well versed." Ty also mentioned, "I am amazed how far home building has come in the past 20 years." 

>>Ty said he started out being a carpenter "to pay my way through art school." He also dabbled in landscaping, "making $3 hour to work in the grueling sun." Luckily, he found that in construction, you can always go back to it, as long as you have the tools. "And what I kept going back to was construction. I have always been really good with my hands," which he realized even as a young man when he rallied some neighbors and borrowed some tools and built a three-story treehouse in a day. However, as a student, "I was distracting but highly entertaining. So it should be no surprise I ended up on television," said Ty, with one of his contagious laughs.

During his search to find a career that suited his skills and personality, he ended up going door to door. "I realized you had to be your own salesman. I must have had an honest face or a face that said, ‘Oh please God give me a job!’

Now, people ask me, "How did you get that job (referring to Extreme Makeover – Home Edition)?" They also ask me, ‘How did you get a job being you?’ I don’t know, but I think I was qualified!"

>>One aspect of the show that most people don’t know is that Ty would have a couple different house renovations going on at one time. "I would leave on the third day and start a whole new project. Then I would fly back to the other family and house. What I realized early on is that you have to have plan a, plan b and plan c," especially in construction. "Murphy’s Law is out there! Shoot for the skies, but know where your middle is. Make your middle the best it can possibly be."

>>High quality work was a must for Ty. "Looking back on the quality of what we built is what I can be proud of." It is even one of the reasons he joined up with Lapolla and SPF. On the show, "the contractors had a 10-year punch out list... they would come back" and stand behind the work done to the houses. "That is one of the reasons I got behind Lapolla and SPF."

>>Ty said "the bus" was a pivotal moment in every project as well. "In that moment, when that bus moved... there is no better reward. It is just mind-blowing."