• FLOODS of '08 VIDEO
The demand for furnaces heats up in Cedar Rapids. With so many families flooded out of their homes, getting needed installations like furnaces and water heaters will be a tough task.
Getting heat in time for winter could be tough.
"We're booked solid till December," said Todd Lafer, installing a furnace for a flood victim on Cedar Rapids’ Northeast side.
The problem is, cold weather comes much sooner than that.
"When that first cold snap starts, everybody's going to want to be first to keep the water pipes from freezing," he said.
It means flood victims are at the mercy of people like Lafer who are working hard to get the job done.
"It’s been hectic, very hectic, we're very very busy."
Carol Musch is one of the lucky ones who can move back in once he’s done.
“It’s been quite the trip, you know, to get people in here because they tell you they're just too booked,” she said. “It's a long hard road."
She had to wait two months for Ilten's to come out. There are just so many families in need of the new equipment.
"In this case, everybody needs it right away, so everybody's just on a waiting list," said Lafer.
Ilten's has hired about five more people to make up for demand, and Todd often tries to do a three day job in two so he can get to the next house.
"There shouldn't be any layoffs this year," he said.
But Lafer and other contractors can only do so much with so many families still waiting. He just hopes winter can wait too.
"I'm hoping very late, like maybe January."Demand for Furnaces Heats Up
