‘Renovation 911’ Might Be HGTV’s Most Dramatic Home Makeover Show Yet

Home makeover shows have just gotten a lot more dramatic with the debut of “Renovation 911.”

Rather than spotlighting designers helping homeowners refresh dated or boring decor, this new HGTV series features emergency restoration experts (and sisters) Lindsey Uselding and Kirsten Meehan as they rebuild in the wake of catastrophes.

“If you have a fire, flood, storm damage, or any other disaster, we tear your house apart and put it back together,” says Meehan. “We’ve seen it all.”

Based in Minneapolis, MN, these sisters are licensed contractors. Uselding covers logistics and insurance, and Meehan takes care of construction and design.

All in all, it’s a relief to know that there are people like the “Renovation 911” team out there, because let’s face it: Who among us hasn’t worried what we would do if a disaster destroyed part of our own home?

In their premiere episode, “Fires, Floods and Teenagers,” the duo tackles a house damaged by fire. Homeowners Troy and Kelly Higgins were out one night when their teenage sons called to tell them their house was on fire. A car in their garage sparked the flames, and luckily firefighters arrived in time to keep the fire from spreading to the whole house.

As they rebuild, Uselding and Meehan provide insight into navigating the process—from home insurance claims to renovation. They also give expert advice on how to protect your property. Some of their wise intel might help you keep your own home safe.

Get a fire-rated steel door

The good news is that while the Higgins’ garage was destroyed, the flames didn’t reach the rest of the house. But why?

“The Higgins had a fire-rated steel door in their garage, and this was a huge reason why the fire didn’t burn down the rest of the house,” says Uselding.

“If you don’t have a steel door, get one,” says Meehan. “It could save your life.”

Soot can be a hidden danger

The flames didn’t consume the rest of the house, but smoke penetrated most of the first floor. Soot was everywhere.

“Soot can not only destroy your belongings, but if it stays in your house, it can act as a carcinogen,” warns Uselding.

Who knew that soot was so insidious? The kitchen doesn’t look that bad, and the cabinets appear to be undamaged, but Uselding says they have to go.

“You can wipe down the plastic on the melamine, but the particle board underneath the plastic is super porous, and it’s going to have to go,” says Meehan. “It holds odor and will smell forever.”

The soot even gets in the cracks between the boards of the hardwood floor, which also looks undamaged. The sisters inform the family that their maple flooring will also have to be replaced.

Firefighting itself causes damage

“A lot of people don’t realize what the firefighting does to a home,” says Meehan. “It unleashes thousands of gallons of water, and that does a lot of damage.”

Think about the wreckage that water pouring into your house could cause! Since this happened in Minnesota, the water that doused the flames froze into giant icicle walls.

“Not only did the water break apart the drywall, but it froze to the floor,” says Uselding.

Check those hoses

Next, Uselding and Meehan are called out to a house where an old washing machine hose had come loose in a laundry room on the second floor. Water flowed out into the hall, down to the first floor and beyond, into the basement.

“In a water loss like this, time is not our friend,” says Meehan. “Water damages structure, and it could grow mold. We gotta get this dried out fast and efficiently.”

And that’s exactly what they do. The sisters begin demo immediately.

This could happen to anyone, but it doesn’t have to, Meehan says.

“I would recommend to anybody, just change out your washer hoses every three to five years,” she advises. “They’re $30 to $50. It could save you $30,000 to $50,000 later.”

Know your insurance and work with it

Before Uselding and Meehan touch anything in a house, they get the green light from the insurance company every step of the way. They find that insurance will cover some surprising things—such as the cost of replacing all the stone on the home’s exterior, because they couldn’t find a replacement in a matching color.

Yet while the insurance company agrees to cover the cost of replacements that are similar in quality and price point to the originals, any upgrades to nicer materials must come out of pocket. So Troy and Kelly pitch in $10,000 to upgrade to a nicer, lighter-colored kitchen countertop.

This demonstrates how important it is to have home insurance in the first place and to frequently check in with the provider, so no unexpected expenses arise.

Did the “Renovation 911” team make things right?

In the end, the Higgins family home looks better than it did before.

“To see the house after the fire was the hardest thing we’ve ever had to deal with, and I could never have imagined that the outcome could look like this,” says Kelly. “It just looks like a brand new house. I’m amazed! I never imagined that something so horrible could have such a bright outcome.”

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