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JESSICA: It was just another bad dream-- we come home,
and there's just several inches of sewer backup
overflowing from the bathtub and the toilet.
My entire home, our bedrooms,
our furniture, children's toys just ruined.
We're really in need of some help.
ED: Yeah!
ED: Catastrophes can happen to anyone.
This thing got trashed.
It's our job to come in and fix the problem...
ED: All right. Let's roll.
Whoa!
We clean up.
Give me a hug!
We rebuild.
We need the empty buckets out!
I want to see dimension up there.
It's making something that's not glamorous glamorous...
Whoa!
...and to be able to help someone
and get their lives back together...
It's so gorgeous.
...it's the best part of our business.
Do we know how bad it is?
We're in Madison, Ohio, on our way to Jessica and Pete's house,
where, apparently, there's been some kind of city backup
that's flooded the entire house.
A lot of their personal stuff has been affected.
She said they're pretty freaked out.
We're not 100% sure what we're walking into,
but we've heard it's pretty bad.
[ Sighs ] Well, we've seen bad.
Yeah, we've seen real bad.
And they are sitting in their car.
It's never good when you pull up,
and they are not in the house.
Jessica? I'm Ed.
I'm Enzo.
Hi. Nice to meet you, Enzo.
So, tell us. We got a call from the office.
We've had the sewer line backed up in the house.
Several inches of water.
This happens every day to people all across the country.
It's not uncommon.
ED: How long have you been in a hotel?
Quite some time now, and we're really concerned
about the insurance company working with us.
And you'll have homeowner's insurance,
but not enough coverage to be able to rebuild
an entire home that has been so horrifically affected.
Is there anything you're trying to save?
There's a piece of furniture that the TV's sitting on top of
that's probably ruined.
So you guys have been through a lot already.
And I heard somebody's sick.
Yes, I've been battling breast cancer for about 18 months now.
My immune system was damaged by chemotherapy first,
and then again by the radiation.
So it's very dangerous for me to even enter the home,
breathe airborne bacteria.
Let us go in. Let us do our thing.
We'll check it out.
My, my, my, my.
Oh, boy. This is terrible.
This is bad.
This is one of the worst I've seen in quite some time.
There's got to be a couple -- two, three inches in here.
ED: Pretty much everything that's porous
is gonna have to be removed and replaced.
Soft goods are gonna have to go.
We know that this piece of furniture --
we got to save that.
All the hardwood floors are gonna have to go right away.
ENZO: This house was almost condemned.
Ceramic floors are cracked.
Carpet and pad is soaked.
We have to get in here, and we have to basically
gut the whole house before we even start over.
I found the source.
Oh. Nothing gets by you.
Yeah, I know. I'm pretty smart.
This poor woman's been through so much.
We're gonna do something that's gonna make her home
very special when she returns.
Well?
It's pretty bad. Pretty bad.
We're gonna need to buy a few more days here.
ED: It's not good, but we'll fix it.
Okay.
Thank you.
See you.
Come on, guys.
We're gonna get in the truck.
I take care of Alzheimer's patients.
So it's very different to be taken care of,
instead of being the caregiver.
We can't go back in till they fix it for us.
So it's very difficult for me to say,
"Stop what you're doing and come help me."
They said they're gonna make it nice and safe for us.
Now Ed and Enzo are coming in and stepping forward to help me.
[ Exhales sharply ]
We are just so grateful.
We really are.
ENZO: Guys, what we got going on inside --
There are a couple things.
We got sewage -- raw sewage, Category 3.
ENZO: With that much water in the house,
I have to bring in extraction trucks.
We're going to remove this water out of the house.
Once we do that, we're going to have to clean it, sanitize it,
and then remove everything that was affected by the water.
Where's your suit?
I need to get suited up.
ED: Enzo and I have a new girl on board.
Her name's Nicole. This is gonna be her first job.
So, tell me, what am I walking into?
It's really better if I don't tell you.
Oh, you want to surprise me?
I've never done anything like this,
but I'm very interested
and looking forward to helping somebody.
But I don't know what I'm gonna be getting myself into.
So we'll see. We'll see.
There's a lot of bad stuff in there,
but we're gonna make sure you are safe, first of all.
Once you're in for a couple minutes,
you'll get used to the smell.
Don't sweat it.
I'm just getting nervous now.
I'm afraid I'm gonna be sick.
I don't know what I'm walking into.
Grab a bunch of buckets, a bunch of garbage bags.
Just gonna have to get through it.
NICOLE: Ohh!
NICOLE: Oh, my God. [ Coughs ]
It clearly takes a special person to do this.
Ugh.
ED: 'Cause it's just very physically demanding,
and psychologically even more so.
Are you hanging in with us?
I'm doing good. I'm doing all right.
After seeing the house, it's bad.
Most everything is not salvageable.
Luckily, they were able to get a few of their clothes out.
Everything else in the house
is condemned and going into the Dumpster.
With the team I have, Jessica is gonna be blown away
when we finish this job for her.
Today's a really big day. It's "go" time.
This is the day where we get inside
and we start taking things apart.
What have we got going on here?
We're almost done. Give us about another 45 minutes to an hour.
You can bring in the troops.
We're all under a lot of pressure on this one.
Jessica's living in a hotel.
Her insurance is about to run out.
We want to make this perfect for her and her family.
So, this is wood. Kitchen's wood.
Wood's running into the back.
Kari's not here to help Jessica and her family,
but we called in Travis Avett.
This local designer's great.
No doubt he's gonna do a super job.
All gone.
Hopefully it can go all the way up to the ceiling.
Tub comes out, and from top to bottom is tile.
Travis, no problem. We'll get it done. No problem.
Joe's constant comment is,
"No problem, no problem, don't worry about it."
You got to have "believe" and "faith."
Oh, Joe.
Come on, Travis.
Okay, let's get everything unloaded, get ready to go.
Unload plywood in the back.
We're going to test for lead today
'cause we suspect that there might be some inside the house.
So let's just do a quick test.
If a homeowner has a house built before 1972,
chances are lead paint will be in that house.
If this piece of paper turns purple,
then we know we've got lead.
And that is not good.
Oh, geez.
ENZO: We're going to test for lead today
'cause we suspect that there might be some inside the house.
If this piece of paper turns purple,
then we know we've got lead.
And that is not good.
Oh, geez.
Lead is sweet, and that's why children
put lead chips into their mouth --
they think it tastes like candy.
Let's head over to the other rooms, do a quick check.
Lead poisoning can lead to nausea,
loss of appetite, headache, and confusion.
All right, since this is one of the kids' rooms,
we're gonna make sure we get this right.
Any time there's lead paint in a children's room,
we have to take the utmost caution
in making sure it's safe
and making sure that the children do not ingest it.
We found some lead in there.
All the baseboards have to be removed.
You guys help us prep up.
Whatever we do, the biggest rule with lead --
do not create any kind of dust.
So long as we're not using any kind of saws, sanding, abrading,
creating any kind of dust, we're golden, which we're not gonna.
We're just gonna take this stuff down with a very simple pry bar.
Okay.
If we do this...
I'm the only woman working with a bunch of guys,
so it's gonna be very interesting.
[ Laughs ]
Come on, Nicky.
[ Laughter ]
[ Hammering ]
Why don't you go home and watch some "Karate Kid"?
[ Both laugh ]
Grab the HEPA vac.
Let's start cleaning up all the dust, all the debris.
JOE: You guys ready?
You've been waiting all day. Let's go!
ENZO: Hey, guys, I'm suiting up.
Give me five minutes. Give me five minutes.
I'm going in the crawl space. I'll have the water off.
Before we do anything with any kind of water,
we need to disconnect the water underneath the house.
Can somebody get me some rubber gloves?
And the shut-off in the front yard
is probably too deep to reach.
It typically requires a city water key.
All right, let's roll. Let's roll, let's roll, let's roll.
Why does the big guy always go in the little hole?
[ Grunting ]
Hey, guys, whatever you do, do not flush the toilet!
Enzo!
ENZO: Hey, Joe, I can't find it yet!
Be careful with the water. He hasn't got it turned off yet.
Is there any shut-offs that are under the sink?
Enzo's crawling under the house. He can't find the shut-off.
He's down there on his belly crawling around
in not-so-pretty stuff.
ENZO: Who flushed the toilet?!
Shut it off!
We might have to actually go out to the street.
There's a shut-off at the street.
We might have to call the city.
ENZO: Wait a minute. It looks like this has been off already.
I need a wrench.
Normally, water meters are about 5, 6, 7 feet deep.
You need a key.
If this works, Joe, you might want to kiss me.
If you wipe that... off your face, I might.
This was just a box outside the front yard.
Is it off?
MAN: Yeah, it's off.
It's off.
We were able to shut it off with a wrench.
We're very, very lucky.
But I still want to know who flushed that toilet.
I'm gonna put this valve on for Jessica.
She's gonna have a brand-new shut-off valve for her house.
Jessica now can turn her water off and on from upstairs.
She doesn't have to go down in the crawl space
or have to go to the street to figure out how to shut it off.
And even though it wasn't an issue this time,
this will avert another disaster down the road.
Here it comes!
One of the most important things you need to know in your home
is how to shut off the water in case of an emergency.
Any leaks in the house?
If you don't know where your shut-off valve is, locate it,
put a ribbon on it, put a tag on it, know where it's at.
No leaks!
All right. I think we're home clear.
You know, it's not as bad as I thought.
These slats saved us. A lot of the water went through.
I think we're okay.
How are we coming in the bathroom, boys?
We found a little bit of mold here, there.
Less than 10 square feet. Not a big deal.
With mold, the magic number is 10 square feet.
The average homeowner can take care of it themselves.
Moisten the area, remove it, throw it in a trash bag,
get it out of your house -- end of story.
This is the biggest thing I want to bring to your attention.
We got a lot of rot.
We realized that all of the subfloors underneath the tub
were totally rotted out.
And it wasn't because of the sewage.
It's long-term water exposure.
Once we get the hallway ripped up,
we'll have a better feel there.
We're gonna have to check that out probably from underneath.
Thanks.
Okay.
We tore up the floor outside the bathroom.
There was some floor damage.
We got the subfloor in. It's been a long day.
We got a lot done, but we got a lot more to do.
ED: We're in.
[ Laughter ]
Okay, guys, what do we have left here --
the paneling, the casing on the door?
I'm pumped today. I think the guys are rock stars.
They're ready to roll.
Sam, you got a lot done here.
SAM: We worked late last night, Joe.
Pleasantly surprised with the bathroom.
They're gonna finish the flooring right now.
I got Ed and Enzo working on the light fixtures,
so we're ready to rock.
Just for roughing's sake, give us like a -- Yeah.
Give us like an extra couple of inches.
Right.
ENZO: Can someone shut the breaker off for the bedroom?
Just take the time, get the canopy roughed in real quick.
Ohh!
ED: We're in Madison, Ohio, where there's been
some kind of city backup that's flooded the entire house.
There's got to be a couple -- two, three inches in here.
So you guys have been through a lot already.
Yes, I've been battling breast cancer for about 18 months now.
ENZO: This poor woman has been through so much.
We're gonna do something that's gonna make her home
very special when she returns.
You got a lot done here.
SAM: We worked late last night, Joe.
Pleasantly surprised with the bathroom.
They're gonna finish the flooring right now.
I got Ed and Enzo working on the light fixtures,
so we're ready to rock.
ENZO: Can someone shut the breaker off for the bedroom?
Ohh!
ED: You all right, man?
A little -- A little shook up.
Guys, I thought the breaker was off.
[ Chuckling ] Was somebody using the saw?
Evidently, with all these people working around the house,
somebody flipped the breaker back on.
There's no insulation left on this wire.
In older homes,
the insulation around the wire sometimes comes apart.
It gets brittled and breaks away.
That's how most outlet fires start.
If you have any breakers tripping or fuses blowing,
that might be a sign that you might have some faulty wiring.
If you suspect that,
call an electrician to check out your home.
All right! I tell you what.
This is gonna be a great finish in there, guys.
[ Saw buzzing ]
Nice fit. Perfect fit.
TRAVIS: We're down to crunch time,
and we've accomplished a lot in a short period of time,
and I'm impressed.
The tile just got here? Awesome.
The house is looking amazing, and I cannot wait
for Jessica and the girls to show up in a couple of days.
"Progress." My favorite word.
The really big project that we're hitting on today
that I'm excited about would be the media cabinet.
Hey, Mike?
Okay.
One, two, three.
Now I know why they had eight guys moving this in.
Homeowners assume that after a disaster,
none of the furniture is salvageable,
and that's not true.
This actually was in the house, too.
As you can see, there's some damage at the bottom.
That needs to be addressed.
All right, so, first, we need to make sure that this is sanitized.
After the piece has been sanitized,
it needs to be sanded and then refinished
and then ultimately sealed so that it is protected
and that it looks like a brand-new piece of furniture.
Travis, we've got a little damage on this.
No, that's how it's supposed to be.
It's called "distressed."
I was distressed for a minute.
[ Laughs ]
Me and Ed are helping Travis put this table together.
Yes, I am.
I'm the builder.
And it's supposed to be distressed.
But I'm glad you asked.
That's a legit question for me, Travis.
It's better that you ask and not assume.
This whole conversation's stressing me out.
JOE: I think Ed's the better furniture builder.
I'll stay with the construction.
I'll do the heavy lifting and let Ed put it together.
You asked for pliers, you get Channellocks.
Assembling furniture definitely requires
a little bit of patience.
This thing's a bear.
Keep spinning. Come on, bud.
Oh, wait. Is that the right place to put it?
Work this whole house,
and the most frustrating thing is what?
The table.
[ Grunts ] Thanks, brother.
We beat it! We beat the table!
All right.
Who wants to go first?
Okay.
PETE: Sure.
Dad's gonna pitch.
You ready? I want to see you hit the ball.
Yeah!
When the house was flooded,
Jessica and Pete lost a lot of photographs.
A lot of memories gone.
We got some future Major Leaguers here.
She can hit.
So I have Enzo and Ed here today,
and they're gonna be taking some pictures.
We're gonna create some new memories for them.
Hold your bat. There you go. By your ear. Swing!
JOE: All right!
Rebuilding this house means a lot to me for Jessica.
My father, my daughter -- they've battled cancer.
Attagirl. Throw it in the air.
It really tears you up.
Yeah!
JESSICA: All right!
I'm sorry.
I'm sorry. I feel bad. [ Sniffles ]
Okay, it's time to play some baseball.
Ohh, whoo-hoo!
Open it up!
I got it.
It's crazy right now.
Tons of people running around.
Against the wall, please.
Furniture coming in every door you could possibly imagine.
Careful, careful!
And furniture's always a darn good sign
that we're getting close to the end.
Here it comes. You got it, Joe?
Got it. Hey!
Hey!
Last piece.
Oh, yeah!
ED: You know what room she's in?
Nope, do not know.
ENZO: We're about to go in the hotel.
We're about to grab Jessica and her family.
This is the part I love about my job.
Your long-term resident Jessica.
WOMAN: Yes, she's down in 128.
She said you guys could go right down.
We can't stop catastrophes, but we can change the outcome.
Hi, it's Ed and Enzo here. How you guys doing?
Good.
You guys excited about going home?
Both: Yay!
[ Laughter ]
JESSICA: Girls, get your suitcases.
ED: Jessica had no part of the design,
has no clue what we did...
Can you hold the door for me?
...except cleaning up the really bad, dirty stuff.
You're welcome.
All I've got to say at this point
is that if Jessica doesn't like it,
we're gonna throw Travis under the bus.
Guys, come on.
We're gonna go in first.
You knock on the door, and then we'll actually answer it
because this has to be the best welcome home ever.
JESSICA: I am an absolute nervous wreck right now.
Just through everything I've been through --
surgeries, chemotherapy, you name it.
I've never had this much anticipation and anxiety.
A good anxiety, but very anxious to see everything.
All right, this is it.
Whoa!
Welcome home!
Oh, my God! Oh, my God!
[ Gasps ]
Oh, my God! It's beautiful!
Oh, my gosh, guys!
Holy cow!
I walk in here, and I look around. It's so us.
It really feels like it's ours,
more than we could have ever dreamed and better.
It's perfect!
Oh, my God.
Oh, my God.
Look at all the details. Oh, my God.
All the crown molding, everything.
I love the dark wood. It's gorgeous. It's perfect.
I couldn't even imagine something so wonderful.
[ Gasps ] Oh, my goodness.
Oh, the scene of the crime!
You would never know what contamination we had.
And it just doesn't even feel like it's the same room.
But I need to show you something really important.
Your house did not have a shut-off valve.
This is the most important valve in your house.
This shuts off all the water going throughout your house.
So if something bursts in the ceiling or you had a pipe leak,
you come here and you shut it off.
Give it a try.
Give it a pull.
Oh, I can do that.
Now you're an expert.
You guys go ahead.
[ Gasps ] Oh, my gosh! Pete!
[ Laughs ]
Ohh!
Ohh!
It's been such a journey,
and the end of the road has just led us home.
I'm home. I'm truly home. And it feels like that.
Oh, look, they framed all the pictures.
Oh, it's gorgeous.
Whoo!
JESSICA: Ohh, look! [ Gasps ]
Oh, my goodness, Adrianna!
"Welcome home, Adrianna!"
Look.
Ohh!
[ Gasps ] Ohh!
Bella, look! Birds, the trees.
PETE: The bed, too.
BELLA: Look! Look at that!
A flower lamp!
Bella and Adrianna -- their eyes just lit up,
and they're just gonna love spending time in their rooms.
It's so good. I love it.
You did a fabulous job. We love it.
You feel like you're at home?
We absolutely love it. Thank you so much.
I'm a caregiver. I'm always taking care of everybody.
Even when I was sick, I never quit working.
Thanks, Joe.
You did a great job. Thank you so much.
You like the whole house?
Everything in the whole house?
So to have somebody give me a gift like this
and give something back to me is just -- it's wonderful.
I'm not used to that.
ADRIANNA: Mama, don't cry.
Oh, it's a happy cry!
It's a very happy cry. Mommy's happy.
-- Captions by VITAC --
Closed Captions provided by Scripps Networks, LLC.