Review: 'Catastrophe, Inc.'

It's difficult to find a new spin on the home makeover/remodeling TV show. At this point, audiences have just about seen it all, which might help to explain specials about "extreme" housing ideas or houses that need to be moved long distances. HGTV ran a sneak peek at their new show "Catastrophe, Inc.' on Sunday night and I can understand their eagerness to get it on the air. The show idea isn't just something different, it's also timely in this week following the damage caused by Hurricane Sandy.

"Catastrophe Inc." follows a group that focuses on repairing and redecorating structures damaged by natural disasters or other unforeseen events. They are described in HGTV promotional materials as the HGTV crew, which I suppose means that they were brought together for the show. The group includes licensed disaster recovery contractors Ed Ranieri and Enzo Maddalena, designer Kari Openshaw and construction worker Joe Charboneau, who is a former Cleveland Indians player.

In the premiere, they tackle a home in Richmond, VA. damaged during a storm. A huge tree fell on the corner of the home, damaging several rooms as well as the roof. Even worse, the hole in the roof was incorrectly covered with a tarp. The result was further water damage and a large amount of mold in the room the family used as a nursery.

Getting rid of the mold required protecting the rest of the house with plastic while workmen removed all of the wet and moldy material from the room. They worked in a negative air environment, which means that air is sucked into the room and treated with filters before sending it back outside. It's a labor-intensive process, even when you're just talking about doing it one room.

Unfortunately even after the extensive cleaning, the level of mold and spore in the nursery was still above healthy levels. That required a second cleaning of the room, which is apparently not uncommon in such situations. Much of the rest of the repairs were pretty straight-forward. A new roof, insulation and dry wall to cover the damaged areas.

Since the family lost their shade tree, it was decided that the best thing to do was to build a front porch to help recreate the shadiness of the lost tree. They also use the opportunity to tweak the front landscaping, including the replacement of the front walk. They also replaced the two front doors with one larger one. Unfortunately, the new door hit the stair rail when it was fully opened. The fix required moving the stair rail slightly so the new door would have free access.

If I have one complaint about what I've seen so far is that I would like to see the episodes focus more on the challenges of repairing storm-damaged homes. It's the type of work that is very specialized and it's not something that is usually seen in a television show. The predictable back-and-forth between the cast and the tired faux disagreements detract from what really matters: the renovation efforts.

That having been said, "Catastrophe Inc." is a fascinating show to watch. The personalities of the crew don't get in the way of the work and the final results look great. Everyone loves a happy ending and this show definitely delivers that in the course of a half hour.

"Catastrophe Inc." will premiere on HGTV in 2013.