Holmes on Homes - My Take

[ddawg16]

Just started watching the program.....

Yea....you have to filter out some of the 'drama' that is done for the camera.....but I have to admit...at least he shows you what is not right and what a better way to do it.

Translation....one can learn something from it....

Unlike Extreme Makeover - Home Edition.....you learn NOTHING about the construction details....except for who 'sponsored' the paticular item.....

 

[CUSTOMMANCAVES.COM]

Love the show, watch it religiously. I think he should publicly "out" the bad contractors (i.e. show up at their business/jobsite to question their competence).

I could make a freakin' 30 hr. documentary of the things I see wrong on a daily basis (and I'm not even a contractor). I should probably start taking pics.

Quick story: Saw two guys getting ready to paint the concrete floor of a neighboring warehouse. I asked "are you going to power-wash/acid etch/prime, etc?" "Nah...you don't need to do all that stuff." they said. I hinted to my friend (the owner of the warehouse and a contractor) that it absolutely needed to be done correctly or his paint would lift (this space was for his car collection). "Nah" he said..."these guys know what they're doing.".

Well, guess what...paint is peeling where he parks the cars. Now he has little squares of carpet everywhere. I bit my tounge and never said "I told you so."

 

[hudone]

It is a very educational show......And he does seem sincere and an honest and alot of good information too.

 

[Jeff]

Holmes has been around for 10 years on Canadian TV. He's now getting popular in the US. If you watch some of the old shows he does 'out' the bad contractors and subs. I would think for liability reasons he had to stop.

 

[GzrGlide]

Great show. He publishes a magazine too!

 

[nate379]

What is up with the main power having to come in on the side?

I was watching it today, they did a bay window re-install and the home owner had done his own wiring. The box was upright like you see them all the time and they had to flip it 90* so it was sideways. I have never seen that one before!

 

[scarrylarry]

I used to watch it all the time,the drama was a little over the top sometimes.
His new show Holmes Inspection can be good,but IMO I don't care for his sidekick.When you use "I" instead of "We" in a team effort "I" don't like it.But it's about the only show that shows the what's wrong and how to fix it.I would really like to see a show that delves more into that,there are quite a few homeowners that could do their own work if they had the know how.
scarrylarry

 

[e-tek]

Ya, he's a good egg, long hours putting that show together. But they will never show too much detail - it ruins the "drama" and has it's own liabilty issues (I saw it on H's on H's!). He's beeen trying to get the kids in on it for a while - the daughters HOT!

 

[walrus]

I think its a good show but I have to wonder what kind of licenses he holds. I've seen him doing plumbing and electrical work and then he whines about unlicensed people. I wonder if he holds either license?? I'd bet he might have a plumbing license as his dad was a plumber but electrical I doubt that.

 

[walrus]

. The box was upright like you see them all the time and they had to flip it 90* so it was sideways. I have never seen that one before!

Its Canadian Electrical code, you'll see a lot of different stuff done

 

[Justanoldguy]

but electrical I doubt that.

Why?

Anyway, I have seen practically every show and he always has an Electrician do the work.

 

[walrus]

Why?

Anyway, I have seen practically every show and he always has an Electrician do the work.

Why? do I think that, his knowledge of electrical is limited, very limited.
I agree He generally has an electrician but I've seen him or his helpers doing electrical work on older shows.

 

[Ord]

What is up with the main power having to come in on the side?

I was watching it today, they did a bay window re-install and the home owner had done his own wiring. The box was upright like you see them all the time and they had to flip it 90* so it was sideways. I have never seen that one before!

I think the problem in that one was that we aren't allowed to have the circuit wiring coming out the same side as the main power goes in. Normally we have main coming in the top or bottom and all the circuits go out the sides. They flipped it so that where the main lines were was now an end, and they had the long sides free to bring wiring out of.

I love the show too, but sometimes I'd like to see them do something where there was a budget to respect. If I wanted to do every project with the quality of materials that they use, I would never be able to afford anything.

 

[Ezzie]

In Ontario, you don't need to be a licenced electrician to do electrical work - the work just needs to be permitted first, inspected and passed by the ESA (Electrical Safety Authority). This is mandatory even if a home owner wants to change a light fixture in their own house!!! Having said that, the ESA "strongly" recommends that homeowners hire licenced electricians to do the work.

In Ontario, electrical work is not part of the building permit/inspection process done for construction work. The local municipalities issue the building permits EXCEPT for electrical work. ESA is the entity we have to deal with for ALL additions and changes to residential/commercial/industrial building wiring (anything hard wired to the distribution grid). The only exemption is the distribution system ahead of your meter base - that is controlled by Hydro One.

 

[buddyboy]

has anyone else noticed that when they install a shower stall they install it with a tub spigot (faucet)?

it's installed about 6 inches up from the shower floor.

whats up with that?

 

[Ord]

has anyone else noticed that when they install a shower stall they install it with a tub spigot (faucet)?

it's installed about 6 inches up from the shower floor.

whats up with that?

It's called a "toe tester", so you can check the temperature of the water.

 

[dakota_522]

i watch it everyday, im suprise it hasnt got more popular then it is now. i just bought my first house and there was alot of fixing up to do and i learned alot just from watching his show. although i whish he would make a how to show or books. i was reading that he went to new orleans to rebuild houses down there that are echo freindly to help people out.

 

[TRC51]

Excellent show! Have to watch it when I catch it. You can see he has his heart in it and loves what he does. Many times I have watched him come close to tears from seeing what scum bag contractors have done to innocent unknowing people. I agree, I wish he could out the bad guy, but a law suit would probably follow from that contactor.

I know one thing... it's a wake up call to people to do their homework. I know I had my own troubles with contactors and I have a little bit of knowledge on my side. I can imagine how helpless some people must feel.

 

[IndyGarage]

I think he goes a little overboard on some of the repairs. No doubt he does a good job, but for the average homeowner, it's overkill.

 

[ct71rr]

One of my favorite shows. Does anyone know how the fixes are paid for? Do the homeowners pay anything or is all the work/materials donated? And yes, the blonde is smokin hot!!

 

[StingRay]

I had to do the same thing in my garage. There is a height regulation on the panels and if turning it sideways makes it closer to the standard than when it's vertical then that's what you do. It beats the hell out of replacing electrical entrance.

What is up with the main power having to come in on the side?

I was watching it today, they did a bay window re-install and the home owner had done his own wiring. The box was upright like you see them all the time and they had to flip it 90* so it was sideways. I have never seen that one before!

 

[CUSTOMMANCAVES.COM]

Does anyone know how the fixes are paid for? Do the homeowners pay anything or is all the work/materials donated?

I imagine the show/sponsors foot the bill. If the homeowner's were paying, they wouldn't be so casual when Mike tells them what's required.

TV pays a lot. I was once paid $300/min. for video footage submitted to one of those "Caught on Tape" shows.

 

[Oldmanpants]

Yeah, he's been on TV up here in Canada for a long time.

I love watching Holmes on Homes, and his new show Holmes Inspection. He was also a co-judge on a handyman competition show. A show also aired up here last year that followed him and his crew down to New Orleans to build some really incredible hurricane resistant homes for some families in need of help.

I find it quite un-realistic budget wise as well. Something in my industry we call scope-creep. He can go in to fix an eaves trough and end up replacing the roof, doing mold and asbestos removal throughout the house, remodelling the basement and installing a new furnace Not something your average homeowner would be able to afford.

I often wonder who pays for the work/materials - the homeowner, or the Holmes Foundation (or whatever its called)

I think that he often pretends that something is new to him - a product, or a method or whatever - just so he can ask the expert thats doing the work some questions and show some amazement. Like "Oh, wow thats brilliant" or whatever.

 

[kmacht]

I think I remember reading that the homeowner pays for materials and the show pays for the labor. They also get alot of the materials donated so the homeowner doesn't end up with the full bill.

Keith

 

[kbs2244]

I guess I have to be the dissenter.
I watched once.
Saw nothing I didn’t already know.

I would think of it as a beefcake version of “This Old House.”
I bet more women watch than guys.
And all the time thinking “Why can’t my husband look like that and be that smart.”

 

[akdiesel]

I like to watch his work. The way he gives detailed information on how to do it correctly is a plus with his program, but I have to wonder is most of this work done in Canada or is on both sides of the boarder?
I am not a contractor but do alot of my own work around the house from framing and electrical and the amount of the findings out there makes me wonder if he has a paid crew to mess things up and here comes Super Mike to save the day.
We all know how TRUE some of these reallity shows can be.
As for payment I am of the understanding that home owners insurance would cover alot of the work since most of the work on the show is done by licensed contractors.

 

[walrus]

In Ontario, you don't need to be a licenced electrician to do electrical work - the work just needs to be permitted first, inspected and passed by the ESA (Electrical Safety Authority). This is mandatory even if a home owner wants to change a light fixture in their own house!!! Having said that, the ESA "strongly" recommends that homeowners hire licenced electricians to do the work.

In Ontario, electrical work is not part of the building permit/inspection process done for construction work. The local municipalities issue the building permits EXCEPT for electrical work. ESA is the entity we have to deal with for ALL additions and changes to residential/commercial/industrial building wiring (anything hard wired to the distribution grid). The only exemption is the distribution system ahead of your meter base - that is controlled by Hydro One.

Cool
I was wondering what was up with that
Thanks


The one place where Mike shines is insulation. He knows what to do and how to do it, to make a warm comfortable house

 

[walrus]

I had to do the same thing in my garage. There is a height regulation on the panels and if turning it sideways makes it closer to the standard than when it's vertical then that's what you do. It beats the hell out of replacing electrical entrance.

In the US breakers can't be in the down position and be on. So a regular panel can't be mounted sideways. They do make panels you can mount sideways, not sure if I've ever seen one

 

[Car54]

I enjoy the show as well. Many great pointers.

For those wondering about who pays...it was covered in the behind the scenes show. This is where my respect level for the guy, cast, and premise went way up. Turns out, Holmes was hired as the contractor when an HGTV Exec wanted work done at his home. Holmes said you gotta stop telling people lies...the Exec bit, and the show was created. Holmes major drive is to increase the minimum code. He and his team even states that Holmes often puts his own money into the projects.

Cool show for sure.

 

[PaulR]

I like it a lot but I too also wonder how many times he goes overboard on the repairs. Seems like no matter what he's ripping out everything and replacing it all...I guess that's what makes good TV.

 

[StingRay]

Yah there is some drama and he definitely over does some things but his do it right or not at all attitude sold me right away. As for licensed contractors I've seen a lot of **** come from professionals and a lot of good stuff come from diy'rs. I will always pay a premium to get a job I know will be done right. Finding someone that will do it right is always a challenge. Hence I do a lot of stuff myself. I really do respect true professionals I just never come across them very often.

I met Mike at the local home show once and made a point of shaking his hand and telling him I really appreciated his do it right attitude.

 

[Ign]

In Ontario, you don't need to be a licenced electrician to do electrical work - the work just needs to be permitted first, inspected and passed by the ESA (Electrical Safety Authority). This is mandatory even if a home owner wants to change a light fixture in their own house!!! Having said that, the ESA "strongly" recommends that homeowners hire licenced electricians to do the work.

That's my one issue with Canada from what I've seen on the show - seems even more heavily regulated than the States. One one hand I know it's about safety, but OTOH I'm gonna do what I want to with my property.

 

[ForceFed70]

In Ontario, you don't need to be a licenced electrician to do electrical work - the work just needs to be permitted first, inspected and passed by the ESA (Electrical Safety Authority). This is mandatory even if a home owner wants to change a light fixture in their own house!!! Having said that, the ESA "strongly" recommends that homeowners hire licenced electricians to do the work.

This is true in all of Canada except it's usually the municipality that does the inspections.

Keep in mind tho that the HOMEOWNER can do the work without being a licensed electrician. Only the homeowner. Anyone else doing electrical needs to be licensed. In Mike Holmes case, he can't do the electrical unless he has a licensed electrician come in after the fact and "OK" it and pull the permit.

 

[ForceFed70]

I come from a family of electricians, and have a few contractor friends. They all hate Holmes.

They hate him because they get questioned by homeowners about why they arn't doing the job like Holmes says it should be done. They all think Holmes does great work BUT.. The fact is that Holmes goes overboard in what he does. The stuff that you see him do is what you do in a Multi-million dollar luxary home, not your average house. If everyone was to follow in his example a basic home would start at 1/2Mil.

My tyler buddy also questions the product placement. That checkerboard orange plastic/barrier/subfloor Holmes always uses under tile for example. Yes it's a good product but it's SUPER EXPENSIVE. He says it's almost never used in the real world because there are other options available that are much more reasonably priced and work just as well. He's only used the stuff 3 or 4 times in his career and 1/2 the time it's because someone has been watching the show and he couldn't talk them out of it. This guy is a perfectionist himself and has a 1-year backlog for his work even tho he has never spent a dime on advertising (all word of mouth) I trust him completely when he says "There are other cheaper options that work just as well"

 

[Doug B]

I've watched several times and I think he comes off a little self-righteous...like he's the ONLY guy in the world who does it right. I also agree with the overkill statements. On the other hand,I enjoy repairing someone elses cob-job, so I like that aspect of the show. I like seeing the **** work exposed and repaired.

 

[MScott]

I think I remember reading that the homeowner pays for materials and the show pays for the labor. They also get alot of the materials donated so the homeowner doesn't end up with the full bill.

Keith

I'm not sure if this is still the case, but one of the earlier shows was a reconstruction of a basement bathroom owned by a cousin of my wife. According to her, the owner had to pay one half of the cost of the reconstruction. I doubt that this is the case in all instances though, especially where the owners are destitute.

 

[nate379]

That checkboard stuff isn't that expensive. My folks did a kitchen and bathroom and used it. If it was made of gold, trust me on this one, my Dad would have found something else to use!

I come from a family of electricians, and have a few contractor friends. They all hate Holmes.

They hate him because they get questioned by homeowners about why they arn't doing the job like Holmes says it should be done. They all think Holmes does great work BUT.. The fact is that Holmes goes overboard in what he does. The stuff that you see him do is what you do in a Multi-million dollar luxary home, not your average house. If everyone was to follow in his example a basic home would start at 1/2Mil.

My tyler buddy also questions the product placement. That checkerboard orange plastic/barrier/subfloor Holmes always uses under tile for example. Yes it's a good product but it's SUPER EXPENSIVE. He says it's almost never used in the real world because there are other options available that are much more reasonably priced and work just as well. He's only used the stuff 3 or 4 times in his career and 1/2 the time it's because someone has been watching the show and he couldn't talk them out of it. This guy is a perfectionist himself and has a 1-year backlog for his work even tho he has never spent a dime on advertising (all word of mouth) I trust him completely when he says "There are other cheaper options that work just as well"

 

[lilredex]

Saw nothing I didn’t already know.

Really?...........................?

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?p=980683

 

[Justanoldguy]

I come from a family of electricians, and have a few contractor friends. They all hate Holmes.

They hate him because they get questioned by homeowners about why they arn't doing the job like Holmes says it should be done. They all think Holmes does great work BUT.. The fact is that Holmes goes overboard in what he does. The stuff that you see him do is what you do in a Multi-million dollar luxary home, not your average house. If everyone was to follow in his example a basic home would start at 1/2Mil.

My tyler buddy also questions the product placement. That checkerboard orange plastic/barrier/subfloor Holmes always uses under tile for example. Yes it's a good product but it's SUPER EXPENSIVE. He says it's almost never used in the real world because there are other options available that are much more reasonably priced and work just as well. He's only used the stuff 3 or 4 times in his career and 1/2 the time it's because someone has been watching the show and he couldn't talk them out of it. This guy is a perfectionist himself and has a 1-year backlog for his work even tho he has never spent a dime on advertising (all word of mouth) I trust him completely when he says "There are other cheaper options that work just as well"

Did you EVER consider the fact that a lot of product is donated (eg advertising) by suppliers to get it on air and selling?
Happens in every walk of life.
Watch any reality program and you see it.

 

[Justanoldguy]

Saw nothing I didn’t already know.

Hmmm. There is a name for that ...