Mike Holmes and Kinetico

Mike Holmes aims to only work with the best people and the best, most environmentally friendly products around. That's why I was so excited when I saw that Mike put a Kinetico water system into a home on Holmes Inspection. When it comes to water treatment, Kinetico is the top of the line, the "best of the best" as Mike points out. I know because my husband works for Kinetico (he loves his job!), and we have a system in our own home. Where I live, hard water is a problem. Not only is our city water hard, it's also stinky because of the chlorine, and tests positive for rocket fuel. I grew up part of my life on well water, which doesn't have the chlorine, but has lots of sediment in it that pretty much destroys all water using appliances, such as water heaters, dishwashers, faucets, you name it! Toilet bowl and bathtub rings galore! It's pretty gross.

Any legit water treatment system can address water hardness and give you pure water, but Kinetico is different. It's the only non-electric system on the market (although I saw in the clip they were installing a UV filter, something we don't have, and I'm sure a UV filter would use electricity). It also wastes the least amount of water and uses the least amount of salt to do its job. No electricity, less waste, and less salt not only saves the consumer money, but is also much kinder on the environment. And Mike Holmes is all about being environmentally friendly.

In this clip from Holmes Inspection, Damon Bennett talks with a technician about the system, and technician explains how the Kinetico system is going to turn their hard well water into soft pure water. And as you'll see, Mike puts his stamp of approval on it at the end!

Holmes Makes It Right - "Mike At His Hands-On Best"

Mike's new show, Holmes Makes It Right, is ready and set to premiere on HGTV Canada on October 16, 2012. As of now, there are 9 brand new one-hour episodes that will feature Mike Holmes working "hands-on," and "strapping on a tool belt, and helping desperate homeowners," according to a press release written about the HGTV Canada fall line-up. The reason the new show is being marketed this way is, in my observation, to distinguish Holmes Makes It Right from Mike's previous show, Holmes Inspection, where Mike took a more hands-off approach, leaving the bulk of the "grunt work" to his crew. I think we the fans are happy to see Mike swinging a hammer once again. I enjoyed Holmes Inspection and getting to see Mike's protege Damon Bennett taking more of a leadership role, but nothing and no one can replace Mike. Simple as that. Can't wait to see Mike "Make It Right" once again!

Thursday, 26 July 2012

Highly anticipated brand-new and returning series are filling the fall schedule on HGTV Canada, bringing big entertainment, dynamic stories and compelling characters to Canadians. Featuring its refreshed on-air look, this fall HGTV is jam-packed with favourite celebrity hosts, new versions of international hit formats and enticing original series, all beginning the week of August 27. HGTV's most trusted celebrity contractors Mike Holmes and Bryan Baeumler are giving homeowners the hands-on help they need in new and returning series. The second season of HGTV's successful Leave It To Bryan begins Thursday August 30 at 10pm ET/PT. Bryan is once again asking Canadians to give him their keys and their trust as he decides which part of their home gets renovated. Homeowners quickly find out that what they want and what they need may not be the same reno. The all-new Holmes Makes It Right finds homeowners whose houses, lives and finances have been brutally disrupted by unimaginable disasters. Beginning Tuesday October 16 at 9pm ET/PT, Mike takes on larger-than-life catastrophes that would make other contractors run. "HGTV Canada's robust fall schedule, stacked with the network's favourite personalities, a number of captivating new faces and compelling unique stories, reflects our ongoing efforts to bring Canadians more highly entertaining content than ever before," says Barb Williams, Senior Vice President of Content, Shaw Media. The exciting new series and formats coming to HGTV Canada show off exotic locales, test household risks and exhibit some very eccentric characters. Live Here, Buy This is a brand-new series showcasing properties available anywhere in the world for the same price as one home in Canada, beginning August 27 at 10pm ET/PT. Whether the dream destination is Vancouver, San Francisco or Venice, this series shows Canadians what life could be like in paradise. Premiering on August 30 at 9pm ET/PT, Four Houses Canada is the first Canadian edition of ITV Studios' hit UK format May The Best House Win. Featuring four house-proud Canadians touring each other's homes with a critical eye, each home is given a grade and the house with the highest score wins not only the $1,000 prize - but also the pride. The all-new series House Hazards, premiering October 16 at 10pm ET/PT, is a completely new experience for HGTV viewers. A mind-boggling array of potential domestic disasters will be put to the test, whether it's determining the effects of a metal spoon in your microwave or watching what happens when you spill a whole bottle of dish detergent into a high power hot tub. A brand-new site for HGTV.ca now features completely original image galleries, a sleek new full-screen video streaming experience of episodes after they air, the Find A Pro section which helps find real screened professionals in Canada, and more information on the shows and hosts fans love. To explore the new site and get more information on the fall schedule visit www.hgtv.ca. Brand New Series Include: ... Holmes Makes It Right (9x60min) (World Broadcast Premiere) Tuesdays at 9pm ET/PT, beginning October 16 In this brand-new series Canada's most trusted contractor helps unfortunate homeowners whose homes, lives and finances have been brutally disrupted by disastrous events and renovations. Mike Holmes takes on catastrophes that would make other contractors run. With the same commitment to high standards that is at the forefront in Holmes on Homes and Holmes Inspection, Holmes Makes It Right will feature Mike at his hands-on best - strapping on a tool belt, and helping desperate homeowners. ...

There's Plenty Of Room For Nice On Reality TV

It's not easy to create a segue from Snooki, star of MTV's Jersey Shore to a segment talking about Mike Holmes, but NPR managed to do it. In a segment about reality TV shows-- the good, the bad and the trashy (my description, not theirs)-- they list off several shows on TV where backstabbing, gossip, sex, and plain old misbehaving bring in massive audiences. They then juxtapose shows like Jersey Shore against Holmes Inspection, where "nice" rules, and rules quite nicely. I guess their main point was, Mike Holmes is "nice" and still manages to have a successful TV show (I take it they've never seen episodes of HOH and HI where Mike gets angry, huh?). LOL.


Here is a partial transcript from the NPR segment:

But there's a star who doesn't fit that mold: Mike Holmes.

(SOUNDBITE OF TV SHOW, "HOLMES INSPECTION")

MIKE HOLMES: As soon as I see the electrical, that issue is electrical.

DEGGANS: Holmes is a TV star imported from Canada. He's a building contractor who rescues unlucky homeowners, swooping in to redo bad renovations on his HGTV series "Holmes Inspection."

(SOUNDBITE OF TV SHOW, "HOLMES INSPECTION")

HOLMES: The home inspection appeared to go well, or so she thought. But now she's faced with a lot of problems. I'm going to make it right.

DEGGANS: Some critics have questioned his knowledge or his habit of tackling massive projects to correct problems. But it's refreshing to see a reality TV personality focused on helping other people in the most realistic setting around: their homes.

Like other reality TV stars, Holmes has used fame to forge his own media empire. It includes books, TV shows, celebrity endorsements, his own home inspection service and even his own charitable foundation. Sometimes it's possible to get ahead by helping people, even on reality TV.

INSKEEP: That's Eric Deggan, the helpful TV and media critic for the Tampa Bay Times. You hear him on MORNING EDITION which is brought to you by this local public radio station. Glad you're joining us this morning. You can continue following the program throughout the day on social media. We're on Facebook, we're on Twitter. We're at MORNING EDITION and at nprinskeep.

(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)

INSKEEP: This is NPR News.

(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)

Mike's segment begins around the 2:20 mark:

Mike Holmes and Michael Quast, Holmes Group CEO, Part Ways

Very interesting news about some BIG changes in Mike's company, The Holmes Group's management structure. Michael Quast, the man who discovered Mike Holmes back in 2001 when Mike was working as a stagehand for HGTV, stepped down as CEO of Mike's company, it was announced yesterday, July 16, 2012. The split is "amicable" according to both Mikes. Here's the article:

HGTV Handyman Mike Holmes and Michael Quast Part Ways

10:34 AM PDT 7/16/2012 by Etan Vlessing

The CEO of The Holmes Group was production exec on the original "Holmes on Homes" series that launched the Canadian-based TV home renovation brand.

TORONTO - HGTV home repair host Mike Holmes has parted ways with Michael Quast, head of his Canadian-based production shingle The Holmes Group.

Quast, who served as the broadcast production executive on the original Holmes on Homes series that launched the iconic Mike Holmes TV brand, is leaving as part of an amicable split, according to both parties.

The move also follows Holmes hiring Canadian TV exec Shanna Albert as VP of development at a second production shingle, Point Load Pictures.
"We blazed a new trail and I’m very proud of what we created together," Quast, who became CEO of The Holmes Group last year, said in a statement Monday.
"I wish Mike and The Holmes Group long and continued success," he added.
There’s no word from the celebrity TV renovator on Quast’s replacement.
The Holmes Group is best known for its top-rated HGTV series Holmes on Homes and Holmes Inspections.

As the above article states, this news follows other changes in the Holmes Group structure. Here's an article about Shanna Albert being hired on as VP of development for Point Load Pictures:

HGTV Handyman Mike Holmes Splits Co-CEOs at Production Shingle

7:08 PM PST 11/30/2011 by Etan Vlessing           

The top management revamp leaves Michael Quast as the sole CEO of The Holmes Group, while Pete Kettlewell launches Point Load Pictures, a joint venture with the TV home repair pro.

TORONTO - How many CEOs does HGTV home repair host Mike Holmes need?

our editor recommends

Turns out one’s enough, so Holmes has restructured his production shingle by splitting up its co-CEOs.
The Canadian TV handyman, who’s usually gutting suburban homes on HGTV Canada and HGTV to replace shoddy construction or renovations, has named Michael Quast as the sole CEO of The Holmes Group.
The new leadership structure also leaves former CEO Pete Kettlewell to launch Point Load Pictures, a joint venture with Holmes that will produce TV series outside of The Holmes Group brand.
Holmes and Kettlewell have been behind popular HGTV series like Holmes on Homes and Holmes Inspection that bowed in Canada before airing stateside.

One more article about Quast and Holmes parting ways, reposted from realscreen.com:

Michael Quast leaves The Holmes Group

17 hours ago by Danielle Ng-See-Quan

Michael Quast, CEO of The Holmes Group, is leaving the company.
According to a release from The Holmes Group issued Monday, “the amicable split comes on the heels of lengthy discussions on the company’s future direction.”
“We blazed a new trail and I’m very proud of what we created together. I always knew there was great potential and I think what we achieved in a short time was remarkable,” said Quast in a statement.
Quast and Mike Holmes, host of HGTV’s Holmes on Homes, first met in 2001, when the contractor presented Quast with the idea that spawned the TV show.
Quast became the series’ first production exec, and in 2005 joined The Holmes Group as VP development, before being named CEO recently.
“Michael has been an important part of The Holmes Group since 2005. Even before that, when he was a production executive at HGTV, Michael was the guy who ‘tricked’ me into doing a television series in the first place,” said Mike Holmes in his own statement.
“The Holmes Group continues to push forward and grow. You’re going to see big things,” he added.
Back in November, Holmes restructured his production shingle, naming Quast the sole CEO of The Holmes Group.
Former Holmes Group co-CEO Pete Kettlewell was tapped to head up Point Load Pictures, a new indie production company to operate as a joint venture with Holmes as chairman, to develop and produces new series outside of the Holmes Group brands.
As previously reported by realscreen sister publication Playback, Point Load Pictures has a development deal with HGTV Canada, the specialty channel that made Mike Holmes a recognizable face for Canadians, and now stateside with his shows that air on HGTV U.S.

Happy Father's Day - Part Two!

Since yesterday was Fathers' Day, I've decided to continue on with the theme of Mike and his kids and post another really good article about the family dynamic that runs through the heart of Mike Holmes' shows.This Canadian Press article reposted from TheRecord.com is about a year old, and talks about Mike Jr. and Sherry joining the crew of Holmes Inspection.

I think it's totally cute that Mike use to build handmade Barbie houses for his daughters when they were little. They were probably more like Barbie Dream Mansions, with a detached garage for the Barbie Hot Pink Dream Convertible, and of course, a man cave for Ken. No Barbie Dream Mansion would be complete without the Barbie Dream Hot Tub. (Can you tell I use to play with Barbie Dolls a lot as a kid?)

I think all parents want their kids to be mini versions of themselves. I can only imagine how proud Mike must be of all three of his children, to have them not only following in his footsteps, but running after his enormous strides. Mike has some pretty big shoes to fill, but with a dad like Mike on your side, failure just isn't an option.

Hope you had a great Father's Day yesterday, Mike! One day of celebration is just not enough!



Two of Mike Holmes’ children join show

In the family The cast of HGTV's Holmes Inspection, are from left: Adam Belanger, Rob Brown, Mike Holmes Jr., Damon Bennett, Mike Holmes, Carl Pavlovic, Sherry Holmes, Nicole Faucher, Evan Jatou and Uncle Billy Bell.

The Canadian Press

TORONTO — Following dad into the family business isn’t always easy. When your dad is Make It Right contractor Mike Holmes, you better be prepared to roll up your sleeves.
Two of his three kids, Mike Holmes Jr. and Sherry Holmes, are part of his regular work crew this season on Holmes Inspection. The series returned for a second season Thursday on HGTV.
All three were on hand at a work site in the northwest corner of Toronto a few weeks ago, gutting a 50-year-old suburban bungalow that had been contaminated with asbestos and lead products, a too familiar find in properties of a certain vintage.
“Anytime before the ’80s they used asbestos in the plaster,” says Damon Bennett, the crew supervisor Holmes refers to as “my general.”
Holmes is on a mission to save the environment one house at a time, limiting grey water drainage and channelling new sources of energy and power.
“Do you really want to bring arsenic into a house?” says Bennett. “Mike’s leading the way in trying to change the industry.”
Holmes, 47, couldn’t be prouder that his children have followed in his footsteps. (Another daughter, Amanda, works in the office).
Sherry Holmes says her dad took her to work sites at an early age and was always building stuff for her, including a handmade Barbie house. “It had hinges and opened up and everything,” she recalls.
Working for her dad isn’t always easy, she admits. He’s a demanding task master and treats her like the rest of the crew.
“I wouldn’t have it any other way,” she says. “I’ve worked hard to be accepted into this man’s world.”
Her brother, 21, says he was more into school and not so much into construction as a young teen. Holmes Sr. says his son had a “black belt in Nintendo.” Holmes, who did his first plumbing job at 12 and had his own construction crew at 19, couldn’t understand his son’s initial reluctance to get his hands dirty. He says shop classes turned him on to building projects at an early age and laments that there are few of those programs available to high school students today.
His son is now motivated by all the exercise on the job. Hauling gravel, wood and drywall has him in shape, although he also works out at the gym. After all, people expect him to have his dad’s Popeye forearms.
“I have to live up to the image,” he says.
Both kids say being involved in efforts to build homes in New Orleans were life changing experiences.
“When we went to New Orleans, I somehow fell in with the construction crew,” says Sherry Holmes, who had previously joined her big sister in the office. “I worked harder there than I have ever worked before.”
Holmes says both kids wanted to quit half way through the New Orleans experience, which was hot and gruelling.
“I knew it was going to be hard on everyone,” he says. “They were all starting to drop in that heat.”
A month or so later, however, Holmes says most of the crew wanted to go back.
“They love an opportunity of making a difference someplace else. That’s why we’re going to Haiti. That’s why we’re probably going to Kansas City and piss off the tornados — because I can.”
Holmes hopes to inspire other kids to get into the construction business with his next TV venture: “Mighty Mike,” a cartoon series based on his childhood adventures.
“I was always building tree houses and stuff,” he says. He hopes to have it up and running within a year.
He’s surprised by all the children who watch Holmes Inspection and his other shows.
His children are now at an age when they’re buying their own houses. His son recently picked up a bungalow that is quite the fixer upper.
“It’s a lot of work coming home after a full day’s work,” he says.
Even Holmes himself admits there’s some truth to the old adage that a contractor’s home is never finished. That’s where Bennett got smart.
“I just bought a condo,” he says. “The last thing you want to do at the end of the day is work on your own place.”
The Canadian Press

Mike Holmes Takes New York

Busy, busy day for Mike, as he was making the TV show rounds today in New York. This morning he was on Fox & Friends, discussing home inspection basics, and his new book The Holmes Inspection.

From Facebook, posted approximately 8AM EST:

Just about to go on air at Fox & Friends. Talking mould & using an IR camera.

Weren't up that early? That's OK. Here's the clip if you missed it:



And as I type this very sentence, Mike is currently on the set of the ABC show, The Revolution, with host Ty Pennington. Mike has been posting updates, the last about ten minutes ago.

From Facebook, posted several minutes ago:

Backstage at The Revolution. Just hung up coat and the wall hook came down!! Do I have to bring my tools?


On set with Ty Pennington at The Revolution. Here we go! I'll keep you posted when the episode airs.

On set at The Revolution in NYC.

I guess the last thing that's safe and accurate for me to "report" is that Mike Holmes is definitely going to sleep well tonight. Take it easy, Mike :)

HGTV Father's Day Mike Holmes Marathon

June 17 may be Father's Day, but all the handy moms of the world will be busy watching HGTV that evening. Tune in for a Mike Holmes prime-time marathon starting at 7PM EST. You can catch some episodes of Holmes on Homes and Holmes Inspection that you've probably already seen, but wouldn't mind watching again.  Oh, OK...I guess all the handy dads of the world can watch too. It is their day, after all.

Source: Huliq

Holmes Is Where The Heart Is

I think as Father's Day rapidly approaches, it's great to find articles that emphasize yet another one of Mike's many roles. He's "Superman" to millions of men and women who look up to him, but to his kids, Mike Holmes is just "Dad." Oh, and don't forget "Boss" as well, because Mike not only gets to see his kids, he also gets to work with them on the set of Holmes Inspection and his upcoming sure-to-be-a-hit-because-Mike-made-it show Make it Right. Both Sherry and Mike Jr. work on site right alongside dear ol' dad, while oldest daughter Amanda typically works behind the scenes with the Holmes Foundation. For Mike, his many endeavors have become the family business, and he's all too happy to teach his kids the skills and the work ethic that made him famous. In this great article from the Toronto Observer, Mike and his kids talk about the family dynamics on and off the set, and what it's like to work as a team. Carrying the name "Holmes" is a big responsibility, as Mike's kids readily confess, but it's a responsibility they're willing to live up to.

Holmes is where the heart is

Published 15 March 2012

Holmes Inspection crew gathers for a quick snapshot at the Megaspeed Car Show held at the International Centre in Mississauga over the March 9-12 weekend: l-r Rob Brown , Sherry Holmes, Damon Bennett, Mike Holmes, Mike Holmes Jr., Nichole Faucher, Carlito Pavlovic, Uncle Billy (Bell) and Evan Jatou.

The set of hit television show, Holmes Inspection, gets pretty chaotic sometimes. The home is full of drilling, hammering and discussions of building plans. But amid the construction, a father watches his children grow as his family and as his employees.
“I believe in having a business that the whole business is our family…that everyone gets treated like we’re related,” Mike Holmes said. “Having my kids here is just an extra added bonus.”
Mike Holmes, 49, has successfully created a business phenomenon in the construction industry over the past decade. While the company grew, his three children: Michael, 22, Sherry, 24, and Amanda, 26, got the opportunity to work one summer and the family business was born.
When he started working construction at 15, Mike Holmes Jr. discovered that he shared his father’s passion for helping people.
“We do change peoples lives,” Mike Holmes Jr. said. “(My dad) isn’t just saying it. He believes it…That’s why the company is a success. And that’s why I do it too.”
“We’re all very dedicated in what we do,” his sister, Amanda Holmes, said.
Mike Holmes has expectations of his children, not only as their father, but as their boss. He expects a good performance and attitude from his employees; he expects that his family will be respectful and make good decisions. The children also feel the weight of being “the boss’s kid.”
“There’s the stigma of being the boss’s child. It’s just something you can’t shake,” Amanda Holmes said. “You have to work harder to be respected.”
“A lot is expected of me because I’m Mike’s kid,” Mike Holmes Jr. said. “When people see me, they expect me to know a lot as well and fill his shoes a bit…and I’m doing the best I can at that. It’s pretty nerve-racking sometimes.”
Mike Holmes said that one of the hardest issues is maintaining a balanced system between co-workers and his children, but he believes he has accomplished that.
He said mistakes are allowed on set, but the rule is that no mistake is made twice, and his children don’t receive preferential treatment. On a past roofing job in L.A., Mike Holmes asked his crew not to touch the structure until he returned to lead the construction. At the time, the crew lacked experience in pitching frames for roofs; that’s why Holmes felt he needed to be present. Without his consent, the crew finished the frames improperly, and what was a planned surprise ended up being a costly mistake.
“They’re all employees and I’m not going to treat anyone different and I think that’s why my kids respect me,” Mike Holmes said.
“We’re all treated as a team,” Mike Holmes Jr. said, “When I was younger, I established that I didn’t want to be treated different than anyone else otherwise I wouldn’t be able to gain anyone’s respect. (It’s) frustrating sometimes but it’s good.”
Carl Pavlovic, 38, is a member of Mike Holmes’s contracting crew and has worked with Mike Holmes and his children since 2005.
“I find myself being with people that actually care about me,” Pavlovic said. “We’re learning together. Their whole family always encourages me (and) always accepted me. I don’t ever feel out of place here.”
Mike Holmes and his three children all say, there are moments when they bump heads like any family, but the importance lies in their dedication to the business. Mike Holmes Jr., recalled a moment when he said he entered his father’s office to kindly ask for a raise.
“I basically told him…I’m not here to get a raise because I’m your son, I’m here to get a raise because I deserve one,” Holmes Jr. said.
His father’s reaction was positive.
“I had a frog in my throat and that’s when I realized my son was becoming an adult and that he loves doing it,” Holmes Sr. said. “It showed me that I have a smart son; I have a good son and I have a son that is proud of his dad and is working hard.”
Holmes Sr. says he hopes his children will one day take over the franchise.
“They are going to have to stick together and follow their father’s dreams and add to their father’s dreams of this corporation,” Pavlovic said. “I want to see them grow in the company.”
Regardless of future plans, mistakes, arguments and expectations, Mike Holmes says there is one thing that will always remain true for the family business he created.
“No matter what, I’m dad and there’s no changing that,” Mike Holmes said.

Talking To Mike Holmes with Toro Magazine

An online Canada edition of the New York Times, Toro Magazine, sat down for an interesting interview with Mike Holmes in 2009. It's pretty much the standard Q & A we  usually get from a "candid" sit down with the big man himself. Long story short, Mike Holmes is a Canadian ninja, and he wants to take on a tornado. Good luck with that Mikey. Do be careful, and please let us know how it all turns out. :)

TALKING TO MIKE HOLMES
POSTED BY: Salvatore Difalco
April 7, 2009

To be canonized a saint in the Roman Catholic Church, an individual must enjoy, among other holy virtues and requirements, something referred to as "the Beatific Vision," and perform one or more miracles. I don´t know if Mike Holmes enjoys the Beatific Vision, or if he even believes in God, at least the Roman Catholic version of Him, but Holmes has certainly performed a bunch of miracles. And although he may never be assigned a feast day, and no parish church may ever be built in his honour (don’t count it out), it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to think of Holmes as a secular saint, and one of some considerable standing.

Mike Holmes, the affable, sturdy Canadian contractor made himself a household name with his television show Holmes on Homes, where he came to the rescue of homeowners stuck with renovations gone terribly wrong. His integrity, his technical knowledge and his unflagging and rigorous desire to make it right really struck a chord with the public. And not just in North America. Holmes on Homes is catching on across the English-speaking world. And his influence goes beyond simple reality-TV entertainment to educating an ignorant public and pressuring contractors and legislators alike to clean up their acts.

Last June, Holmes headed to New Orleans to face the toughest assignment of his professional life: in 10 weeks, make it right for one family whose home was destroyed three years earlier by Hurricane Katrina. The result is Holmes in New Orleans, a two-part special which begins Tuesday, April 7, at 9 p.m. ET on Global, and concludes the following night. Untangling the tragically stupid mistakes of several layers of government administration and doing it in the sweltering heat of a New Orleans summer proved daunting to say the least.

He did have some high-profile “assistance” from Brad Pitt, who had launched his own Make It Right campaign in New Orleans. When Holmes heard that Pitt had co-opted his trademarked expression, he made inquiries and got on board with the project, flying his all-Canadian crew down to build the first energy-efficient home in the still devastated Lower 9th Ward region. Holmes and his crew, which included his son Mike Jr. and daughters Amanda and Sherry, put in long, difficult days and nights to meet their August 29 deadline.

Whether or not he ever does get canonized, make no mistake, Mike Holmes is a much beloved figure these days, and it doesn’t seem like this will soon wane. Women swoon around him, children smile and most men find themselves simperingly beguiled. Maybe one day we will see a parish church go up in his honour, or at the very least a monument with his warm and smiling visage on it. And why not, the guy can do it all – he can do what most of us cannot. TORO caught up to Holmes during the production of his new series called Holmes Inspection, which profiles home inspections gone wrong.

Q: I remember as a kid in the ’60s watching a sitcom about these bumbling handymen called Mack & Myer for Hire. Some of the jobs you’ve been called in to fix look like their handiwork. Nightmare reno stories abound, but is it as bad as it seems out there or are you highlighting worst-case scenarios?
A: It’s worse than anybody really knows. And that is the bare-bottom truth, because I can prove it. You know, to receive 100,000 emails a year at Holmes on Homes to help 13 families – and out of that 100,000 there’s 60,000 for sure begging for the help because they’re in big trouble. Now these are the people brave enough to send in an email. Imagine how many are ashamed and don’t want to do anything.
Look at the world of construction and what is happening. We’re actually building no longer with knowledge, we’re building with education of how: minimum code is how it’s not why. So long as we build this way, we’re going to make mistakes. Now, add the factor that there’s a lot of people who really don’t give a shit about what they’re doing, like “mine over matter” – it’s not mine, so it doesn’t matter. And I hate these sayings, but the truth is there. We only have so many people with integrity that actually care about what they’re doing. Add that factor into a bare-minimum code, with no real knowledge of what they’re doing, and you really have a bad formula.

Q: Your motto is “make it right.” If there is virtue in doing a job right why do so many fail when it comes to doing home improvement – is it a lack of ethics or a lack of skills? A skill set that used to be widespread has waned. Trying to find someone competent and trustworthy to do the job isn’t easy.
A: That is the truth. I always say the good, the bad, the ugly – and that’s the good 20 per cent, the bad 70 per cent, the ugly 10 per cent, you know. Easily we can see the ugly because these are trained guys who rip you off. But that’s a low percentage. And the good 20 per cent, these guys know what they’re doing and they care, they have the integrity. It’s the bad. And that’s 70 per cent, and that’s because they just don’t know enough and they don’t care enough, and if you put those two together it’s just a recipe for disaster.

We need to make some sort of a change. And I don’t think it’s the licensing or the certification programs. I think it’s the education itself: stop teaching how and start teaching why. Let me give you some examples. We have mould-resistant drywall on the market, but it’s not in the stores. Okay. We have environmental wood which is made of aspen and poplar and it’s not in the stores. We have BluWood and it’s not in the stores, it’s custom order. So we have all these things and why aren’t they in the store? Minimum code says use green drywall if you’re going to tile. We know it moulds. We know it because I can put it up everywhere in the house possible, take it down and it’s all moulded. The reason that it’s not in the stores is because of demand. If we do not change the demand – which means people buying stuff that doesn’t work start demanding stuff that does – it won’t change. So, for example, no one should ever use anything but mould-resistant drywall, and it should be in the stores now.

Q: Holmes on Homes airs on HGTV Canada, BBC Canada, on the U.S. Discovery Channel, in New Zealand on The Living Channel, in Australia on The How To Channel, in the United Kingdom on Discovery Realtime ... Have I left any out?
A: Germany [chuckles].

Q: Germany! Well. Are you surprised by the show’s amazing success and reach – and your sudden iconic status? Everybody knows who you are, including my elderly Italian mother who admires you immensely.
A: [Laughs.] I had a feeling the show was going to do something, but I didn’t expect this whole thing – the whole country pretty well knowing who I am. It’s surreal to go to the store and hear, “Hey, Mike how you doing?” – and it doesn’t matter where I go. That’s something I didn’t expect. The interviews, the other television shows, the popular magazines, I just didn’t expect all that. I didn’t know what the hell I was thinking.

Q: A television show like yours wasn’t imaginable a few short years ago. Why did you think it would work, and how did you convince someone to take it on?
A: It was an accident. Actually, I met the executive producer of HGTV – he asked me to build him a custom home. And I got to know him and I really liked him. And one day I said to him, “I’ve got a show idea for you, just one guy to another.” I asked if he wanted to hear it and I blabbed off – long story short, he just started smiling and said he wanted a pilot right away. I laughed. “I’m a contractor. I’m giving you an idea, run with it.” And it took him a few months but he convinced me to shoot a pilot. And it was the way he said it to get me interested to do it: it wasn’t money or anything, it was education. And once I shot the pilot I got where he was going with it, and that’s how the show started.

Q: When I heard about the Holmes Foundation I thought that learning a trade or a useful and in-demand skill set had to be a lifesaver for some of these troubled kids. How has that project fared?
A: Well, I think they’re lost. They don’t know where they’re going and for whatever reason they’re lost, and to give them help, to steer them in the right direction so they’re back on course and give them a job in the skill trades – my God, this is a great opportunity, this is a great job. I think anybody, if they had the opportunity to be educated well in what they were doing, I think they would just thrive in it. How much better can it get to be able to stand back and look at your work and go, “This is awesome.”

Q: Talk about your work in New Orleans. I know it was a big concern of yours.
A: It was. I remember when Katrina first hit, I had watched it on television much like 9/11, and I said, “That’s it, we gotta go down there and help these people.” I think some people think I’m insane when I say these things. Why do we want to go down there? Because they’re going to build the same crap and it’s going to wash away again. I said we can help build better technologies, so all of a sudden, three years later, I’ve got so much work hanging out of my pants I can’t hold the mop [laughs].

Anyway, Brad Pitt started the Make It Right Foundation, and I love him for what he’s done. I kinda own Make It Right, and so we contacted him and I said, “I really love what you guys are doing and your intentions – and hey, by the way, why don’t I help you? Let’s make it right together.” And that’s exactly what happened. I went down there and we helped with all the technical part of the builds. I didn’t change the designs because they were done by 13 architects worldwide. But I’m responsible for the technical part and, really, the show. Throughout an emotional show, you’re going to see what happened after Katrina, what happened to the people and the stories that blow me away. In between all that you’re going to see the world’s best house being built.

Q: You have a new project in the works – Holmes Inspection. How will it differ from Holmes on Homes?
A: It was the next – obvious for me – the next obvious thing to do, because I think I’ve helped make a difference in the building industry with Holmes on Homes but it didn’t really change anything other than the education of homeowners and maybe some of the contractors, which I’m proud of, but we have big issues with the home inspections. And as it stands, it was the number one complaint on my website since Holmes on Homes started.

And I wrote a book about it, and in writing a book about it I went and inspected many homes and I got to talk to all the home inspectors, really, of Canada, or the great majority of them, and the organizations. And I said, “Look, you need to start making serious changes and introducing documents – it’s just not good enough now. You must create a documented report that goes with that house from homeowner to homeowner. Let’s do thermographic image reading, and air sampling, that’s all easy. Let’s find out if the permits were pulled on the house that the real estate agents are bragging about.”

So how I made a difference with a television show was doing just that: showing how I believe, or how I think, or what I’m actually doing (I opened the first Mike Holmes inspection company a couple of weeks ago) and how to change the home inspection industry. And I added an element of special effects to it that I think people are going to love. I put my money on it that it’ll get more viewers than Holmes on Homes.

Q: Do you hope that your work will lead to stiffer legislation and penalties when it comes to shoddy and often dangerous work, or do you think an educated public and perhaps a more ethical ethos among workers is enough?
A: You know, it’s a shame but I think we’re going to need both. More education is a definite – start teaching why and not just how – and I do think that for those that are ugly and the ones that don’t care enough there should be a penalty, because right now there is not a penalty and the truth is that these homeowners are left holding the bag. And that is wrong, and something should be done about it. I’m always the person who says you get what you give. So, if you really give it, you know, you deserve to get it. And that depends whether it’s good or bad that you’re giving – if you’re giving bad then you deserve bad, if you’re giving good you deserve good. So those who are really screwing people should have to pay a penalty.

Q: You’re probably the first man Ellen DeGeneres has every proposed to – but I can understand why. You perform miracles, and we all want you to come to our homes and make them shine. What’s next on your agenda?
A: [Laughs.] I like the idea of changing the building industry. I started the Holmes Homes, the Holmes Communities, the Holmes Approved Homes, which [together] is a whole new program, and that’s building the next generation of homes. And that’s also educating the next generation of builders with the skills to build the home – how to build them, creating a new system that easily educates, that easily gets them into the trades and starts the change that we should have been doing years ago. It’s about time somebody steps up and does it. I don’t care if it’s me or anyone but someone’s got to do it so I’m doing that.

I would also like to play a little more with the worldwide shows – I get the idea that I can go to Kansas City and piss off a tornado because it can’t tear the house down [laughs]. I like those ideas.

Mike Holmes' Sweet Homes

Great little article from the National Post (Canada). I particularly like how they compare what Mike does to a wall with what a surgeon does to a tumor. (And by the way, I didn't know what the "world's best hammer" that Mike occasionally refers to on his show was until I read this article -- $500?!!! Wow Mike, that hammer better get you laid!)

Iris Benaroia, National Post · Jan. 7, 2011 | Last Updated: Jan. 7, 2011 3:26 PM ET

In the unfinished basement of a Toronto home, Mike Holmes pulls out his magnificent tool: “If I’m going to swing a hammer, I’m going to swing a big one. I’m using the world’s best hammer.” (Brand: Stiletto. Composition: titanium. Cost: $500.)
The beefy host of HGTV’s Holmes Inspection is known for his candour. (Suck it up if you don’t like it brash.) He’s also known for his generosity and eco-mindedness, providing housing help to Canada’s native community, a relief mission to New Orleans, and soon, to recently devastated Haiti. His chockablock agenda will also include a green subdivision in Okotoks, Alta.
But on this chilly day in a once-squalid home, which nearly went up in flames because of a bum fireplace (episode date yet to be determined), he’s surrounded by walls studded in blue two-by-fours. “Why do we use blue wood?” he booms, in a parent-to-child tenor, pausing to answer his own question: “Because it’s environmentally friendly. You can even lick it, but you’ll have a blue tongue.”
The blue stuff is also highly regarded because of its mould,- bug-, water-, and soon, fire-resistant qualities, he says.
Trust his advice. The strapping contractor with chunky biceps and blond buzz-cut brings reno-gone-awry salvation to homeowners across Canada. Under his “Make It Right” dictum, mouldy basements and drafty attics get their comeuppance. There’s a certain thrilling satisfaction watching him coated in a patina of sweat yanking apart walls to expose, then extract, their shoddy innards — like a surgeon would a tumour — then righting it all back again.
Rarely seen without his trademark overalls and work boots (he has donned them today), it is surprising to discover Mr. Macho’s earlobes festooned with the kind of bling — rhinestones — you’d expect to find on Jay-Z.
To be sure, Mr. Holmes is not all tough guy. Take his view on ladies in the trades: “I love seeing women in the industry, and I believe women will make men honest in this job. We’ve had a 6% increase of women in the industry. I’d like to think I had something to do with that.”
In fact, his daughter Sherry — another Stiletto hammer devotee, who went into a tizzy in the basement when she temporarily misplaced hers — also gets dirty on Holmes Inspection, along with her brother, Mike Jr. (who really should consider a career in modelling, if his day job doesn’t pan out). Sibling number three, Amanda, works in the Holmeses’ office headquarters.
Holmes Inspection is now in its second season. The first episode, which aired Jan. 6, showcases disgruntled homeowners facing large repair bills and dangerous living conditions, and sheds light on the importance of detecting problems before you buy the house.
And this blue-basement, in the home of a single mom, is another example. By the time the Holmes squad gets through with it, the fix cost will be about $150,000, with the homeowner contributing what she can. The television production budget pays for the labour and there are donations from sponsors.
“We had asbestos in the plaster in the ceiling. The garage was leaking terribly. We had to gut the whole thing. We had electrical issues, plumbing issues. You name it,” Mr. Holmes says. The real kicker is that the home isn’t old. It should be in better shape. “Can you believe, the furnace was off-gassing in the house?” he balks. “And it’s brand new! We’re going to make sure they get in trouble.” (“They” meaning the furnace installer.)
Mr. Holmes doesn’t suffer ding-dong trades folk gladly. “I never understood how people did things, when they don’t know what they’re doing. It doesn’t make sense. I made mistakes at the beginning, but I was the guy who went back and fixed it. My name follows me forever and I’m going to make sure it’s done right.”
Many of us are guilty of hiring a cheap inspector when we buy a house. This irritates Mr. Holmes tremendously, so much that he’s begun to colonize the inspection industry. He launched Mike Holmes Inspections in February 2009, as a pilot project in the Kitchener/Waterloo/Cambridge area. The mission: to make every single house right. (This should really rankle charlatans on the beat.) His company offers a range of property services — a basic package ($395) includes an examination of your home’s foundation, roof, electrical and plumbing. “The base inspection provides a thorough, fully documented report with photographs. It’s much better than industry standard,” Mr. Holmes says. The full monty — or in Mr. Holmes’s parlance: “the infrared thermographic scan” ($695) — detects thermal defects and air leakages in building envelopes, so you can finally stop wondering why your bedroom feels like the arctic tundra in winter and the Sahara in summer.
Were you one of those dopes who spent all of your Christmas bonus on a fancy-pants kitchen when there were raindrops falling on your head inside your house? Mr. Holmes derides such prioritizing, calling them “makeup and lipstick fixes,” or surface renovations, that should never come first when there are bigger cracks to be filled. Don’t do it again.
However, if you have yet to buy your home, by no means should you hire any old schmoe for a once-over. “Want to know how easy it is to become a foundation repair guy? It’s a verbal exam,” Mr. Holmes scoffs. “You have to have a minimum renovator’s permit, and you’re a foundation specialist. As for the home inspector,” Mr. Holmes goes so far as to say, “it’s a two-week course — you could have worked at McDonald’s.”
Mr. Holmes believes the government needs to overhaul the inspection industry. “They’re trying to establish a licensing system in B.C. and Alberta,” he says. “No matter how you look at it, they’re going to do it wrong. Anytime something doesn’t work, you need to abandon it and think fresh. What do we need? Better schooling. Make sure the inspectors have a better education and apprentice.”
But if you call Mr. Holmes’ company for an inspection, don’t expect him and his rhinestones to turn up at your home. He is not a certified home inspector and only uses fully qualified inspectors.
Hiring a pro does make perfect sense when he points out most homes cost an average of $400,000. Why spend a pittance to secure yours? In fact, Mr. Holmes advises lining up a proper inspector before even putting in an offer on a house.
But this better-safe-than-sorry harangue will provide little comfort to those who’ve already purchased lemons. Now what to do with the mess? For instance, what should a person do if she has bought an old detached home that has a shabby building envelope but it’s in a thriving west Toronto neighbourhood? (Hypothetically speaking, of course.)
“Sell it,” he says.
“But what if it’s valuable?”
“Then you’re passing on your valuable piece of crap.” Mr. Holmes belly-laughs, looking particularly smug.
“But what if the hypothetical buyer told you the real problem is lack of heat? There might not be insulation.”
“Have you never seen your attic?”
Answering in the negative incites further laughter and a shocked expression from Mr. Holmes, as if he’s just been told a sip of cyanide before bedtime makes for a terrific sedative: “Whatever you do, don’t pass your home on in its current condition — make it right,” he says. “Then sell it.”