Mike Holmes Reveals His "Secrets"

...Sounds more scandalous than it really is, trust me! Since I have a slight vacation hangover, I thought I'd do one more "easy" blog entry before I get into the real meat and potatoes (I'm compiling a really good bio for Mike Holmes, and all this researching is taking more time than I ever thought. Hopefully it will be done and posted in the next day or so.)

It's not much of a secret... Mike Holmes knows a lot about what it takes to get a picture perfect reno... and what it takes to botch one too. In this article by PARADE, Mike answers all the typical questions that people usually ask him. He talks about his book, his tools, his celebrity status, and more. Not too terrible of a interview... Now, if Mike wants to sit down with me, I could give him an interview that would singe the eyebrows right off his face, but until then, here's a nice little puff piece to tide us all over.

_________________________________________________________           

Mike Holmes Reveals His Homeowner Secrets

Erin Hill | June 04, 2012

 

1

Mike Holmes, star of the popular HGTV television programs Holmes on Homes and Holmes Inspection, has released his essential guide for anyone who owns a home, or has ever considered homeownership: Holmes Inspection: The Essential Guide for Every Homeowner, Buyer and Seller.

Holmes, 48, talked to PARADE about his biggest renovation pet peeves, the one tool every homeowner should have, and more.

What’s your new book about?
“It’s all about learning how to buy and sell your next home. So many people put the horse before the trailer. When you look for a house, it’s usually out of excitement and impulse and the first thing you say is, ‘That looks beautiful,’ but you need to ask, ‘Is it built right or are there problems with the home?’ I’m holding your hand on buying and selling your home.”

What’s the most important thing people should ask their contractors?
“How long they’ve been in the business, and what they did do before they became a home inspector. You want someone who has been a part of the industry and doing renovations for many years. As long as they’ve been in the industry, they understand how a house is built. If the home inspector had a job at McDonald’s and then became a home inspector, I’d be a little leery of hiring somebody like that.”

What’s the No. 1 tool every homeowner should have?
“A cordless drill. It’s one of the best things you can have: a drill with multi-bits so you can do whatever you need.”

Did you always know you wanted to be a contractor?
“I grew up watching my dad, and he was a jack of all trades. I was fascinated in his ability to do electrical, plumbing, dry wall, structure, and I was tugging on his pants asking him questions and he started teaching me. I started doing electrical at six, I finished my first basement at 12, and I made a complete basement. I didn’t know it was going to be my passion, but it was something I absolutely loved.”

What do you think about the fame that comes from being a TV star?
“I never really cared about the fame, and it still means nothing to me. I’m a contractor and I believed I could get enough education out there and teach homeowners what they need to know when they do a renovation or sell or buy a house.”

What is your favorite part of the house to renovate?
“I love doing additions, guest bathrooms, and kitchens. But my favorite is the basement. It allows me to really play. That’s what I love about my job is I never really do the same thing twice.”

What is your biggest renovation pet peeve?
“People being in a hurry. We live in a fast paced world and we want everything right away, but the one thing people need to know is that it takes time and energy to do it all right.”

On June 28, 2008, Holmes on Homes made its debut on the US cable channel TLC (The Learning Channel). It didn't take long for TV execs to realize that Mike Holmes was not your typical contractor, and Holmes on Homes was not your run of the mill home improvement program. This 2008 article from HouseHunting.ca describes Mike's "coming out" to the TLC audience. In typical Mike fashion, he laid into the media when questioned about how the U.S. subprime mortgage crisis might effect contractor's work habits. With plenty of "crap" and "shit" and all the other colorful language Mike likes to use when he's not filtering himself, he blindsided reporters with his candor. It's that same rugged, raw, unfiltered honesty that we've come to expect from Mike for all these years.

Hurricane Holmes

Hurricane Holmes tore through the immaculately manicured lawns of Beverly Hills the other day, and by the time it was over, no one -- not the reporters, nor the paparazzi, nor programming executives at the U.S.-based TLC cable channel -- knew what had hit them.

By Times Colonist (Victoria)August 6, 2008

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. - Hurricane Holmes tore through the immaculately manicured lawns of Beverly Hills the other day, and by the time it was over, no one -- not the reporters, nor the paparazzi, nor programming executives at the U.S.-based TLC cable channel -- knew what had hit them.
Mike Holmes, the outspoken Halton Hills, Ont.-born professional contractor and larger-than-life host of HGTV Canada's home-reno program Holmes on Homes, was asked a simple question -- what impact will the U.S. subprime mortgage crisis have on contractors' work habits? -- and he gave an earful of an answer.
"In my world of Holmes on Homes, we fix crap after crap because house-flippers who don't know how to do it right have created this huge financial gain for contractors," Holmes roared to his startled audience. "I call it the good, the bad and the ugly."
But there's hope, right? Ordinary, everyday homeowners are hurting in the housing crisis, so contractors, even the unscrupulous ones, will be forced to buck up their standards, right?
"It's going to become worse," Holmes shouted, pumping up the volume. "And the reason it's going to become worse is because people are going to try to find cheaper contractors to get the work done. And they're going to end up phoning Holmes on Homes, going, 'Holy s--t, we're in a lot of trouble here; we've got to fix this, we've got a leak that turned into mould.' This is only going to make it worse."
Holmes' appearance was unscripted, unrehearsed and unannounced. Attendees at TLC's fall-season coming out party were expecting a sedate, garden-variety presentation about home-ownership TV programs.
Instead, they got Hurricane Holmes.
With his bulging pecs, working man's tattoos -- his motto, "Make it Right," is prominently tattooed on his right bicep -- and his booming, hear-me-now voice, the salt-of-the-earth Holmes tore a page from the Gen. George Patton playbook: When you want something to stick, you lay it on thick and hard.
Holmes didn't just look ready for his Hollywood close-up -- he looked ready to take over the whole damn show.
"The idea is: Buy a house, make it better, make some money, and live there at the same time," Holmes said, warming to his subject. "The financial experts said, 'Fix it up for yourself. You're going to make money on real estate eventually, so just flip it when the time is right.' I think the mistake was in pretending how simple it can be. ... You might as well do your own brain operation."
You wouldn't allow a fool to operate on your brain, so why would you allow a fool to fix up your house?
There's a right way and a wrong way to hire a contractor, Holmes says.
The right way follows three rules: "Slow down. Why are you in a hurry? All of a sudden, the wife and husband said, 'Let's do a new kitchen,' boom, boom, boom. And then they hire the first guy off the street, like, anyone with a pulse. It's actually going to take you longer to find the right contractor than complete the job.
"No. 2: Educate yourself. I can't say this enough. If you're going to do a bathroom or an addition, you need to know the products on the market and why you should be using them. The more you know, the better chance you have of having good communication with your contractor.
"No. 3: Check out your contractor. Don't just ask the questions, double check. 'Are you licensed? If so, may I see it? Are you insured? If so, may I see it?' Then get a list -- and I mean a major list -- of references. 'I've done thousands of jobs. How many do you want?' Get 25, and then phone them up. Go see the work. Follow the process, you can't lose. Don't follow the process, odds are you're playing craps at the casino, and you are going to lose."
And, Holmes adds, get the proper permits. For your own legal protection. "If you're dealing with a contractor who says, 'Oh, we can do this without a permit, we can do it with cash,' get rid of them," he said. "Kick them the hell out of your house. You don't want to be dealing with that."
Condos?
"Same crap, different pile. Everything is built to minimum code with condos. They don't care about you. Do you buy a car to minimum code? No."
Next up for Holmes: The green trend and its implications for "forensic remediation," as some call emergency repair jobs.
"That's my next book, What Shade of Green Is It?" Holmes said. "Green is the future: OK, we get it. I like to see people go green, don't get me wrong. But what I'm seeing is it's becoming more about marketing. 'Buy this,' 'Use that,' 'Do it this way.' Cradle-to-cradle understanding is knowing how the product was made, how it's used, its longevity, its sustainability and how long it's going to be good for this house. Green is understanding how your home will not grow mould, how the products you are using are friendly, not only to the Earth but to you personally, what you're breathing in your own home. The toxic caulkings, the toxic coatings we're using on our houses that no one talks about. Let's get talking about this crap, and get rid of it."
Holmes admitted he's been tempted on occasion to take a contractor out back and, as Don Cherry might say, "straighten him out."
"I always said I'd love to take them into the back alley and smack 'em a couple of times, but that's not what the show's about. I'm more bothered that they don't care about the family than anything else.
"You know, I have kids. My kids are all grown up, and I really don't like seeing that no one cares anymore and they get taken for their money. And even when the builders know they've done something wrong, they won't give up.
"Have I gotten into a fight? No. I've only been approached twice by two of the builders in the 96 shows that I've done. I just talk to them. I tell them straight up, 'Look, you did this wrong. Did you learn anything from it?' And whether they listen or not, I really don't care. But again, that's not what this show is about. For me, it's about educating you about how not to get caught in that trap."
Holmes on Homes airs weekdays on HGTV at 8 p.m. and Saturdays at 6 p.m., and on TLC on Saturdays at 6 and 9 p.m.

© (c) CanWest MediaWorks Publications Inc.

October 2011 Radio Interview with Mike Holmes, John Moore

In October 2011, John Moore from radio station CFRB 1010 in Toronto, Ontario interviewed Mike Holmes about DIY projects. As one would expect, Mike strongly discourages lay people from approaching most reno projects without consulting the professionals. "I'm against DIY as a standard," he says, adding the following questions for ambitious homeowners to consider, "How old's the house? Did you need to gut the kitchen? Do you need to check the electrical, the plumbing? Does it all need to be changed? How's the structure?" Big, big questions to consider, especially given that "[i]n most cases, homeowners don't know enough." True that. Check out the full interview.

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.

MyFixItUpLife Talks To Mike Holmes

Mark and Theresa of MyFixItUpLife talk lead, asbestos, remodels, magic, and enduring the elements with Mike Holmes at the International Builders Show. My favorite part about this video (other than Mike of course) is watching all of the random people in the background whipping out their camers and cell phones to take pictures. Wherever that Holmes guy goes, he always seems to draw a crowd. Figure that. Or maybe it has something to do with the fact they're sitting directly behind the wine bar. And yes, Mike, you most certainly are a freak, in more ways than one. But that's why we love you.

Mike Holmes and Scott McGillivray visit JJ and Melanie in the Morning

It might have been a chilly 7 degrees outside the Flow 93.5 studios in Toronto, but Mike Holmes and Scott McGillivary of  Canada's Handyman Superstar Challenge and its American counterpart  All American Handyman  were heating things up. In this March 2011 radio chat, Mike discusses his proclivity to cut through other people's BS on his shows, stating "I know you cannot take the strips off a tiger, I am who I am." Mike Holmes definitely knows how to use a tool belt, AND looks good in one too. As far as who's the better handyman... sorry Scott. You know who our vote goes to.

Pictures:

Mike Holmes on the Ultimate Tool, the Worst Fix-It Mistakes and the Power of Overalls

In this 2011 Q&A with Mike Holmes from AOLTelevision, most of the standard questions were covered... Were you born with a tool belt on? Why did you write your books? What's your worst reno? In typical Mike Holmes fashion, he gets candid about his work, including the work he did with Brad Pitt in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. He bemoans about the rain, the heat, the humidity, and the nasty little side effect from working all day in wet underwear. Ouch. (Just FYI Mike, it's not the overalls that bring the ladies in, it's the man who's wearing them. But more on that point later.) Food for thought. Great little video, definately worth the five minutes it takes to watch it.

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.

Holmes On Your Home

I always like to find articles originating from the US pertaining to Mike Holmes. Not that I don't love Canadian sourced articles, it's just that I like to see people from the outside Canada recognizing the expertise of my home improvement hero.

This article from EnterpriseNews.com asks Mike all the major questions about home inspection and renovation. Who better to ask, right?

Holmes on your home
Getting it right from inspection through renovation
By Molly Logan Anderson, Posted Apr 23, 2012

With the housing market trying to rebound and more Americans retiring each year, many opt to renovate, or downsize to new homes that require work to elevate a house to “just what we’re looking for” status.
In order to set homeowners on the right path, we asked general contractor Mike Holmes, star of “Holmes on Homes” and “Holmes Inspection” and author of “Holmes Inspection: The Essential Guide for Every Homeowner, Buyer and Seller,” for his top tips on the inspection and renovation processes.

Q. Once a project begins, how can homeowners remain involved and assured that the project is running smoothly?

It’s always good to talk to your contractor. Be involved, ask questions and communicate your concerns. And the sooner, the better. Don’t wait for a small problem to turn into a big one. Also, set up a clear contract with a payment schedule that’s tied to project milestones. This helps everyone start off on the same playing field, with the same rules. And if at any point you feel uncomfortable or see red flags – stop the project!

Q. On the flipside, what won’t inspectors provide?

You can’t expect a home inspector to know and see everything. For one, they can’t move things. Two, they’re not experts in every field, so they can’t tell you exactly how much a repair will cost. And three, they’re limited by outdoor conditions. This is especially important if they’re doing a thermal scan.

Q. In determining which contractor to choose, what important questions should homeowners ask?

Make sure the person you hire has done the kind of renovation you’re looking for. Don’t hire a deck guy to do your kitchen reno. You’ve got to do your homework. Ask for referrals and follow-up on them. Go see their work, talk to their clients. And look at work they’ve done a few years ago. Those are the jobs that tell you the real quality and durability of their work.

Q. Does a renovation project need to be stressful for homeowners?

No, it doesn’t have to be. It shouldn’t. More often than not, they are. First off, renovations inconvenience peoples’ lives. When a person doesn’t have the space to do regular, everyday stuff, it takes a toll. But add handing over your home to someone you don’t really know you can trust – that’s stressful. I can understand why some homeowners stay up at night when they’re going through a renovation. It’s tough. But that’s why you’ve got to do your homework before letting anyone touch a single brick on your house. That way you’ll know if you can trust them. And once you’re sure, you stay sure by staying involved. If you don’t understand something, ask as many questions you need to understand. A pro is happy to explain. If you’re respectful, there shouldn’t be a problem.

Q. What can folks in the market to buy expect from a home inspector?

A home inspector looks for the clues and red flags that tell the general condition of the home. And that starts the moment they arrive on the property. They should be scanning the outside of the home for signs of water damage. They should be looking at the roof, the foundation, trees and shrubbery around the home, and windows. They should also be looking for signs of past renovations, and how well they’ve been done. And when a home inspector points out problems, they should be explaining why one problem might be safely overlooked for the time being and why another cannot. They should show you the cheap fixes and the ones that will cost more to make right. And if they come across something they aren’t qualified to judge – maybe something related to the home’s structure, electrical, plumbing or HVAC system – they should advise you to bring in a licensed expert that is.

Q. When moving forward with a renovation and selecting a contractor, what’s the No. 1 mistake that homeowners make?

Rushing. They’re impatient to get the project done so they rush to find a contractor. What’s the rush? Are you rushing to end up on my show? Slow down. Finding the right contractor for the job takes time — usually longer than doing the job itself. If you rush, you’ll pay for it in the end. Period.

As always, great advice from home improvement ninja warlord Mike Holmes. Bow to your sensei.

Mike Holmes Helps to Rebuild Jamie Bell Adventure Playground in Toronto

Police investigate at Jamie Bell Playground in High Park, which was set ablaze in mid-March. (Christopher Drost/Torontoist)

Yesterday, Mike announced on his Facebook page that he would be helping to rebuild the playground that burned down March 17 in High Park, Toronto.

Proud to be rebuilding the playground in High Park, Toronto with Janet Rosenberg. We're shooting the process for my new show! Join me at the public ground breaking at Jamie Bell Playground in High Park, Toronto today (Friday May 18) at 1pm.

Here's an article from InsideToronto.com:

Mike Holmes steps up to help rebuild High Park playground
Community rebuild day and barbecue set for July 7
Conal, 9, and his brothers Kieran, 7, and Lochlan, 4, have one simple wish for the Jamie Bell Adventure Playground rebuild.

"We just want the castle back," they agreed as they coloured pictures of a castle at a public consultation meeting to discuss the beloved High Park playground's reconstruction Thursday, May 17.

Conal, whose favourite part of the playground is the big slide - "I like how high up it is and you can see the rest of the park" - said he wished there could be another slide.

His wish could very likely come true with the help of Canada's favourite contractor Mike Holmes of HGTV fame. Holmes and his film crew for his new show 'Make it Right' will assist with the playground rebuild. He attended the meeting to find out what the community would like to see for the playground's design and rebuild.

"I want to work with you, I want to work with the kids. I want to make sure it's safe, accessible. I want to build the best playground that everyone has ever seen, one that Jamie Bell would say 'Two thumbs up,'" Holmes told his audience at Humberside Collegiate Institute.

Holmes said he learned from the news of the fire that engulfed the castle turret in the early morning hours of Saturday, March 17.

"When I saw the fire, I thought 'you've gotta be kidding. We've got to make this right. I went to High Park as a kid," he said. "We're going to make it right together."

Landscape Architect Janet Rosenberg will help Holmes, his team and the community with the design.

"The playground is incredibly magical and built from love. It's so very much about the community," said Rosenberg, who added issues like drainage, shading, visibility in the castle and a greater variety of seating would be addressed.

The castle, as residents have requested, will remain close to its original design, assured Rosenberg. A community rebuild day and barbecue is scheduled for Saturday, July 7. Over the past two months, a number of corporations have stepped forward with donations, including Canadian Tire with a total of $60,000; TD Canada Trust Bloor and Runnymede branch with $10,000 and Lowe's Home Improvement Warehouse with a $10,000 donation of materials. At the meeting, Parkdale-High Park Councillor Sarah Doucette made another funding announcement. The Sprott Foundation has agreed to match dollar for dollar donations to the Jamie Bell Adventure Playground up to $30,000. Donations made to the Toronto Parks and Trees Foundation website between May 17 and June 30 will be matched.

"We've heard loud and clear you'd like the city to do this very, very quickly," said Doucette of the reconstruction project, which is set to begin immediately and will be completed in early July.

Eleven-year-old Sydney told Holmes she's been going to the adventure playground since she was one.

"I want to be able to go there and say 'Wow, this is the most amazing park I've ever been to.' I want to be able to climb on everything," she said.

Holmes assured everyone that he and his team would like the community to make the decisions.

"I will do as much as you want or as little as you want," he said.

Doucette said any left-over funds would be put aside for the maintenance of the playground.

The Jamie Bell Adventure Playground was inspired by and built by the imagination and creativity of the local community and its children in 1998-'99.

A ground-breaking ceremony will be held today at 1 p.m. in the playground.

And yet another article, this one from the Torontoist:

Rebuilding the Jamie Bell Adventure Playground

With a dash of television magic, the High Park playground that was burned down in March will be rebuilt in July by Mike Holmes (and the community).

By Sarah-Joyce Battersby
“Think of me as the new Jamie Bell,” might not have been the most tasteful thing for celebrity contractor Mike Holmes to say to a room full of the late Bell’s friends, family, and neighbours, but surely Holmes meant well. Standing in the auditorium in Humberside Collegiate Institute on Thursday night in his spotless overalls, he laid out the plan for him and his “guys”—and his new Holmes Makes it Right TV show—to rebuild the Jamie Bell Adventure Playground in partnership with the City of Toronto and Janet Rosenberg and Associates landscape architects. Though light on a few details, like whether the updated playground will include a climbing wall, or if wood chips or rubber are best for the ground-cover, the plan’s finish-date is clear: July 7.

Local councillor Sarah Doucette (Ward 13, Parkdale-High Park) told the crowd of about 60 adults, 10 kids, and eight TV production crew guys (who were filming the event for the TV show) that the groundbreaking ceremony for the park will be today, Friday, at 1 p.m.

The July 7 deadline will be the official “community build day” when local residents can add finishing touches to the playground, after Holmes and his crew have done the heavy lifting.

Though Doucette confirmed that wood will be the primary building material, Rosenberg said that the actual design of the new structure will be “a surprise,” but it will be “based on input from the community.” To facilitate input from the community, tables were set up at the front of the auditorium for families and children to draw design ideas. Doucette added that any other ideas or drawings can be sent to her office email, and told us after the meeting that given the tight deadline, any ideas should be sent in “as quickly as possible.”

Ward 13 Councillor Sarah Doucette, landscape architect Janet Rosenberg, and Mike Holmes. Photo by Miroslav Glavic.

A previous offer to rebuild the playground in time for summer, extended by a group including Landscape Ontario and Natural Playgrounds, was turned down by the City, citing the need for community consultations and special planning considerations in light of the playground’s location in an environmentally sensitive ravine. But Doucette stressed that she and Rob Richardson, the acting manager of partnership development in the City’s parks department, who was in attendance at the meeting, have been doing lots of work behind the scenes in the meantime. There are also some important differences between the two plans, she explained later by phone: the earlier one wasn’t focused on rebuilding the castle, which she identified as a key priority, and involved design ideas that weren’t feasible in a graded ravine. Utility line information for the area was still being nailed down, and the whole thing would have been too rushed. “We just needed that little bit more time,” Doucette said.

She also told us that Richardson spoke with Landscape Ontario this week; their offer to help stands, and once the summer season is over they will be looking at making some contributions to the playground as well.

In addition to Holmes’ in-kind donation of the labour, a previously announced corporate donation of $50,000 from Canadian Tire is still coming through (along with an additional $10,000 that was fundraised at two individual store locations); TD Bank Group has made a $10,000 donation via the Bloor and Runnymede branch; and Toronto Parks and Trees has received over $16,000 in donations for the project. Doucette also announced that any donations made to Toronto Parks and Trees from May 17 to June 30 will be matched dollar for dollar by the Sprott Foundation, up to a total of $30,000.

As for how the partnership between Holmes and the City came to be, Doucette told us Holmes’ people contacted her office, but also that “we had to do a video to let [HGTV] and Mike know what we were all about. So we sold ourselves. And obviously we did a good job.”

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.”

Mike Holmes Interview about Building Safety

In this Utah interview from April 2012, Mike talks about Building Safety Month, codes, and his desire to tackle the tornado. These ladies are obviously not very interested, as evident by the last 30 seconds of the video, LOL. It's worth watching to the very end.

Daddy Dearest

Ask Mike Holmes who's the most influential man in his life, and he's bound to name his dad, Jim. When he was a young lad, he would shadow his father, "a jack of all trades, master of none," at the work site. He spent his childhood under his father's watchful eye, learning how to finish basements and rewire houses. He repeatedly gives his father credit for instilling in him the value of doing it right the first time, every time.

Mike's father died far too young, at the age of 55. “My dad went down to the basement one night, missed the top step, fell down the stairs and broke his neck,” he recalled somberly in a 2010 interview. Cheers to Mike's dad for being a great mentor to his son. Let it be a lesson for all dad... love your children enough to teach them well.