Interview with Mike Holmes on Holmes Makes it Right

Here's another great interview with Mike Holmes from HGTV Canada. In this video, Mike talks about his new show and why it's called "HOLMES Makes It Right" instead of just "Make It Right." There's also more little factoids about the new show which premiered in Canada on October 16 and will premiere in the US in early 2013.

UPDATE 11/19/12
Occasionally HGTV Canada will post a video, and then mysteriously the address for the video changes. This is the case for the interview with Mike spoken of above. Unfortunately, HGTV has disable this video from being embedded, so in order to watch it, visit it at its HGTV Canada YouTube address.

Pictures from the interview:

Family Talk with Mike Holmes

This just posted to the HGTV Canada YouTube channel... Mike Holmes talks with HGTV.ca website producer Tina Taus about what it's like to work with his family, and how he wishes he could have spent more time with his children while they were growing up. He also talks about how he likes to get jiggy on the dance floor! Great interview...

Mike's Littlest Fans

Pictures posted on Mike's Facebook page for Halloween:

 

 

Cute kids... they just might have a future in the trades!!!

Mike Holmes On Young People In The Trades

Mike Holmes has been one of the biggest and most vocal advocates for young people entering the trades as a viable and prestigious career choice. He describes the trades as an opportunity of a lifetime that deserves just as much respect as any white collar job. "You have to love what you do," he says, adding that if you love what you do, the money will come. In this radio interview with the CBC, Mike talks about the future of the skilled trades in Canada, and shortage of young people who choose to enter the skilled trades.

Update 11/4/12

I removed the embedded player because it auto started every time the blog was loaded. To hear this great interview with Mike, simply click on the link  provided above which takes you to the CBC website.

On The Next Holmes Makes It Right...

All New Episode of Holmes Makes It Right: "Ventilation Blues"

Last night was the HGTV Canada premiere of the latest episode of Holmes Makes It Right, "Ventilation Blues." I'm certain it was fantastic, although I won't know for absolute certainty until 2013 when it airs in the States. As with the other episodes, Mike has made available all sorts of supplemental goodies to go along with the episode, posted on the Holmes Makes It Right website.

Goodies include an episode synopsis, photos, articles, and Mike's behind-the-scenes notes. Good stuff!

Here's a picture from last night's episode:



Let's have a Holmes Spot caption contest, shall we? I'll start.

Mike: "How did I get stuck carrying a dresser? Don't we have apprentices for this?"
Damon: "This probably would have been easier if we had taken the drawers out, buddy."
Mike: "I'm not your buddy, guy."
Damon: "I'm not your guy, friend."
Mike: "I'm not your friend, buddy."

Happy Halloween!

"Spot a Super Holmes" Contest Winner Announced

From HGTV Canada's Facebook:


Thank you to everyone who took part in our "Spot a Super Holmes" contest on October 16th! We want to give a special shout-out to the winner of our grand prize of $5000, Liza Ricafort! Congrats Liza!! And tonight, don't miss a new episode of Holmes Makes It Right at 9pm ET|PT!

Congrats Liza!!!

Mike Holmes Official Fan Forum Closed?

It was pointed out to me today that the official Mike Holmes Fan Forum was now closed. I didn't post there much, but I had registered an account.

This made me think for half a second... forums are very easy to set up. If there's a void, maybe someone should step up and fill it and create an unofficial fan forum for discussions. I created and ran an unofficial fan forum for a band for 8 long years. The forum had in its peak 6 thousand very active members and received literally half a million guests a month. It was no piece of cake. In fact it burned me almost completely out. In the end I got absolutely no credit for it, I never got a thanks from anyone, and I never got as much as an eyebrow raise, that is, until I quit. Then people in and around that band took notice. Just the thought of doing that all over again makes me a little nauseous and dizzy. I enjoy blogging. It's like talking to the wall... there's no one there to give you instant feedback. You just put it out there, and hope someone likes what you have to say. I like it this way. It's still a shame that Mike closed his forum, but perhaps there's something better in store down the road. And if someone wants to create an unofficial one, I'll be more than happy to dispense some wisdom and advice.


UPDATE 11/1/12

Mike addresed this issue of his fan forum closing via his Facebook page:

Hi everyone. I wanted to comment on closing the Official Mike Holmes Forum. It was a difficult decision but we are going to use the knowledge we gained from the forum to develop more tips and articles to help you through your home renovations. Every home is different - and the best thing to do is call a pro in your local area. Thanks everyone for your support & understanding.

Bad Roof: The Proof Is In The Puddles

Mike Holmes has fixed a lot of bad roofs in his day. If your house has a bad roof, it can lead to many other things such as mold, pests, and structure damage. The roof is meant to keep the outside from coming inside, and when it leaks or is built incorrectly, it can cause untold problems. In this article, reposted from the Ottawa Citizen, Mike talks about roofs and how if they're built with incorrect materials, or slope in towards the house as opposed to away from the house, they're going to leak, guaranteed. Maintaining a good roof should be a homeowner's number one priority as winter approaches. Read on...

 

 

 

Bad roof: proof is in puddles

By Mike Holmes, The Ottawa Citizen October 18, 2012

 

Holmes explains how a roof that is poorly designed creates valleys, and over time, will leak no matter what roof covering products are used.

Photograph by: The Holmes Group

The cold weather is starting to close in. That means there are a few things homeowners should be thinking about getting done before Old Man Winter stakes his claim. Your roof is No. 1. Why is it important? Anyone who has seen the first episode of Holmes Makes It Right will know the answer to this.
Think about it. We spend thousands and thousands of dollars on everything inside our homes. But what’s protecting it all? The roof. If you have a bad roof it’s only a matter of time before you have a bad house. It can lead to things like heat loss, mould, rotted-out structure and pests. These problems can travel to other parts of your home, too, leaving a path of destruction.
Most homeowners will call a roofing company to reshingle their roof. But roofs are much more than just shingles. And homeowners need to know what they should be paying attention to if they want to do what’s right for their home.
The most important thing when it comes to roofs is proper structure. If the roofline is wrong, everything else will be wrong, too. You can have the best products and the best application methods. But if you’re putting them over a roof with poor structure, I guarantee it’s going to leak.
I’ve dealt with roofs that seem like they’ve been designed to leak. It probably wasn’t the intention of the people who built them — at least I hope not. But that’s what happened. Why? Because the roof’s structure was poor. What’s poor structure when we talk about roofs? Those designed to slope or dip inward into the home. So instead of a pitch we get a valley.
Usually when a roof dips it’s because the sheathing is sagging, the roof joists are too far apart or OSB (oriented strand board) was used instead of plywood. But I have seen roofs where the structure was actually designed and built to have a slope right in the middle.
This doesn’t make sense for a structure that’s supposed to be directing water away from your home. These low areas create valleys that do not drain. And they’re bad because they collect snow, rain, ice dams and so on. Not to mention the heat loss. How do you get enough insulation if there’s a low point designed into the roof? There’s no space for insulation. So you’re going to get heat loss, which is another big problem when it comes to roofs. Some telltale signs that your roof is losing heat include higher energy bills or a leak in your home.
If there’s a low-lying area on your roof that collects snow and you also have major heat loss, what do you think is going to happen? You’re going to get water pooling when that snow melts. And if the roof design doesn’t allow for proper run off or if the wrong materials were used on a low-slope roof, water will seep into your attic. It’s inevitable.
During the winter, you want to see snow on your roof; you don’t want to see patches where the snow has melted. And you really don’t want to see icicles on your eavestroughs because that means the snow on the roof is melting when it’s still freezing outside. This can lead to ice dams that block your gutters and cause water to back up underneath the shingles. Once it’s there it’s really easy for it to get inside your home.

Typically there should be roofing paper underneath the shingles to act as an extra layer of protection in case any shingles blow off. It’s a preventive measure. But if a roof’s structure is wrong, what are the chances that everything else is right? I wouldn’t count on it.
Roofing underlayment — which is an ice and water membrane — should be installed along the perimeter of your roof and in any run-off valleys. It’s used in any areas on your roof where there’s going to be extra water flow or drainage. But it can’t protect an area that actively collects water. It’s a preventive measure — not a direct line of defence.
Many people spend all their money on cabinets, kitchen floors, tiles and entertainment systems. Yet, they forget to spend money on the roof — to protect the cabinets, floors, tiles and electronics. Before anything else is upgraded or renovated in your home, you have to make sure your roof is doing its job.
Catch Mike Holmes in his new series, Holmes Makes It Right, Tuesdays at 9 p.m. on HGTV. For more information, visit hgtv.ca. For more information on home renovations, visit makeitright.ca.

© Copyright (c) The Ottawa Citizen

Tuesday's Episode of Holmes Makes It Right: "Ventilation Blues"

Another new episode of Holmes Makes It Right premieres on HGTV Canada this Tuesday at 9PM EST. As many know, Mike's new show will not air in the States until early 2013. Why? There doesn't seem to be an answer, but I would venture to guess it's because of HGTV not wanting Mike's new show to be eclipsed by the election in the US, as it inevitably would.

If you are lucky enough to catch next week's show, it will be called "Ventilation Blues." From the HGTV Canada website:

 

Ventilation Blues
In this Episode
Mike tackles a recently renovated home where nothing is leveling out. The problems start with the HVAC, which doesn’t heat or cool and sounds like a jet engine every time it’s on. The floor joists are splitting and the brand new shower is disintegrating. Mike and his crew arrive to put things right