Holmes on Homes

A sorority house has a leaky roof and many contractors have tried to repair the problem, but they have failed. Mike Holmes and his crew fix the problem by installing a new flat roof, and they even build a new roof-top deck for the sorority sisters.

In this two part episode a woman discovers that she has no attic insulation in a house that she has just purchased. In part two, a couples roofing renovator did a quick and sloppy job, leaving the house very drafty. In both cases, Mike Holmes and his crew fix the problems.

After a contractor did a beautiful looking job on their new kitchen floor, the floor starts to buckle. Mike Holmes shows up to fix the floor joists and give the new floor a proper base.

A total of four contractors over three years could not fix a homes leaky windows. Mike Holmes to the rescue!

After only a week, the new composite wood flooring in a couples kitchen is starting to crack. After consulting with Mike Holmes, a proper ceramic floor is installed.

A familys dream home sits incomplete because of a dispute with their contractor. With the contractor gone with $200,000 of their money, and with the family living outside in a camper, Mike Holmes and his team arrive and finish their home just in time for Christmas.

Rainwater from the terrace of a couples brand new house is leaking into their garage. Despite major damage, and a two year battle with the builder, the problem has not been fixed. Mike Holmes and his crew arrive and they rebuild the terrace with a proper watertight membrane and new decking.

A couple hired a contractor to build a new wheel chair ramp, but the ramp that was built is dangerous and not built to code. Mike Holmes is called in and he rebuilds the ramp properly.

A women hires a contractor to turn her garage into a painting studio, but the job was done shoddily. Mike Holmes is called in and he builds a brand new studio garage from the ground up.

A couple hired a roofing contractor to fix their flat roof but after the job was finished, the roof still leaked. With the contractor refusing to correct the problem, Mike Holmes is brought in. He tears apart the old roof and installs a brand new water-tight membrane.

A poor contractor does a bad renovation to a basement bathroom. Mike Holmes inspects the work and finds that the electrical work was not done properly.

A couple with a disabled son have hired a contractor to build a wheelchair-accessible addition for their son, but the job was done poorly. Mike Holmes and his crew arrive to repair the problems and finish the renovation properly.

A kitchen renovation goes over budget, and the job does not get completed. Mike Holmes and his crew come to the rescue, turning an unfinished barren shell into a dream kitchen.

A kitchen renovation has gone wrong after the contractor used poor workmanship. This leads to a legal battle, that even includes Mike Holmes as an expert witness, and eventually repairs to the kitchen that finally fix the job.

A couples new backyard wall is crumbling after one winter. After the original contractor returned and tried to repair the wall with rebar and additional concrete, Mike Holmes arrives and does the job right.

Just after buying a brand new two-story house, a women discovered that there was an outstanding work permit on the home, including the need to repair a backyard deck that failed a safety inspection. After a lengthy legal battle, Mike Holmes is brought in to repair the deck and bring the home up to code.

A women hired a contractor to rebuild a retaining wall in her backyard, however after the first winter the retaining wall had warped significantly. Mike Holmes and his crew were called in to rebuild the wall with proper drainage.

After a lengthy battle with contractors a couple learns that their second floor renovation has been done poorly. Mike and his crew are brought in to repair various plumbing, ventilation and electrical problems.

A leaky upstairs shower has lead to a crack appearing in a newlywed couples kitchen ceiling. Mike Holmes and his crew come to the rescue, repairing both the shower and the ceiling, and making some changes to the delight of the home-owners.

After spending many years living in apartments, Tammy and Jason decided to take the plunge and buy a home to raise their son in. It was a new home, and everything seemed in order except for the staircase leading up to the front door; it was very basic and needed and upgrade. Tammy and Jason hired a contractor to build a proper cement staircase, and thats what they thought they had gotten. But as 2 year warranty approached, large chunks of cement were starting to fall off the stairs and it seemed obvious that they had not been done correctly. The previous contractor delayed any repairs until the warranty was up, and Tammy and Jason were left with dangerous, crumbling staircase. Mike Holmes and his crew tore the original stairs apart and started from scratch. Along the way, Mike found that the previous contractor had made many mistakes - the largest of which was that they neglected to install proper footing support under the stairs. The lack of this footing caused the stairs to move when the ground froze in the winter, and crack the concrete finish. As the crew started the new footing, Mike removed a pair of ugly fake dormers that the builder had installed on their roof, and fixed a leak in their front window. After rebuilding the staircase using rebar and concrete reinforced with microfibers, a beautiful Durok coating was applied to the surface. Also, bran new interlocking stone in the driveway was complimented by a fully re-landscaped front garden. Tammy and Jason were thrilled to finally be able to look at their new home with pride. The new front entryway and garden were stunning and definitely the new focal point of the house.

Bill and Marie retired to a bungalow that had originally been a small cottage. Over the years, the bungalow had seen five additions of questionable workmanship, so they decided to completely renovate the home. They hired a contractor who had promised that the job would be completed in three months time, so they moved in with their daughter for the duration of the renovation. As the renovation progressed, issues arose with the historical board, building code standards, and the contractor himself. After many delays and a skyrocketing budget, Bill paid off the contractor and completely severed ties. One full year later, they were left with a half finished job and were still living in their daughter’s home. Having spent a good deal of money, they had no funds to cover hiring a new contractor. Fortunately, Mike Holmes decided to undertake the huge task of finishing this very problematic renovation – and finish it he did. With the help of his hard working crew, Mike battled his way though the age old issues and gave Bill and Marie the beautiful retirement home the should have gotten in the first place.

After suffering through some painful personal troubles, Jim and Lisa planned to re-direct their focus on something positive by finishing their basement into a bar and entertainment room. A contractor came highly recommended by a neighbor, and the renovation started off quite smoothly. The contractor seemed to have a good heart, and as the renovation progressed, Jim and Lisa actually formed a friendship with him. But with the budget spent, and the job only partially completed, the contractor seemed to fall off the face of the earth. Even after befriending Jim and Lisa, the contractor abandoned them without any warning, leaving them with a half finished renovation. Upon inspection, Mike Holmes decided that the contractor meant well, but severely under-priced the job and didn’t know how to fess up to the mistake. With the help of iron, brick and bar specialists, Mike completely re-finished the basement with an incredible English Pub theme, giving Jim and Lisa the bar of their dreams.

After three different contractors try and fail in fixing a moisture problem in a homeowner’s kitchen, Mike Holmes is called in and discovers that a series of small problems were creating one large one. Mike and his crew fix he moisture problem once and for all.

When a major mold problem leaves a family with chronic respiratory problems and allergic reactions, Mike Holmes brings in a crew of mold abatement experts to eliminate the mold at the source. The result is a healthier, allergen free home for the family.

A couple decides to be their own general contractor on a large second story addition to their home. Everything goes extremely well until the last sub-contractor botches all the finishing work. Mike Holmes and his crew are called in to inspect the sloppy work and Make it Right.

In part two of the is two-part season finale, Mike Holmes and his crew finish a wheelchair accessible bathroom for the homeowners’ disabled son, repair a leaking foundation and roof and provide a much deserving family with a safe and proper addition.

Living in a construction zone is an unpleasant reality for homeowners undertaking a renovation. The hope is that the mess and discomfort will be as short-lived as possible. For Alex and Marie and their two children, a planned three-month renovation dragged out to a year and a half with no end in sight. Living out of one bedroom with only partial water service, this family was trapped in a never-ending renovation nightmare. They were beginning to feel like prisoners in their own home- until Mike and the team arrive on the scene.

This story highlights the work of a modern day "Snake Oil Salesman"- a contractor that doesnt fit the stereotypical con-artist profile. His slick computer assisted sales pitch and impressive portfolio eventually gave way to sloppy workmanship and incompetent engineering. The basement façade put up by this contractor finally came crashing down when the newly installed ceiling collapsed, prompting the homeowners to place a distress call to Mike Holmes.

This is story about hope for the future in the face of heartbreaking tragedy, when "Making It Right" takes on a new meaning- completing an unresolved renovation and making it possible for a family to finally begin the healing process after the loss of a loved one. The connection between the emotional health of a family and condition of their home is a strong one. Mike and the team heal a house left in limbo, and make it a home once more.

With Mike and the team in full swing repairing the shoddy fire damage remediation work left behind by the last contractor, Mike discovers an old oil storage tank buried in the backyard. To make matters worse, the container had leaked over the years, making it necessary for Mike to clean up the hazardous mess. Its an episode filled with renovation thrills and toxic spills!

Janet and her elderly mother, Audrey, upgraded their vinyl kitchen floor to ceramic tile. Shortly after the work was completed, they noticed hairline cracks through the centre of the tiles. The flooring contractor explained it wasnt his fault, and that the weak structure of their home was shifting and causing the floor to crack. But the cracks were forming through the ceramic tile, and not along the grout lines- the weakest part of a tile floor. Mike and the team put on their investigative hard hats and get to the bottom of this tile flooring issue.

This is a story about proximity. Many newly built homes such as semi-detached, town homes and condo units feature designs that share common walls. In the case of our homeowners, Sylvie and Guy, who had just moved into a brand new semi-detached home, they were in for a shock when they realized that they could clearly hear their next door neighbor through the walls! The sound issue was so disruptive that the homeowners were certain moving away was their only option, until Mike and the team found the solution.

On moving day, some of the deficiencies in Chris and Ihors house became obvious as soon as they tried using the shower and fixtures in the basement. The pungent smell of sewage wafted through the home. It was the first in a series of creepy crawly, smelly and dangerous discoveries. For Chris and Ihor, and for the thousands of Canadians who have been caught in the same trap, it will take the frankness of Mike Holmes to uncover the myth that is "the Home inspection", and help this family get what they thought they had already paid for.

Jane and Dan had a tiny quarter sized water stain on the bedroom ceiling of their six-year-old townhouse. They had a roofing contractor come and repair the balcony above the leak. The contractor ended up having to rip up the existing balcony membrane only to discover the engineered joists below were completely rotted through. The homeowners could not find a contractor willing to take on fixing this structural mess and asked Mike if he was up for the challenge.

Lisa and Joe decided to have an existing wooden retaining wall in their backyard rebuilt using concrete blocks. As the new block wall went up, Joe and Lisa began to question some glaring items - the lack of gravel base and the Geo-grid reinforcement material lay unused even though most of the wall was up. The project dragged on and the wall simply wasnt getting finished. Finally, the contractor stopped coming altogether and would not answer his cell phone. Lisa actually phoned the local hospitals to check if he had been admitted. They couldnt believe he would just disappear without finishing the job and leaving behind his tools. The homeowners had paid the contractor for all the materials, and when they received a bill in the mail a month later from the material supplier for the remaining 50% balance, they realized they had been taken for a ride. Mike and his team of landscape professions tear down the wall and build a retaining wall that is rock solid.

As her retirement investment, Lisa rented out a second house to a young couple eager to rent a home in a quiet, upscale neighborhood. They seemed to be perfect tenants, until the police contacted Lisa months later and informed her that the house had just been busted as a Marijuana Grow Op. The damage was extensive--every part of the house had been affected and her retirement investment was essentially destroyed. Faced with a massive repair that will cost as much as the house was currently worth, Mike makes this right, and discovers just how extensive the damage can be from an illegal Grow-Operation.

Jennifer and Abraham, expecting their first child, decided to remodel their bungalow to make room for their growing family. The contractor they hired seemed to have everything in hand, but 4 months later Jennifer and Abraham found they had paid 90% of the contract but only about 30% of the work was complete. Left with a contractor on the run, a huge new mortgage, construction bills piling up, and a worthless empty shell of a house, the sun seemed to have set on their dream home, let alone home ownership of any kind. They needed a miracle… …And they got one when Mike appeared on “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” and Ellen introduced him to Jennifer and Abraham, asking if he could help. Determined to do just that, Mike and a legion of contractors team up to answer the call…Pasadena 911.

Nancie and Woody moved into a 25-year-old townhouse that required some updating- particularly the floors and the “tiny” kitchen space. As renovations got underway, Woody was unexpectedly hospitalized. The contractors were left virtually unsupervised while Nancie tried to manage her job, visit Woody and take care of their daughter. All of the contractors were very sympathetic to her stating, “don’t worry about the renovations- you are in good hands.” What they left behind was simply one big mistake- one that Mike and the team will correct, with the help of a Country singing guest star.

Jane, a single mom, lives in a typical new home development with her two kids. Since the day they moved into the brand new home, they have been plagued with repeated plumbing and heating issues. During a recent winter cold spell, the porch ceiling caved in, exposing questionable minimum building code practices and building materials- luckily, Mike and his team have the right answers

Mike travels to Saint John, New Brunswick, to meet Marlene after her second story deck falls, seriously injuring herself and three friends. He discovers that this tragic accident was caused by incompetent workmanship. A year later, the ladies are still traumatized, both physically and emotionally. But they get a boost on their road to recovery as Mike rebuilds a rock solid deck and gives the historic home a fresh look.

Holmes On Homes heads to the back woods to fix a cottage on an island! Mike and the team find the water obstacle a challenge as they renovate a bathroom and repair deck railings for the retired cottage owner, Anne. She had difficulty trying to finding contractors that would venture to her cottage, and the one that finally did had spent more time fishing than working, or so it seemed. Mike and the team encounter renovation challenges unique to three-season cottages and working in remote locations.

When Mike arrives at the home of Val and Dave, he thought it was an exterior renovation repair only- until he went inside. Originally, the scope of the project involved repairing a home that suffered from defective brick- the face of the brick was falling off, causing it to quickly erode. This weakened masonry was causing the chimney to lean dangerously and the bottom rows of brick were so compromised that replacement was needed to prevent the brick walls from collapsing. When Mike went inside the home, he discovered that the homeowners were literally drowning in their own possessions. There were mounds of stuff piled to the ceiling in almost every room in the house. There was so much junk crammed in the basement that it wasn’t even possible for Mike and the team to do a basic electrical and HVAC inspection. Mike decides that a clean-up intervention is needed, to save the homeowners from themselves.

In this special episode, the Holmes crew (both construction and production) reveal the behind the scenes work during the filming from the seventh season, including the process from viewer submission to filming, how three or four episodes are produced at the same time, and the logistical issues with having a camera crew and a construction crew trying to work over each other. The episode includes behind-the-scenes footage from Additional Grief, Country Kitchen, Paradise Island, Lien on Me, and an upcoming episode titled Blind Faith, as well as a Maxwell House commercial and Mikes interview on 20/20. It also explores the origins of the series and how the Holmes Foundation was founded, as well as providing some insight into the Holmes family (all three of Mikes children work on the show in some capacity).

The homeowners call in the Holmes Crew to fix a bay window. The original contractors work, involving replacing a regular window with a bay window without supporting structure, were captured on tape by a neighbors home security system cameras.

The Holmes Crew address a couple who every year has snow accumulating in their attic — so much that they are forced to shovel it all into plastic bags.

The Holmes Crew travel to Ottawa, Ontario to help two of the shows biggest fans, who, despite having heeded Mikes advice and researched meticulously, nevertheless find that their bathroom renovation has gone awry.