Holmes on Homes

[Steven Hockstein]

I caught a part of his show this morning. He loves to come in and save the day while telling how great he is and bashing others. I saw a few issues with his work and I was wondering if it we could to start a thread that points his errors. Any takers?

[kurt]

I'm in, but hesitant; it would mean I'd have to watch his show.

I'll do what I can; when's his show? (I'm not a big TV guy.....)

[Tom Raymond]

Sure. I'll start with the observation that right after he finishes bashing someone they show one of the people on his own crew that can't measure and cut a half dozen boards the same size. There is a similar simple task that has to be done at least twice on every episode I've ever seen.

It really is a shame that he has to be such an ass, he fixes really broken stuff caused by very common errors and uses some of the latest building science on a lot of his projects. If he could explain the science instead of thumping his chest he'd have a pretty good show. At least I'd watch it more often.

Tom

[Steven Hockstein]

Kurt- I saw it on HGTV.

Some blatant errors:

Holmes was waving his arms in the air and describing how to layout the basement bathroom. When it came to the toilet placement he said "Surprise me". No drawings or even magic marker on the floor. Nice example. I guess he can blame the worker when the toilet was placed wrong. (PS-the bathroom layout ended-up with the toilet facing sideways behind the door and the vanity awkwardly placed in the bathroom).

Meanwhile he made sure to point out the plumbing errors of the past contractor.

It was obvious he was creating a basement bedroom with no egress window.

The crew was performing demolition without eye protection.

This was all in the five minutes I watched. I can only imagine what I would find in an entire episode.

[John Kogel]

I believe they loose the dust masks and eye pro for the cameras - that's showbiz.

He can screw up all over the place, but in the eyes of his fans, he can do no wrong. We will gain nothing from this exercise. Sounds like sour grapes to them.

I too, can only watch short segments of that show, and I got a kick out of the roofer telling him what a cant strip is. "You mean the canned script?"[]

[kurt]

Here's what's hard.......

Good building is boring TV. Good inspection work is very boring TV.

Jerry's probably right; the folks that like this stuff probably judge movies on how many explosions there are, and they're going to continue to like Holmes' explosions.

It could come off sounding a lot like sour grapes. I'll watch though, and see if I can catch anything.

[John Kogel]

If you can catch any of the old "Real Renos" shows, with Jim Caruk and his sidekick, Niel, they were very entertaining, if you like to watch frustrated contractors loose their shirts while the clients whine and bitch. Those shows were great. []

http://www.hgtv.ca/ontv/titledetails.aspx?titleid=52837

"revealing what really happens when the homeowners aren’t looking."[]

[Tom Raymond]

Reading the thread on PEX today reminded me that I caught part of last Sunday's episode. It was fun to watch his long time plumber extoll the virtues of polybutylene pipe as he installed it[:-bigeyes Somehow I don't think that episode was filmed before the law suit, he hasn't been around that long has he?

Tom

[Griff]

I have been surveying my clients lately about Holmes and it is about 15 to 1 against. Many of my clients are trades people and I tend to respect their opion. It's all hollywood, like Kurt says it would be boring TV without the sensationalism. I have seen a couple of his shows and was not all that impressed.

[plummen]

oh come onhes much more entertaining than bob villa ever was atleast he picks up tools once in a while and does some work! hahaha and no im no fan of pex tubing,looks too much like a drunken snake to me.i dont like trac pipe gas line either for same reason,not to mention the little issue of lightning burning holes in it if its not bonded with a ground wire.[:-yuck]

[Marc]

What's the problem with PEX?

Marc

[Steven Hockstein]

oh come onhes much more entertaining than bob villa ever was atleast he picks up tools once in a while and does some work! hahaha and no im no fan of pex tubing,looks too much like a drunken snake to me.i dont like trac pipe gas line either for same reason,not to mention the little issue of lightning burning holes in it if its not bonded with a ground wire.[:-yuck]

Bob Villa could take a $150,000 project and easily make it into a $350,000 project. Many viewers don't realize that a lot of the stuff is donated in exchange for product placement.

[kurt]

Many viewers also don't realize that a lot of his projects were "fake", i.e., they were done on properties he already owned. He also had a few lawsuits by disgruntled homeowners.

I had the opportunity to spend some time with Bob and his producer back in the late '80's. I was his driver a couple times when he came to Chicago for his Sears show.

The Bob show was an amazing bit of sleight of hand; the guy didn't know much of nothing.

[Steven Hockstein]

Many viewers also don't realize that a lot of his projects were "fake", i.e., they were done on properties he already owned. He also had a few lawsuits by disgruntled homeowners.

I had the opportunity to spend some time with Bob and his producer back in the late '80's. I was his driver a couple times when he came to Chicago for his Sears show.

The Bob show was an amazing bit of sleight of hand; the guy didn't know much of nothing.

"Reality TV" is far from reality. I have been involved in a couple of HGTV shows. Editing does wonders (Hint-if you show a room plan being created AFTER the room is done, it is pretty easy to be very accurate!).

[plummen]

What's the problem with PEX?

Marc

Here in omaha ne we cant use it because they say the chlorine in the water eats it up over time,but bellevue will let you use it and they have the same water supply.Theres also been problems with fittings from certain suppliers failing over time.

My biggest issue is that I think it looks like crap no matter how much time you spend installing it,and anytime you shove one of those fittings inside the tubing it creates a restriction in the flow of water. [:-yuck]

[charlieb]

Have you ever looked into the benefits of a manifold system with appropriately sized lines to each fixture?

And need I say WHO DAT!

[Marc]

Awww noooo Charlie, not you. Everyone going nuts over that dang football game.

Neighbors are popping fireworks next door now, or is it guns?

Jeez, I'm calling it a night.

Marc

[Steven Hockstein]

I have this weird feeling that in ten years people will look back at PEX like we do EIFS stucco and wonder who is going to pay for the problem.

[charlieb]

Awww noooo Charlie, not you. Everyone going nuts over that dang football game.

Neighbors are popping fireworks next door now, or is it guns?

Jeez, I'm calling it a night.

Marc

Yes I hate to say it but yes. I've been married to a wonderful woman for 15 years and this is the first time an entire football game (any game for that matter) has been watched in my home. IMHO sports should involve a motor.

[hausdok]

I have this weird feeling that in ten years people will look back at PEX like we do EIFS stucco and wonder who is going to pay for the problem.

Hi Steve,

Well, it's been used for more than 4 decades in Europe without major problems - especially in Germany. Can you think of any other demographic so pathologically anal about safety and environment than the Europeans - especially the Germans?

I bet a hundred years ago folks were saying the same stuff about copper because it's a heavy metal.

ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!!

Mike

[Steven Hockstein]

I have this weird feeling that in ten years people will look back at PEX like we do EIFS stucco and wonder who is going to pay for the problem.

Hi Steve,

Well, it's been used for more than 4 decades in Europe without major problems - especially in Germany. Can you think of any other demographic so pathologically anal about safety and environment than the Europeans - especially the Germans?

I bet a hundred years ago folks were saying the same stuff about copper because it's a heavy metal.

ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!!

Mike

Mike,

I will make you a deal. Mark it on your calendar that I will send you a bottle of New Jersey wine (yes there are actually some decent wines from NJ) if the product has not had any major issues. If I am right, you will send me a bottle of one of your good local wines?[:-monkeyd

Do we have a deal?

[hausdok]

OK,

If I understand you correctly, on February 8, 2020, I'm supposed to send you a bottle of Washington State wine if there will have been any major issues with PEX during the ten years between now and then. OK, I guess I can do that, but let's get it straight - we're talking about something on the level of the EIFS barrier application over wood framing or the PB plumbing installed with the wrong or defective fittings mess - or the aluminum wiring mess of the 1970's - not a simple case of a bad batch or two of PEX being made by a manufacturer. We're talking about a situation where the entire product is determined to be detrimental. Correct?

ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!!

Mike

[kurt]

In the interest of fair and honest wagering, I insist that I hold all monies for said wine purchases.

[plummen]

i just watched his 2nd story addition episode on his site,now thats some major accademy award nomination material there! [:-slaphap

I definately think they should track down the shmuck that did the mechanical and beat him to death on the air . instead of making a longdrawn out drama out of it they should of just mounted a seperate furnace upstairs with ductwork to service that area and a seperate condensing unit rather than running a trunk line clear across the basement then snaking miles of 6" pipe up through the walls with a bunch of bendscausing restrictions in the air flow! [:-yuck]

I think performance and labor wise they would of been money ahead! oh well [:-party]

[Steven Hockstein]

OK,

If I understand you correctly, on February 8, 2020, I'm supposed to send you a bottle of Washington State wine if there will have been any major issues with PEX during the ten years between now and then. OK, I guess I can do that, but let's get it straight - we're talking about something on the level of the EIFS barrier application over wood framing or the PB plumbing installed with the wrong or defective fittings mess - or the aluminum wiring mess of the 1970's - not a simple case of a bad batch or two of PEX being made by a manufacturer. We're talking about a situation where the entire product is determined to be detrimental. Correct?

ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!!

Mike

You got it. Additionally, even if you have to send me the bottle of wine I will send you one back just to celebrate the fact that we would both be around to enjoy the wine!