Holmes Inspection
Encyclopedia
Holmes Inspection is a 2009 Canadian
home renovation series on HGTV, hosted by general contractor
Mike Holmes
. It is the third of Holmes' renovation series, following Holmes on Homes
and Holmes in New Orleans. The format of the series is similar to those of his previous series Holmes on Homes, where Mike enters a home in need of repair and often finds substandard work. However, unlike Holmes on Homes, whose focus was on substandard work done by fraudulent or poor-quality contractors, the focus of Holmes Inspection is on homeowners who have been victimized solely as a result of poor home inspections.
In the United States, the series debuted on HGTV
on Sunday, December 19, 2010.
There is also the use of 3D
computer-generated imagery
to illustrate problems and solutions.
Holmes Inspection is entirely filmed in the Greater Toronto area
, and only involves homes which were purchased within 18 months. As the series is heavily focused on home inspections gone wrong, only homes with issues not accounted for in a home inspection report done with a home inspection service are considered.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
home renovation series on HGTV, hosted by general contractor
General contractor
A general contractor is responsible for the day-to-day oversight of a construction site, management of vendors and trades, and communication of information to involved parties throughout the course of a building project.-Description:...
Mike Holmes
Mike Holmes
Michael James Holmes is a Canadian professional contractor. He is the host of television show Holmes on Homes, where he rescues homeowners from renovations gone wrong; and its successor TV series, Holmes Inspection...
. It is the third of Holmes' renovation series, following Holmes on Homes
Holmes on Homes
Holmes on Homes is a Canadian television series featuring general contractor Mike Holmes visiting homeowners who are in need of help, mainly due to unsatisfactory home renovations performed by hired contractors....
and Holmes in New Orleans. The format of the series is similar to those of his previous series Holmes on Homes, where Mike enters a home in need of repair and often finds substandard work. However, unlike Holmes on Homes, whose focus was on substandard work done by fraudulent or poor-quality contractors, the focus of Holmes Inspection is on homeowners who have been victimized solely as a result of poor home inspections.
In the United States, the series debuted on HGTV
HGTV
HGTV , is a cable-television network operating in the United States and Canada, broadcasting a variety of home and garden improvement, maintenance, renovation, craft and remodeling shows...
on Sunday, December 19, 2010.
Differences from Holmes on Homes
Changes from Holmes on Homes include decreased emphasis on Mike Holmes during the construction process, as crew supervisor Damon Bennett (who has held the title since season 6 of Holmes on Homes) takes control of most of the construction activity (deferring to Mike only on major decisions); Damon is also present in front of the camera for meetings with the homeowners (unlike Holmes on Homes, where only Mike appears).There is also the use of 3D
3D computer graphics software
3D computer graphics software refers to programs used to create 3D computer-generated imagery. This article covers only some of the software used.-Uses:...
computer-generated imagery
Computer-generated imagery
Computer-generated imagery is the application of the field of computer graphics or, more specifically, 3D computer graphics to special effects in art, video games, films, television programs, commercials, simulators and simulation generally, and printed media...
to illustrate problems and solutions.
Holmes Inspection is entirely filmed in the Greater Toronto area
Greater Toronto Area
The Greater Toronto Area is the largest metropolitan area in Canada, with a 2006 census population of 5.5 million. The Greater Toronto Area is usually defined as the central city of Toronto, along with four regional municipalities surrounding it: Durham, Halton, Peel, and York...
, and only involves homes which were purchased within 18 months. As the series is heavily focused on home inspections gone wrong, only homes with issues not accounted for in a home inspection report done with a home inspection service are considered.
Crew
Most of the crew from Holmes on Homes and Holmes in New Orleans return for Holmes Inspection.- Damon Bennett is the crew supervisor, having appeared since season 4 of Holmes on Homes but only being elevated to the role of crew supervisor in season 6 therein. He has been skilled in many trades, having come from a long line of bricklayers.
- Bill Bell, the uncle to Mike Holmes, is the truck supervisor, in charge of the tools that are needed by the Holmes Crew. He has held this position since season 6 of Holmes on Homes.
- Adam Belanger is the son-in-law of Mike Holmes, having married Mike's eldest daughter Amanda in between series (Amanda herself has been on the production crew since season 2 of Holmes on Homes). He is an expert in operating heavy machinery, and is experienced in landscaping. He has been with the Holmes crew since season 5 of Holmes on Homes.
- Rob Brown is a new member of the Holmes Inspection crew, debuting in the second season of the series.
- Nichole Faucher is a new member of the Holmes Inspection crew, debuting in the second season of the series.
- Mike Holmes, Jr. ("M.J.") is the only son and youngest child of Mike Holmes, who, after graduating from high school in season 4 of Holmes on Homes (but having sporadically appeared in previous seasons), has joined his father's construction crew.
- Sherry Holmes, daughter of Mike Holmes, joined the construction crew in New Orleans and has been a member for two and a half years.
- Evan Jatou is a new member of the Holmes Inspection crew, debuting in the second season of the series.
- Carl "Carlito" Pavlovic has been with the Holmes Crew since season 5 of Holmes on Homes. He is known for his sense of humor and serves as the team's tile expert.
Former crew members
- Kate Campbell was a crew member for the first season of Holmes Inspection. She has a lifelong passion for the trades, and acquired her training in Women in Skilled Trades, later joining Holmes on Homes as their second female crew member. She is now part of the crew for another of HGTV's series, Decked OutDecked OutDecked Out is a Canadian home renovation television series, which airs on HGTV Canada. Hosted by Paul Lafrance, a contractor who owns Cutting Edge Construction and Design in Pickering, Ontario, each episode depicts Lafrance and his team designing and building a unique and dramatic deck for a...
.
Episodes
- Note: All episodes seen in North America have been delayed a season and are shown out of order on this list.
Season 1
- 1. Soaked (October 1, 2009) - The Holmes Crew arrive at a townhouse with a mysterious leak in the bathroom, caused by a hole in the bathtub itself. A further glance at the home reveals a dangerous lack of insulation and a basement window drywalled from the inside that is dangerously close to a gas meter.
- 2. Frigid Floor (October 8, 2009) - The Holmes Crew arrive at a house with a kitchen addition with overloaded electrical circuits and a permeating odour.
- 3. Abated Breath (October 15, 2009) - The Holmes Crew arrive at a house, where something in the home is threatening the health of the homeowners and their young family.
- 4. Exhausting the Issue (October 22, 2009) - The Holmes Crew arrive at a house that had been "flipped" (renovated by a previous homeowner for the purpose of selling it at a higher price), but finds that the featured stone fireplace, among other things, is shoddily done.
- 5. Go with the Flow (October 29, 2009) - The Holmes Crew arrive at a house with two fireplaces, which are hiding a major problem the home inspectors had overlooked.
- 6. Holding It In (November 5, 2009) - The Holmes Crew arrive at a house on the request of a homeowner who had found mould growing on their children's toys. A further look into their storage closet reveals that it was a room that should have never been closed in.
- 7. Troubled Waters (November 12, 2009) - The Holmes Crew visit a house, whose home inspector had missed several glaring problems, and attempts to fix them only made things worse.
- 8. Full of Surprises (November 19, 2009) - The Holmes Crew visit a house that was rated "eight out of ten" by a home inspector, but freezing pipes and backed up drains are hiding an "eight out of ten" potential for disaster.
- 9. No More Down and Out (November 26, 2009) - The Holmes Crew arrive at a house which had seemed okay... until a satellite dish installer discovers that the roof was rotten and the dish could not be installed.
- 10. Heated Issue (December 3, 2009) - The Holmes Crew arrive at a house with an old rotting ductwork system that must be totally redone.
- 11. A Hole Lot of History - Part 1 (December 10, 2009) - The Holmes Crew arrive at an old historical house, where major issues were popping up despite the home inspector's claims that there were none. Most problems were attributed to a hole in the foundation which had been concealed. This episode was previously titled Historical Hell.
- 12. A Hole Lot of History - Part 2 (December 17, 2009)
- 13. Watch Your Step (January 7, 2010) - The Holmes Crew find themselves at a suburban home which has more house than furniture, due to the problems that have popped up.
- 14. A Century Ago (April 15, 2010) - The Holmes Crew arrive at the request of the homeowners, whose home inspection report stated that only minor do-it-yourself repairs were needed. When the homeowners proceeded to do these fixes, however, it becomes clear that these issues were greatly understated.
- 15. A Stitch in Time (April 22, 2010) - The Holmes Crew arrive at a house where the home inspector missed signs of obvious neglect that could lead directly to much bigger issues.
- 16. No Breathing Room (April 29, 2010) - The Holmes Crew fix a house that was hastily inspected, and find that the house has electrical issues that make it unsafe for the homeowners' children, as well as a roofing problem that causes mould to appear in every wall of the house. This episode was previously titled Wonky Wiring. The episode is dedicated to Robert Graves, one of the roofers whose company regularly appeared on Mike Holmes' series since the beginning of Holmes on Homes, and became the exclusive roofers for the series since the third season therein. Graves had been killed in an auto accident on Ontario Highway 11 north of Barrie, OntarioBarrie, OntarioBarrie is a city in Southern Ontario, Canada, located on the western shore of Lake Simcoe, approximately 90 km north of Toronto. Although located in Simcoe County, the city is politically independent...
on September 18, 2009, and this episode was his last appearance on the series prior to his death. - 17. New Beginnings (May 6, 2010) - The Holmes Crew help a policewoman on disability who downsized to a townhouse that she could afford for herself and her daughter.
- 18. Sump-Thing New (May 13, 2010) - The Holmes Crew help a couple (victims of a previous bad home inspection) who decided to upgrade to a new house, confident that it would have fewer problems. Once again, the home inspector reported only minor issues, but missed other bigger problems.
- 19. Acres of Pain (May 20, 2010) - The Holmes Crew arrive at a dream house built on three acres that has much more serious safety issues than what was mentioned in the home inspection report.
- 20. Back to the Drawing Board (May 27, 2010) - The Holmes Crew arrive at a house that was negotiated down in price based on the issues raised in the home inspection report. The homeowners put in thousands of dollars and hours into repairs, but they're now discovering things the home inspector missed. This episode was also the last episode of four (two on Holmes on Homes and two in this series) that featured deck builder Paul Lafrance before he began to star in his own HGTV series, Decked OutDecked OutDecked Out is a Canadian home renovation television series, which airs on HGTV Canada. Hosted by Paul Lafrance, a contractor who owns Cutting Edge Construction and Design in Pickering, Ontario, each episode depicts Lafrance and his team designing and building a unique and dramatic deck for a...
. - 21. Terminated (June 3, 2010) - The Holmes Crew help a family with asbestos wrapped ducts which the home inspector saw, but said that the house was beautifully renovated so there was no need to disturb them. However, the house hides a serious termite infestation that threatens to compromise the home's integrity.
- 22. A Load of Trouble - Part 1 (June 10, 2010) - The Holmes Crew arrive at a house where issues with sloped floors and sticking doors on the second floor are far more serious than reported. After a further series of inspections revealing that portions of the house were caving in or were in danger of doing so, the Holmes crew are forced to gut the house and rebuild it from the ground up. This episode was previously titled Beam Me Up.
- 23. A Load of Trouble - Part 2 (June 17, 2010)
- 24. Headroom Headache (June 24, 2010) - The Holmes Crew arrive at a home that has problems in the backyard. The home inspector pointed out a few things that needed doing, but downplayed the homeowners' concerns. This episode was previously titled Morale Support.
- 25. Plumb Unlucky (July 1, 2010) - The Holmes Crew help a woman who decided to skip the home inspection. Now she has toilets that don't flush, a shower that takes days to drain, some odd wiring and no heat in the kitchen.
- 26. Heads Up Heating (July 8, 2010) - The Holmes Crew arrive at a home where the family room and two bedrooms are freezing, and the kitchen windows are leaking water. This episode was previously titled Cold Feet.
Season 2
- 1. Little House, Big Trouble (January 6, 2011)
- 2. Backyard Blues (January 13, 2011)
- 3. Cold Welcome (January 20, 2011)
- 4. Failing Grade (January 27, 2011)
- 5. Ducts in a Row (February 3, 2011)
- 6. Pane-full Truth (February 10, 2011)
- 7. Down the Drain (February 17, 2011)
- 8. Pump Up the Heat (February 24, 2011)
- 9. Cold Front (March 3, 2011)
- 10. Rail Against the Deck (March 10, 2011)
- 11. Path of Destruction (March 17, 2011)
- 12. Something Stinks (March 24, 2011)
- 13. Cozying It Up (March 31, 2011)
- 14. Looks Are Deceiving - Part 1 (September 1, 2011)
- 15. Looks Are Deceiving - Part 2 (September 1, 2011)
- 16. Getting Hosed (September 8, 2011)
- 17. Moisture Madness (September 15, 2011)
- 18. Through The Roof (September 22, 2011)
- 19. Stacked Against Us (September 29, 2011)
- 20. Attic Dealbreaker (October 6, 2011)
- 21. Bigger Not Better (October 13, 2011)
- 22. Trouble Overhead (October 20, 2011)
- 23. Minor Finds, Major Fixes (October 27, 2011)
- 24. Bigger Bungle (November 3, 2011)
- 25. Below Grade (November 10, 2011)
- 26. Steamed (November 17, 2011)