Holmes on Homes

When Jeff and Lorrie discover that their newly built house has a crumbling concrete foundation with one third of the minimum strength required by code, he calls Mike Holmes to save their home. Mike and the HOH team build a new custom foundation within walls of the existing foundation and devise a plan to protect the weakened exterior from further damage.

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.

Kristine and Terry needed more living space for their expanding family. They decided to add a second story addition over the garage in order to add a bedroom and bathroom. When the contractor demanded full payment before the job was completed, the homeowners refused to pay. The contractor placed a Lien on their home stating that the renovation was 99 percent complete. Mike and the team finish the job and demonstrate just how incomplete the job really was.

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 wasn't 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 couldn't 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.

The team rebuilds an attic space after previous contractors removed vital structural support beams from the roof.

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.

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.

Kathleen, an elderly lady who lives alone in a high rise building needed to renovate her bathroom to make it handicap accessible. A degenerative illness had necessitated the use of a wheelchair. After a year of renovations and two different companies, Mike arrives to find that the bathroom is nothing but a concrete shell- the last contractor tore out all their work before leaving. Mike makes it right, and then transforms the rest of the apartment into a wheelchair friendly space.

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.

Living in a century home, Kjirsten and John had their bathroom remodeled with a custom slate tile shower, featuring built-in bench seating. Soon afterwards, they notice a strange substance leaching out of the tile grout and that the shower doesn’t drain properly. When the bathroom ceiling starts to peel away, they realize something is wrong below the surface. Mike confirms their beautiful looking, new slate shower, is only skin deep- and much more lurks beneath the surface.

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

Lisa and Simon were preparing to have their first baby and needed to build a nursery and a bathroom. They found a reputable contractor at a home show with impressive credentials and long list of references. A contract was drafted, a substantial down payment was paid, and the 6-week job would be starting almost immediately. Over the next four months, every excuse was given why they could not start the job. With the baby due in less than three months and the realization that they may not have a properly functioning full bathroom with a new born- Lisa and Simon fired their contractor- and called Mike Holmes. Time is ticking, with a baby on the way, and the bathroom and nursery that will need to be built again. Mike and the team race to beat the Stork!