Mike Holmes from the Holmes on Homes TV show, is currently rebuilding my house. I know it sounds incredible, but you'll be seeing the battle-zone on TV in the Spring of 2008. There are trucks all down the street, a marquee tent for the catering staff and camera crews filming tradespeople doing top-quality work. It's a mega-project, likely costing more than my house is worth.

Because Mike Holmes really is the Saint he appears to be on TV, he decided to build me a new media room. On camera, he asked my preferences, and like a deer in the headlights I said, "uh, well, uh, maybe you could move the fireplace...?" You get the picture. He wasn't asking my advice about home construction, he wanted Home Theater technology preferences. Duh...

I've been rehearsing better replies, in case he asks again. If anyone can help me sound a bit less stupid.... I'm thinking about integration with the existing (old) HTPC/LAN, the pending obsolescence of non-Net video sources, best consumer-grade AV equipment and a decent plasma for IPTV, LED room lighting, a universal remote the wife could cope with and 7.1 surround if the lack of a rear wall makes surround even feasible (media room adjoins open-plan kitchen).

Thanks in advance, I know there is no place to get better advice.

Mike Holmes from the Holmes on Homes TV show, is currently rebuilding my house. I know it sounds incredible, but you'll be seeing the battle-zone on TV in the Spring of 2008. There are trucks all down the street, a marquee tent for the catering staff and camera crews filming tradespeople doing top-quality work. It's a mega-project, likely costing more than my house is worth.

Because Mike Holmes really is the Saint he appears to be on TV, he decided to build me a new media room. On camera, he asked my preferences, and like a deer in the headlights I said, "uh, well, uh, maybe you could move the fireplace...?" You get the picture. He wasn't asking my advice about home construction, he wanted Home Theater technology preferences. Duh...

I've been rehearsing better replies, in case he asks again. If anyone can help me sound a bit less stupid.... I'm thinking about integration with the existing (old) HTPC/LAN, the pending obsolescence of non-Net video sources, best consumer-grade AV equipment and a decent plasma for IPTV, LED room lighting, a universal remote the wife could cope with and 7.1 surround if the lack of a rear wall makes surround even feasible (media room adjoins open-plan kitchen).

Thanks in advance, I know there is no place to get better advice.

Have him use a HT designer/builder to make the room plans for you.

we (the g/f and I) watch Holmes on Homes pretty much every day, I'm guessing hes just in Canada though. I will be looking forward to seeing how your place turns out. I just bought a new home (will be finished in April 08) and have a basement to work with.

Good luck, with the build, and repairs. (Sorry it came down to Mike coming in though)

Lucky man,

I'd ask for a 3 chip DLP 1080P projector as the center piece ;) Get that and your laughing all the way to the bank even if they don't do anything else (but they will be a lot else anyways).

The room itself your going to want a good dimensional room and excellent sound proofing. Since this isn't your money ask for the moon and stars - in your place I'd show them Art's theater and say "build this ... pretty please" :D

looking forward to seeing how it turns out. Keep us updated.

Cheers
Calvin

Since Dennis Erskine is based in Atlanta you should get him involved for an on screen consult.

http://www.designcinema.com/

Have Holmes get him involved. His show is all about getting skilled people involved and building a good sounding media room is a SKILL.

Calv1n, soundproofing is already in the plan, thanks. Do you think a 3 chip DLP 1080P is better than a plasma TV/monitor? I'll check it out, although there are lots of windows...?

Realred2, Mike's show reaches hundreds of millions of people around the world, he's not just Canadian. He was in LA a few weeks ago. He wants to "make it right" for everyone. Submit your story to his website, maybe he'll call you.

Also, check out his list of approved contractors. That way you can be feel safe paying for work in advance. Otherwise, builders and contractors can treat their homeowners like toilet paper--such mistreatment empowers them to charge more while they under-deliver.

Mntmst, the home is in Ontario, Canada. If a local HT designer/builder were to contact Mike Holmes, I'm sure he'd be fascinated, but it may be too late to get involved in my home. These guys work like a whirlwind, when the camera isn't underneath them, and the quality of the stuff that gets hidden behind the drywall... Tradespeople seem to come in two flavors: (a) rich, corrupt and lazy, or (b) hard-working, under-paid heroes who care.

My opinion: our governments are afraid to properly regulate the powerful building industry. Builder insurance providers buy(!) lawyers and engineers to defeat homeowner claims, creating more and more court precedents that strip homeowners of adequate protection. Here in Canada we have a compulsory insurance program, a builder-owned/controlled monopoly. It is self-regulating and it forces homeowners to use its own quasi-judicial court system where maybe you will be rewarded with a small percentage of the costs it can so easily cause you, if you dare to fight them. The funds Tarion extorts from homeowners are also used to fund government election campaigns!

If I sound like an advert for Mike Holmes... good! Who else is showing this corruption to the world, (albeit too delicately in my opinion)?

Holmes on Homes doesn't give you everything for free. They offer their time for the show, but you have to pay alot of the expenses.

I love that show!!!!

Bill

I don't have anything For Mike to do, as I haven't even moved into the new townhouse yet (it's only got a frame up right now) and I believe unless I become rich over night, the only Contractor I will be using will be my Dad, with me doing the work. And thats a few years off still.

Hey Olde,

You have any pictures to share with us ?, I'm sure you have sneaked a few since he's been there, that would be awesome to see ! :D

Holmes on Homes is one of my favorite shows. One of my biggest pet peeves is having to undo someone else's shoddy work. It just makes any job harder if you have to undo something that was wrong first, in order to fix something. I would love to see some pics of progress or behind the scenes stuff.

It's also one of my favorite shows as well. olde, you cannot post here enough to give us your personal thoughts on Mike and how he is off the air.

Ha, my wife likes Holmes on Homes, or as I call him "your boyfriend". :)

I am not happy with a floor I installed (myself) in my kitchen. I always joke someday after I sell the house, I will turn on the TV to see Mike tearing it up...

Can't wait to see the episode!

just let me try

Also, check out his list of approved contractors. That way you can be feel safe paying for work in advance.

I'm not sure it is ever "safe" to pay for work in advance. Just like anyone, a contractor's circumstances can change...

Some down payment, and then agreed milestone payments, sure.

Too many horror stories here in FL and the deck is stacked against the homeowner.

Olde, Congrats on the Holmes upgrade. That is one of my favorite showes,and he does everything right!!! Tell us how he came to fix your house, and when the episode will air.

how's this goin?? it's been a while since any update....

yeah, how's it going... still not a single posted.... bah humbug LOL

Still no updates to this thing?? Don't tell me we have to wait for the show to air! :P

Bring On The Updates!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

hope it's going well, waiting for an update

gotta love the refreshments reference

I suspect a gag order or otherwise known as a confidentiality agreement has put a silencer on any release of information until after the segment airs. Even then there may be limitations on what the home owner can publish.

Not to mention that on his more current and bigger projects, he makes the homewoners leave while everything is being done, so the OP may not have even seen it yet.

Tom

I love this show! I try to watch it everyday on Discovery Home.

Yikes, what a story I have to tell. For 4-weeks, there were at least 40 trades-people going through the house, plus camera crews, a marquee tent in the driveway offering 3-course meals to the workers, trucks lined up down the street... They even fed the town's sanitary engineers (if that's what those guys are called these days, the ones who empty our garbage bins). They got stuck trying to get the garbage truck to our house.

Yes, the man has a loyal following of the best tradespeople available, and they can do amazing work very rapidly. Of course, nothing is ever as perfect as TV makes it seem, but out of respect for that wonderful crew, I'll leave it at that. I'm trying to feel nothing but gratitude, any nit-picking about imperfections just leaves me feeling guilty. Nobody, in reality, can live up to a Hollywood-manufactured reputation for making things absolutely perfect, can they?

Anyway, the show airs in April 2008, I am told. They had to destroy almost every wall and ceiling to fix the heating system. You'll recognize me, I'm the guy trying to put on a brave face at the end of the show, when I notice the ceilings had to be lowered almost 2-feet to accommodate new ducts.

However, the benefits were not felt until after the show, when we got to move back in again. Yep, moving in was another 4-week exercise, by the way. Not sure how they managed to move us out in only a day. The house is now warm this winter, almost everywhere, and we no longer have to listen to not-hot air blowing out of golf-ball sized holes in the floor. The system is state of the art, three thermostats, for a townhouse, and almost silent. Like I said, Yikes.

Did I mention that Mike is a chick-magnet? Dang, you should have seen the women walking past the house. They seem to get hypnotized, as if God is landing in their laps. No doubt about it, he's got charisma, charm, and a suntan, but even so, he's a genuine hero even if he's not perfect.

When you get an exact date please remind us. I wouldn't want to miss the episode.

That sounds pretty cool! What does it take to have the crew show up and rebuild the house? What sort of cost is it to you?

Say you mentioned this will air in April, is there a date set yet?

Ok, it's April....got a date?

Ok, it's April....got a date?

Ok, it's almost June. Did I miss it?

Anyway, the show airs in April 2008, I am told. They had to destroy almost every wall and ceiling to fix the heating system. You'll recognize me, I'm the guy trying to put on a brave face at the end of the show, when I notice the ceilings had to be lowered almost 2-feet to accommodate new ducts.


I think it must have been the show "re-inventing" There are pics of what appears to be the lowering of a ceiling for additional duct work.

http://www.holmesonhomes.com/episodes.php#episode5


Also from comparing the Holmes web site to Discovery Home channel schedule it looks like we are still getting season 6, not season 7.

So it hasn't aired yet?

So it hasn't aired yet?
From what I can tell not in this country. If you live in Detroit you might be able to pick it up on a Windsor station.

But even if it aired from looking at the numerous pics of the episode posted on Holmes Site there is nothing in the episode on the topic of Media Rooms unless you like to look at paint.

It showed what I assumed was the media room in one of the later pics. Granted it was long distance pic.

i think those of us in the US are a little behind in the seasons. i have this recorded on my DVR. i think in just the last few days that i haven't watched i have about 10 new episodes to catch up on.... hmmmm watch Holmes on Holmes, dirty jobs, dangerous catch or work on the basement... hmmmm