That mess reminds me of an episode of the three stooges when they built a house! Karma to that guy and thanks to Mike and his crew for saving another homeowner 👍🏻
I think the mistake people make is thinking a contractor who builds homes is the same thing as a technician who repairs appliances. I repair commercial cooking appliances, but I also work with 26 other technicians. So, there's a chance that you might wait and there's a chance you might get service same day, the difference is I'm either installing service parts from my van or ordering/quoting repairs. A contractor should have his hands full with whatever jobs they're working, and I think that's where people miss it
My contractor friend never puts ads in publications and is only listed in the white pages of the phone book. All his work comes from word of mouth and he's always busy. I will only use him and I'm willing to wait for him to be available, always worth it. Those people were lucky to have you come and save them and their house.
Same here, we met in grade school and we are 48 and 50 currently. We are a small town and all lumber places are 30+ mins away. He is always booked almost a year in advance. But, has a moment to swing by when I said, my toilet leaked on the 2nd floor and he knew I could remove everything to the floor but I said if my joist is damaged, I don’t have the time to deal with stopping to drive and I hate spending money, just in case, only to return it (another drive) I started it, he said give me a call, swung back by and said structure is good and I have scrap sub floor for that little section. Project done. Now to redo that whole bathroom, he asked, “time frame” can my guys do it or do you want me?” Response, I know when I see what the previous owner did, we are gonna find some interesting stuff, so I will wait for you personally. So between my indecisiveness & procrastination and his busy schedule, we mesh well. 😂😂
Im a certified electrician and when I see crap like this it really pisses me off. Guys like this put people's lives in danger of the house burning down
Wow! Mike is PO'd. Not a bad dream, a nightmare!!! I would love that bathroom. I watch the Perkins Builder Brothers build houses. Between Mike, Erik & Jamie, I have learned so much. Be kind to each other. Stay safe. Love to all
I haven't touched a saw since high school woodshop... if this series taught me anything it's that I could probably be a better contractor than half these people Holmes cleans up after.
@@Jeffrey-s9n My favorite problem that turns up a lot in this series is air vents. They just have a vent go into a wall and stop... as if exhaust doesn't have to have a place to go.
Several years ago I was remodeling a basement for one of my scuba diving buddies. His X who he got along with (kids involved living with him) want some remodeling done to finish a new house that she and her new husband bought (not totally finished). Stairway oak railing, kitchen cabinets hung, etc. They got 3 bids (not very far apart) and I was in the middle but not available for 3 weeks when I could fit them in. Well they were in a hurry and wanted the cheap bid. They got the cheap guy pronto. Turns out the cheap bid contractor had to stop by the jail to get his two workers out in the morning for work release. Shortly before I finished my buddies basement she called and wanted us to look at her project and was wondering what could be done to fix it. They weren't happy. What a shit show. Finish carpentry on the same level as this video. Crown moulding on cabinets was kind of close and a lot of caulking. Cap boards were not even bisected on the angle. One square and the other cut at the full slope sticking up above the other. No skirt boards on the stairway. Instead they took the scrap 1/4 inch left over from the kitchen island backing and cut triangles for the skirt boards. Capped off with a piece of chair rail and some more caulking. Some of the triangles ran horizontal and some ran vertical. Nothing was sanded, no router work, no angle cuts to match the wall. Just wack it off square, flop it down and call it good. I repeat what a shit show. And he was a licensed contractor. We finally got rid of him and the city building department had nothing good to say but was happy to see him gone. My reply to the home owner was: I can fix it by tearing everything out and starting over. They didn't want to do that. I then informed them that they got exactly what they wanted and paid for. My next words were: LIVE WITH IT. Down here in Minnesota we have a recovery fund that we pay into with part of our contractor license every renewal. About $530.00 for a 2 year license and 14 hours of continued education each renewal period. The recovery fund is like insurance that helps home owners that have code violation, not completed, structural defects, etc. from bad contractors. Sad thing there is nothing that covers sloppy, piss poor workmanship.
Not the most knowledgeable when it comes to things you mentioned. But knowledgeable to know what I can do right and when to call someone else to do the home repair. Currently renting a place and one of the toilets leaked where the tanks meets the lower half and the tank would over flow. So call the owner who sent his " repairman" to fix the issues. Repairman leaves and we still had the same issues needless to say. The repairman's idea of fixing the leak as I found out was to apply silicone layer after layer where the tank meets the lower half. As for the tank overflowing, his fix was to leave the tank lid off. Took me about an hour and the proper parts to fix it correctly and over 30 minutes of that was scraping all the silicone off. Yep, any time a leak was reported, his answer was to just apply another layer of silicone.
@@samuelschick8813 leaking between bowl and tank... even me as a IT know you need to repair the seal, not just apply silicone (would be cheaper too in the long run... as Mike says "Do it right the first time"). overflowing, usually is just adjust the float or replace the fill valve assembly (done that several times)
@@wolphin732, The overflowing issue. Some how/reason he installed the incorrect fill assembly that was too big for the tank. The float would rest against the lid so the water would keep running. The scary part is he did some electrical work and it's in the floor between the 1st and 2nd floor. We plan on moving soon as get the cash and find a new place or build.
I miss Mikes show. He shook the world of contracting up. When i as telecom contractor had guys make mistakes. Listen to Mike first thing i told customer puck your own guy i wont pay if he doesn't pull a permit. Oh and my contractor was on site checking progress. Also made sure the customer's home insurance knew everything and we had pics to back up the work with hand written notes. Mike taught it right.
Beautiful rework. Every one of these episodes makes me sad to live in my current house which is kind of a s%^&hole. 70 years old and it is just a mess from all of the past repairs by sloppy workers. I had a hot water tank replaced not too long ago (3 years), and they made an incredible mess in my crawl space and left the old HWHeater lying there for me (a 60+ year old woman) to deal with. They also tore down all of the under-floor insulation and left it there. I paid a good price and this is what they deliver.
Mike, I know you're in Canada but I really need help. I live in Ohio. Bought a house 2 years ago. It's an older house but since I moved in I've had multiple issues. Small septic tank that over fills with drainage water, flooded yard that smells like sewage, bedroom floor collapsed because the floor joists had rusted nails and no joist hangers. Floors are all wavy, toilet stack is cracked, no insulation in walls or ceiling, no ground wire on electrical plugs, old windows that leak water when it rains, shallow crawl space, no furnace only wall mount propane heaters. In the garage all the sill plates and studs are rotted out, garage is leaning, concrete is cracked and crumbly, old style ceramic fuses in garage, no ground plugs, ceiling is sagging, garage door has 2" cracks on both sides, too low to get my van into. I know I should have gotten an inspection but that was a condition of the cash only sale. I did take my dad and an Amish contractor to look at the place but they both agreed that it was a good investment. I bought what I could afford and now I'm living in a house that's crumbling. There has to be something you can do to help me. I'm not married, 54 yrs old and disabled. no kids except my 2 GSDs. They love the fenced in half acre but the yard is so muddy right now that when they come inside they are caked with mud. The mud creates dust and I breathe it in. Since it smells like sewage I don't know what I'm breathing in. I have to wear a CPAP at night and I have to change the filter once every 2-3 days. Please Mike, I need help and don't know where to turn. Some have suggested tearing the house down and starting over but I don't have any money to do that.
I am no contractor, but for the love of Pete, I know what a level is! I also know what "straight/true" means. When that contractor get's what's coming to him I hope he remembers the family whose trust he abused and money he stole WHILE THEY WERE GRIEVING.
I live in Southeast Indiana, in in a HUD subsidized property. Three-story apartment building. 60 units. A few years ago they remodeled this thing. It was built in 1970s, but they remodeled it a few years ago... and the only thing you can say about the work that was done, is cheap. The only licensed subcontractor they had was a plumber... and he quit because they weren't paying him. I saw no building permits anywhere. Everything that was done was done worse than haphazard. I have argued with these people for years trying to get them to understand... if you want to work on your own house, with subpar contractors. Subpar materials that's on you. If you don't respect and care about your family, shame on you, but this is a commercial building with 60 units. The tenants put their lives in the hands of people who did this... and they did worse than drop the ball. It's pathetic!
@@sherilynl4038Doubtful! They probably don’t have any money. However, they could be charged with theft for taking all the husband’s tools. They could go to jail for theft.
Me as just a computer tech... I know more than that "professional" who seemed more of a scam artist. I could have done a better job. Electrical... I know how to check the laws to make sure I am not exceeding it. Someone able to start the next day... is a red flag usually, but it could also be you scored a window between 2 large projects or scored a cancellation.
A good contractor would want permits, the inspector has seen a lot of stuff, they know what to look for. Even the best guy can have an off day, and you want that to be discovered before you pay off the trade.
WHY DO SO MANY PEOPLE GET TAKEN IF THERE IS ONLY 1 MIKE THEN WHO RESCUE ALL THE OTHER HU DREDS PEOPLE AND WHY DO PEOPLE PAY OUT MONEY THEY SHOULD PAY ONLY FOR MATERIALS NO LABOUR TILL THEY SEE THINGS BEING DONE RIGHT ON ANOTHER EPISODE MIKE MENTIONED ABOUT HIRING A PERSON TO WATCH OVER THE JOB AND MAKING SURE THINGS ARE DONE RIGHT AND DONT LET THE PERSON SUPER INFLATE THE JOB COST THIS HAPPENS WAY TO OFTEN
Hi I love watching this show. But personally I blame the Canadian government the rules are just too lax here. People do things because they know most people won't bother taking them to small claims court. So they rob without impunity. The fines are just too small and there's no jail time. . Protect the common people. Too many cobblers is out there claiming to do all kinds of job.
The permits are there to protect you, and make sure your contractor does the job properly, aannnndddd to cost you more money.. if they weren't, they'd be free, and you wouldn't have to ask permission to do what you want with your own house.. just saying.. two sides to each coin
Moving or removing support pipes ?? A disaster waiting to happen ! Hell even I know you can’t hide electrical boxes & I’m not even in the trade. I’m wondering if this jerk even had a trade license !!
That mess reminds me of an episode of the three stooges when they built a house! Karma to that guy and thanks to Mike and his crew for saving another homeowner 👍🏻
I lose work to guys who can "start the next day". I try to warn people but they don't listen. If they're not busy, something is wrong
My brother and cousin work for a remodeling contractor and everytime they finish a job they call a independent home inspector to evaluate the job
I think the mistake people make is thinking a contractor who builds homes is the same thing as a technician who repairs appliances. I repair commercial cooking appliances, but I also work with 26 other technicians. So, there's a chance that you might wait and there's a chance you might get service same day, the difference is I'm either installing service parts from my van or ordering/quoting repairs. A contractor should have his hands full with whatever jobs they're working, and I think that's where people miss it
IKR? "I can start tomorrow" screams "I'm not going to plan anything out or pull any permits" to me.
@@Joseph-ny5rr i said that
A builder who can "Start the next day" is not busy. There's often a reason they aren't busy, and too often it's a bad reason.
I have lived in some dodgy places, but never have I seen such atrocious workmanship! Well done, for making it right!
My contractor friend never puts ads in publications and is only listed in the white pages of the phone book. All his work comes from word of mouth and he's always busy. I will only use him and I'm willing to wait for him to be available, always worth it. Those people were lucky to have you come and save them and their house.
I’m the same way. Have never advertised, been in business for 17 years now.
Same here, we met in grade school and we are 48 and 50 currently. We are a small town and all lumber places are 30+ mins away. He is always booked almost a year in advance. But, has a moment to swing by when I said, my toilet leaked on the 2nd floor and he knew I could remove everything to the floor but I said if my joist is damaged, I don’t have the time to deal with stopping to drive and I hate spending money, just in case, only to return it (another drive) I started it, he said give me a call, swung back by and said structure is good and I have scrap sub floor for that little section. Project done. Now to redo that whole bathroom, he asked, “time frame” can my guys do it or do you want me?” Response, I know when I see what the previous owner did, we are gonna find some interesting stuff, so I will wait for you personally. So between my indecisiveness & procrastination and his busy schedule, we mesh well. 😂😂
Im a certified electrician and when I see crap like this it really pisses me off. Guys like this put people's lives in danger of the house burning down
Wow! Mike is PO'd. Not a bad dream, a nightmare!!! I would love that bathroom. I watch the Perkins Builder Brothers build houses. Between Mike, Erik & Jamie, I have learned so much. Be kind to each other. Stay safe. Love to all
I haven't touched a saw since high school woodshop... if this series taught me anything it's that I could probably be a better contractor than half these people Holmes cleans up after.
@@Jeffrey-s9n My favorite problem that turns up a lot in this series is air vents. They just have a vent go into a wall and stop... as if exhaust doesn't have to have a place to go.
Several years ago I was remodeling a basement for one of my scuba diving buddies. His X who he got along with (kids involved living with him) want some remodeling done to finish a new house that she and her new husband bought (not totally finished). Stairway oak railing, kitchen cabinets hung, etc. They got 3 bids (not very far apart) and I was in the middle but not available for 3 weeks when I could fit them in. Well they were in a hurry and wanted the cheap bid. They got the cheap guy pronto. Turns out the cheap bid contractor had to stop by the jail to get his two workers out in the morning for work release. Shortly before I finished my buddies basement she called and wanted us to look at her project and was wondering what could be done to fix it. They weren't happy. What a shit show. Finish carpentry on the same level as this video. Crown moulding on cabinets was kind of close and a lot of caulking. Cap boards were not even bisected on the angle. One square and the other cut at the full slope sticking up above the other. No skirt boards on the stairway. Instead they took the scrap 1/4 inch left over from the kitchen island backing and cut triangles for the skirt boards. Capped off with a piece of chair rail and some more caulking. Some of the triangles ran horizontal and some ran vertical. Nothing was sanded, no router work, no angle cuts to match the wall. Just wack it off square, flop it down and call it good. I repeat what a shit show. And he was a licensed contractor. We finally got rid of him and the city building department had nothing good to say but was happy to see him gone. My reply to the home owner was: I can fix it by tearing everything out and starting over. They didn't want to do that. I then informed them that they got exactly what they wanted and paid for. My next words were: LIVE WITH IT. Down here in Minnesota we have a recovery fund that we pay into with part of our contractor license every renewal. About $530.00 for a 2 year license and 14 hours of continued education each renewal period. The recovery fund is like insurance that helps home owners that have code violation, not completed, structural defects, etc. from bad contractors. Sad thing there is nothing that covers sloppy, piss poor workmanship.
Not the most knowledgeable when it comes to things you mentioned. But knowledgeable to know what I can do right and when to call someone else to do the home repair. Currently renting a place and one of the toilets leaked where the tanks meets the lower half and the tank would over flow. So call the owner who sent his " repairman" to fix the issues. Repairman leaves and we still had the same issues needless to say.
The repairman's idea of fixing the leak as I found out was to apply silicone layer after layer where the tank meets the lower half. As for the tank overflowing, his fix was to leave the tank lid off. Took me about an hour and the proper parts to fix it correctly and over 30 minutes of that was scraping all the silicone off. Yep, any time a leak was reported, his answer was to just apply another layer of silicone.
They did ever end up doing it all over? There's no way that I'd live with a shitty remodel and having to look at it every day.
@@samuelschick8813 leaking between bowl and tank... even me as a IT know you need to repair the seal, not just apply silicone (would be cheaper too in the long run... as Mike says "Do it right the first time"). overflowing, usually is just adjust the float or replace the fill valve assembly (done that several times)
@@wolphin732, The overflowing issue. Some how/reason he installed the incorrect fill assembly that was too big for the tank. The float would rest against the lid so the water would keep running. The scary part is he did some electrical work and it's in the floor between the 1st and 2nd floor.
We plan on moving soon as get the cash and find a new place or build.
I fell asleep reading this.
Another great Mike Holmes doing It right.
I miss Mikes show. He shook the world of contracting up. When i as telecom contractor had guys make mistakes. Listen to Mike first thing i told customer puck your own guy i wont pay if he doesn't pull a permit. Oh and my contractor was on site checking progress. Also made sure the customer's home insurance knew everything and we had pics to back up the work with hand written notes. Mike taught it right.
Some work had to be done on the house. The contractor had a six month waiting list. He was worth it.
nice episode. Always enjoyed this program.
Beautiful rework. Every one of these episodes makes me sad to live in my current house which is kind of a s%^&hole. 70 years old and it is just a mess from all of the past repairs by sloppy workers. I had a hot water tank replaced not too long ago (3 years), and they made an incredible mess in my crawl space and left the old HWHeater lying there for me (a 60+ year old woman) to deal with. They also tore down all of the under-floor insulation and left it there. I paid a good price and this is what they deliver.
Mike, I know you're in Canada but I really need help. I live in Ohio. Bought a house 2 years ago. It's an older house but since I moved in I've had multiple issues. Small septic tank that over fills with drainage water, flooded yard that smells like sewage, bedroom floor collapsed because the floor joists had rusted nails and no joist hangers. Floors are all wavy, toilet stack is cracked, no insulation in walls or ceiling, no ground wire on electrical plugs, old windows that leak water when it rains, shallow crawl space, no furnace only wall mount propane heaters. In the garage all the sill plates and studs are rotted out, garage is leaning, concrete is cracked and crumbly, old style ceramic fuses in garage, no ground plugs, ceiling is sagging, garage door has 2" cracks on both sides, too low to get my van into.
I know I should have gotten an inspection but that was a condition of the cash only sale. I did take my dad and an Amish contractor to look at the place but they both agreed that it was a good investment. I bought what I could afford and now I'm living in a house that's crumbling. There has to be something you can do to help me. I'm not married, 54 yrs old and disabled. no kids except my 2 GSDs. They love the fenced in half acre but the yard is so muddy right now that when they come inside they are caked with mud. The mud creates dust and I breathe it in. Since it smells like sewage I don't know what I'm breathing in. I have to wear a CPAP at night and I have to change the filter once every 2-3 days. Please Mike, I need help and don't know where to turn. Some have suggested tearing the house down and starting over but I don't have any money to do that.
Sounds like some Home Depot guys worked on this house
why is the guy that did that job not in jail....damn...
That is so amazing what these people do to help others out. But Purple and Orange saltillo tile in the bathroom! Barf.
I am no contractor, but for the love of Pete, I know what a level is! I also know what "straight/true" means. When that contractor get's what's coming to him I hope he remembers the family whose trust he abused and money he stole WHILE THEY WERE GRIEVING.
Mike has a builder working for him that knows more than Mike.
Another great job.
We had an electrician that took us for 1600.00 and only put up 2 ceiling fans
I learn’t if you ever get a tradesman, always check their background & see what other customers say about them in the reviews on different websites.
Another good video thank you!
I live in Southeast Indiana, in in a HUD subsidized property. Three-story apartment building. 60 units. A few years ago they remodeled this thing. It was built in 1970s, but they remodeled it a few years ago... and the only thing you can say about the work that was done, is cheap. The only licensed subcontractor they had was a plumber... and he quit because they weren't paying him. I saw no building permits anywhere. Everything that was done was done worse than haphazard. I have argued with these people for years trying to get them to understand... if you want to work on your own house, with subpar contractors. Subpar materials that's on you. If you don't respect and care about your family, shame on you, but this is a commercial building with 60 units. The tenants put their lives in the hands of people who did this... and they did worse than drop the ball. It's pathetic!
people like that need to be tracked down make sure that person could never do this again
If homeowners would do their homework these terrible contractors would not be END OF LINE
Please tell us these scammers are prosecuted....😡
RIGHT!?? this person could easily be sued to get their money back.
@@sherilynl4038Doubtful! They probably don’t have any money. However, they could be charged with theft for taking all the husband’s tools. They could go to jail for theft.
Why are you guys in Canada still using copper plumbing instead of Pex?
should have shamed the contractor and shared the company name or person
You cant say they arent pros if there able to start asap next day he wasnt a pro because he messed up the bathroom badly
Me as just a computer tech... I know more than that "professional" who seemed more of a scam artist. I could have done a better job. Electrical... I know how to check the laws to make sure I am not exceeding it.
Someone able to start the next day... is a red flag usually, but it could also be you scored a window between 2 large projects or scored a cancellation.
A good contractor would want permits, the inspector has seen a lot of stuff, they know what to look for. Even the best guy can have an off day, and you want that to be discovered before you pay off the trade.
This should have been an hour episode.
Agreed. Not sure why it's not the FULL episode
It’s most often the case people do anything these days
I wish Mike would go after this guy 7:38
Well it's been 20 years so whoever did it is probably long gone by now. Very few of them get caught and prosecuted.
ohthis wasnt recent?
@@randomrazr Nope, these are old shows.
@@randomrazr At the end of the credits, it shows 2004.
@@electronixTech 2004? holy shit
I can’t understand this level of depravity. He needs to be in prison.
isnt that asbestos insulation on some of the piping? at 13:26
Doubt it, but if it is, as long as it's not disturbed, it is fine. It's when it's disturbed you need to worry about it.
The guy who screwed up the bathroom also screwed up the whole house
WHY DO SO MANY PEOPLE GET TAKEN
IF THERE IS ONLY 1 MIKE
THEN WHO RESCUE ALL THE OTHER HU DREDS PEOPLE
AND WHY DO PEOPLE PAY OUT MONEY
THEY SHOULD PAY ONLY FOR MATERIALS
NO LABOUR TILL THEY SEE THINGS BEING DONE RIGHT
ON ANOTHER EPISODE MIKE MENTIONED ABOUT HIRING A PERSON TO WATCH OVER THE JOB AND MAKING SURE THINGS ARE DONE RIGHT
AND DONT LET THE PERSON SUPER INFLATE THE JOB COST
THIS HAPPENS WAY TO OFTEN
Can't you publicly shame contractors and or inspectors who totally trash a persons home?
dang im a lazy DIYer and do better work than that contractor,
Someone's young kid with toy tools could do better work than that contractor.
What ever happened to Mikes original helper Shawn Morren?
IF THEY WOULD HAVE ASKED FOR REFERENCES, THIS COULD HAVE BEEN ADVERTED.
Hi I love watching this show. But personally I blame the Canadian government the rules are just too lax here. People do things because they know most people won't bother taking them to small claims court. So they rob without impunity. The fines are just too small and there's no jail time. . Protect the common people. Too many cobblers is out there claiming to do all kinds of job.
@13:45 I thought it needs to cure for >= 30 days for full strength ?
Depends on the concrete mixture and the size of the slab. Some require that long, others are shorter.
full strength, yes. able to have a compression load if designed correctly, only a few days.
WHY DON'T YOU SUE THE CONTRACTOR.
This is what happens when homeowners make hiring decision based on cost. With cheap, you get cheap.
Honestly, name and shame the contractor!
No way would I live arm length from my neighbors house.
this is why u should pay after completion
Should have hired a lawyer.
The permits are there to protect you, and make sure your contractor does the job properly, aannnndddd to cost you more money.. if they weren't, they'd be free, and you wouldn't have to ask permission to do what you want with your own house.. just saying.. two sides to each coin
I’m a Jack of all jobs but I would not do a job I could not do to code
Hi Mike!
this was worse than a film set
I miss Sean and Benji I really wish it was Sean that took over instead of that muppet Damien
❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
Moving or removing support pipes ?? A disaster waiting to happen ! Hell even I know you can’t hide electrical boxes & I’m not even in the trade. I’m wondering if this jerk even had a trade license !!