ECO: EPIC change

Mike Holmes has gone green.

No, he doesn't have a new pair of overalls. The 44-year-old reno expert has taken up the environmental cause and is as enthusiastic about energy efficiency and saving the planet as he is about saving homeowners from bad renovations.

Next Saturday, April 19, Holmes will be dispensing eco-reno advice at EPIC, the Sustainable Living Expo, at the Vancouver Convention & Exhibition Centre.


EPIC stands for Ethical Progressive Intelligent Consumer and offers the masses a chance to check out almost 200 exhibits of "environmentally friendlier smart stylish products." The show opens Friday, April 18 and runs to Sunday, April 20.

Holmes will be delving into several topics, such as what green building actually means and how to figure out which products are truly green.

He could probably do a whole hour on green roofs alone.

"Is it just green because you can grow grass on it?" he asks over the long-distance line from his home near Toronto.

"Well, that's great, [but] the whole purpose of it is to keep [heat] in. It creates a thermal barrier. If you put in six inches of earth on top of a flat roof, it helps hold in the heat value 60 per cent better than six inches of rigid foam.

"That's pretty impressive, 'cause six inches of rigid foam is considered a thermal break, much like a cooler. If you were to add six inches of earth on top of [a roof], it will hold 60 per cent more in. Now we're talkin' environmental.

"We're using earth; that's not so bad. We didn't have to boil it or do anything to it, much like we do to concrete or steel.

"And is asphalt [the standard flat roof material] really a good product? Is it environmentally friendly? The answer is, No, it's not."

Then there's the problem of using toxic material indoors, such as certain types of outdoor caulking, paint and adhesives.

"There's lots [of stuff] that we bring into the insides of our houses that we should never use," he states.

"I think this really comes back to reading directions. Too many of us are proud and think we know what the hell we're doing.

"How many shower doors have I installed? I still read the directions, in case there's something different about this product. We have to do this.

"I've seen people use exterior foundation coating on the inside to supposedly solve a leak. And this was a contractor, by the way; it wasn't a homeowner. That is the last product you want on the inside of your house. Most foundation coatings are extremely toxic."

Uncovering mistakes like this, and fixing them, has made Holmes into something of a national folk hero. His popular HGTV show, Holmes on Homes, receives a staggering number of requests from the public to right the wrongs contractors have done.

"Last year 65,000 people were begging for my help, and I helped 13 families," he says. "It is depressing to see how many people are in trouble . . . . I can't help them and I feel terrible about it."

He divides contractors into three types: the good, the bad and the ugly.

"The good . . . are no more than 20 per cent," he says. "The bad, 70 per cent; the ugly, 10 per cent."

The differences? The good are constantly training and educating themselves, and also have personal integrity.

The bad may know how to bang in a few nails, but "unfortunately just don't know enough, and they don't care enough, because they don't have the same integrity as the good."

The ugly are ripoff artists, smooth talkers who "can sell fridges to Eskimos" and scam people out of tens of thousands of dollars, again and again.

How do you protect yourself against bad or ugly contractors? Do your homework, and don't be in a hurry to do a reno.

"A sure sign somebody doesn't know what they're doing is when they don't walk in the door, presenting themselves as a professional, and hand you a list of references right there," he says.

"Pros walk in and they have a portfolio package of who they are and why they're that way .... They care about what they do. They're perfectionists."

They say, in effect: "Here are at least 20 references. Please phone each and every one of them, ask them a ton of questions. You want to go see them, go see them. Let's talk about what you want to do and we'll come back and talk about price later."

That, says Holmes, is a pro.

"[The bad contractors are] the guys who walk in and go, 'Yeah, I'm Joe. Whaddya want, whaddya want?' They don't write anything down, they don't seem to know anything, and they say, 'That'll cost 10 grand, and I want nine grand down now.' "

How much should you give as a down payment?

"Well, rule of thumb is you don't give them any money on the very first day. But the second day, if they've presented themselves again with professionalism, I would say 10 per cent down, absolute max. Remember, you're only tying up your time, because they're going to schedule.

"Then you've got to look at how much is that? Is the job $100,000, should you really give them $10,000? Maybe not more than $1,500. [Create] a cap on how much you're going to give them down before they actually start the job.

"Once they start the job, that's when you give them 10 per cent. Then just pay them in milestones, because it makes logical sense. Pay as the work is being done."

You also should hold back some money at the end of the job, to make sure everything has been done right.

"The lien act was designed on purpose, and it says hold back 10 per cent," he says.

"You want to hold back 10 per cent for 45 days, and the reason it's 45 days is the company has a right to lien you for 45 days after the last day of work. So hold that money back, make sure nothing goes wrong. A pro will let you do it, anyway.

"Never [completely] pay them. Because if you do, trying to get them back in your door is probably not going to happen."

Giving out advice like this, and ripping contractors who have done a bad job, can't endear him to many people in construction. Does he ever come face-to-face with the guys he rips?

"I have, a couple of times," he says.

"I'm not there to get into a confrontation. Although I'm not afraid of it, don't get me wrong. But I had one of them say to me, 'You're just bashin' everyone, you're makin' us all look foolish.'

"I said, 'Do you watch my show? Dude, I'm not bashin' everyone. I'm saying there's good guys out there, I'm saying there's pros out there, and I'm telling the homeowners to find them. I'm saying to check out guys like you, because here I am fixing your work. And did you come back and fix it?' "

He's so busy fixing up other people's messes he doesn't really do renos, outside his TV jobs, any more. But he hopes to slow his schedule down over the next couple of years to concentrate on doing specials, rather than a weekly show.

He is also starting his own development company.

"To me, Holmes on Holmes -- I've done enough of it. I think I need to go to the next level," he says.

"I've opened up a development company. I'm going to build the world's best homes and guarantee them myself. Everyone is going to have the opportunity to buy them. I'm hoping to change the building industry."

The Holmes homes will be in a modern style -- low-slung bungalows with flat roofs. He says they'll be so environmentally friendly they'll be "dark green."

"I've always said this: We can build a house that won't burn down. We can build a house that won't leak, we can build a house that will not mould. Now if we can do that, and then build it environmentally friendly and energy- efficient, I think you've hit the lottery.

"I've been saying this for years, so I'm going to do it."

Time for one final question: A female friend wonders how many pairs of overalls he has.

"Forty-five," he replies.

Really? He has 45 pairs of overalls?

"Well, yeah," he laughs. "Why not? I've also got boots, clothing -- you name it. It's going to be [available] to the public very soon."

When he sells them, it'll be for charity.

"That's why I have 45. I kept all my overalls from the first few seasons and put them away," he says.

"The idea was to give them to charity and raise money. It kind of made sense to me, instead of just giving them away. We can help make a difference, that's what it's all about."

(prepared by John Mackie/Vancouver Sun)