Wow, I learned a lot! I've had a few people come out to quote a new block wall and not once has anyone mentioned filling with stone gravel or drainage. I will continue my search to have it done right the first time!
Having geogrid every 3 feet also is recommended or more, it will really lock it in and then the ground will actually hold itself and will have almost no load on the wall!
There are some great videos on UA-cam about making retaining walls. I recommend reading the comments when you watch one: if the person making the wall is doing it wrong, you can almost guarantee there will be lots of people saying so in the comments. I'm not recommending you watch them so you can learn to do the wall yourself (unless you want to), but so that you can recognise the signs of a good contractor and a well made wall. That way you know what to watch for when your contractor builds the wall or gives you a proposal.
@@scottbrown7497 They have one called Holmes on Homes: The Next Generation, it follows Mike Jr. and Sherry as well as Damon. Mike Holmes is retired now, dude's a freaking millionaire. He does do guest judging on those building contest shows. But other than that, he's retired and enjoys his grandkids.
I'm hooked on this channel for the last week. Been home from the hospital and a couple weeks with nothing to do but youtube. The only thing I feel bad about is this guy in in Canada. We got screwed on my home in Texas. There was a whole meth lab in my attic when we moved in. We found crack/meth pipes inside all of the toilet paper holders and a prison style toothpaste sheetrock patch that fell into the wall, revealing crack cocaine, meth, and a supply of baggies. It's been years now and I'm wondering what is all under the attic insulation.
Mike's done jobs in the U.S. and I'm sure his network of trusted contractors still includes crews all across North America. 😉 Hope your recover want/is going well btw.
Sad as it is to say, this lady got kind of lucky compared to most people on this show. It's just an exterior wall. The contractor didn't mess up the electrical, plumbing etc. Countless other times a bad contractor tries to do something like a bathroom and causes tons of water damage, mold etc.
Too many people with no pride in workmanship these days. But also people don't want to pay for what the job is worth. And go with the cheapest guys who act like because you can't see it it doesn't matter. And nothing is farther from the truth.
@@sarabellaj There is also the issue it's far easier to fake it, especially to older people who might not know how the internet works that well. Contractor rolls up with a long list of recommendations, maybe some pictures of projects he didn't even do and gets the job. Though I will say on this show the main reason a lot of contractors that looked good on paper fail is usually different projects. Just because the guy put a roof on your neighbors house does not mean he's good at building a porch or knows how to install a Chimney.
I believe that when some men acquire tools, they begin to believe they can fix or build anything. The amount they charge probably has little to do with the actual cost of the job, and more to do with the cost of their lifestyle! These guys are allowed to keep going on taking advantage of unknowing homeowners.
@@richardbedard1245 There is a complete lack of consequences for Contractors doing poor jobs or even out right running off with the money. Even with the weight of this TV show behind them it seems most these home owners really didn't get any kind of justice. Sure Holmes helped fix their house, got donations from a charity to help pay for it etc. But the bad contractors get away with it and probably due to legal reasons the show always refused to tell the audience the names of said bad contractor.
Love the finished stone work....Though I have to wonder how she truly dealt with the loss of privacy. Also can't help but think that wall they built was easily have cost 4 to 5 times as much as the previous one would've run. That's before all the extras they put into the project. lol BEAUTIFUL!!!
Those block should have also been filled with gravel. I've done a few of these dry stack walls, but I've used the 105 lb blocks with the pins for the first 4 courses then go to the 60 pounders for the last 3 courses plus caps. No movement after 10 years now. I have 18'' of gravel behind it with cloth
Mike and crew, I have loved watching your show for many years now. I want to show my appreciation for all the hard work you and your guys and girls do. You are an inspiration to people to "make it right." I have learned so much from watching you correct what other contractors that just rush through the job. You make sure you make it above and beyond what is required to "Make It Right." 😂❤😂❤😂❤😂❤😂❤😂
Wow! I learned a lot! "Holmes on Homes" doesn't stand up to their Public Views on House building. Three houses have been or will be demolished! Please remember one things Folks! He can't be everywhere! BUT! His signature on a Legal piece of Paper, is his BOND for those that buy SOMETHING "Built" by Mike Holmes!
I am glad that Mike took his time to work with everyone on the stones, brick stones, gravel, etc, to get this done in the right way. The most important thing is safety. I couldn’t believe that the previous contractor took advantage of the owner. Hope she can get a lawyer to track him down.
its a 40 year old wood wall ... 40 years ago fences were a lot different ... but hay i could pour an 6 foot reinforced concert wall that will stand for 100 years
What does Mike Holmes have say about the "Mike Holmes Approved Homes" in Meaford Ontario. Homes that are just a few years old in are being demolished as there are so many problems with them demolition is cheaper than repairing them.
@@Boga217 Not really a waste of money especially since I got it for under $100. Never have to worry about it not being able to find full uncut episodes and behind the scenes.
Too bad he's in Canada and not Texas. My house was damaged by a COUNTY CONTRACTOR in the Houston area and I'm STILL trying to get them to fix the damages they caused when they did the work FOUR YEARS AGO. Recently found out that the COUNTY gave the project a final approval even though the mechanical AND electrical work failed city code inspections and there's NO PROOF that they brought to work up to code yet still received final approval.
I noticed that Mike had an engineer on site (or someone observing for the engineer). I was surprised he did not mention a legal requirement for the engineer. I'm from Australia (NSW), so it may be different in Canada, but here there is a legal requirement that the wall must be engineered if it is over a certain height (I think the limit is 0.9m, but I could be wrong).
It’s the same here in Canada. Any retaining wall 90cm needs a permit - which means it needs engineering. This doesn’t look like enough though. My 4’ wall needed proper footings. Garden here likely isn’t just decorative, in my opinion it looks to be how they got away without a 4’ safety fence.
I would have thought a concrete wall would have been used I built one at my shop I even had buttresses on the inside too but I always get accused of over building every thing ;)
I believe that budget limits sealed the fate of the first retaining wall. If you spend too much you’re out the money above what the job requires. If you underspend, you’re out everything you paid and you still don’t have what you wanted. I don’t only blame the homeowner here. She originally put in the best she could afford. The contractor should have known what the job required and sold the homeowner on what this job required to last a long time. You appreciate quality work long after the cost is forgotten. My opinion.
I think you're absolutely correct. It always looks like the contractor skimps out on the craftsmanship, but the bottom line is budget dictates. There are always 3 things to consider, Cost, Quality, Speed. You can only, almost without exception, have 2 of those 3 things at once. So, whilst the original contractor may have cut corners and made the project fit the budget, it's certainly disingenuous of Mike to act like he was operating under the same budget. I love the show, but often it masks the ACTUAL cost of projects. Not everyone has a generous operating budget like the networks :D
@@ks5396 a lot of material they use gets donated or is supplied with a big discount. the companies get advertising out of it. there is a australian home renovation competition where each team get 200 grand worth of supplier vouchers. such as all the plasterboard they use is supplied by csr building products, the plumbing fittings is supplied by reece plumbing supplies etc at the end of the show the finish homes are sold off and the contestants keep the profit so the materials get paid for but they get special pricing.
@@Hippiemanthc - Shauna was humble and understated, Bennett is loud and brash…maybe Holmes likes loud and brash - definitely “sells” more episodes, I imagine.
Funny fact, part of the story leading up to the job was how kids liked to walk on the wall and it wasn't safe... The new wall is so high kids can't even walk on it now.
Wow, I learned a lot! I've had a few people come out to quote a new block wall and not once has anyone mentioned filling with stone gravel or drainage. I will continue my search to have it done right the first time!
Having geogrid every 3 feet also is recommended or more, it will really lock it in and then the ground will actually hold itself and will have almost no load on the wall!
There are some great videos on UA-cam about making retaining walls. I recommend reading the comments when you watch one: if the person making the wall is doing it wrong, you can almost guarantee there will be lots of people saying so in the comments.
I'm not recommending you watch them so you can learn to do the wall yourself (unless you want to), but so that you can recognise the signs of a good contractor and a well made wall. That way you know what to watch for when your contractor builds the wall or gives you a proposal.
@@namewithheld8115 Rest assured I will not be building my own wall. I just want to be well informed!
yes filling behind the wall with gravel and slotted drain pipe is a must so you can get the water out of there and it doesn't cause problems.
I remember watching this on HGTV it's still a great video...
I do to I wish they still had it on
@@scottbrown7497 They have one called Holmes on Homes: The Next Generation, it follows Mike Jr. and Sherry as well as Damon. Mike Holmes is retired now, dude's a freaking millionaire. He does do guest judging on those building contest shows. But other than that, he's retired and enjoys his grandkids.
"Gonna bring in some really talented people... plus all my guys" 5:15
That sounds a bit rude to your guys haha.
I'm hooked on this channel for the last week. Been home from the hospital and a couple weeks with nothing to do but youtube.
The only thing I feel bad about is this guy in in Canada. We got screwed on my home in Texas. There was a whole meth lab in my attic when we moved in.
We found crack/meth pipes inside all of the toilet paper holders and a prison style toothpaste sheetrock patch that fell into the wall, revealing crack cocaine, meth, and a supply of baggies.
It's been years now and I'm wondering what is all under the attic insulation.
Mike's done jobs in the U.S. and I'm sure his network of trusted contractors still includes crews all across North America. 😉
Hope your recover want/is going well btw.
Sad as it is to say, this lady got kind of lucky compared to most people on this show. It's just an exterior wall. The contractor didn't mess up the electrical, plumbing etc. Countless other times a bad contractor tries to do something like a bathroom and causes tons of water damage, mold etc.
Too many people with no pride in workmanship these days. But also people don't want to pay for what the job is worth. And go with the cheapest guys who act like because you can't see it it doesn't matter. And nothing is farther from the truth.
@@sarabellaj There is also the issue it's far easier to fake it, especially to older people who might not know how the internet works that well. Contractor rolls up with a long list of recommendations, maybe some pictures of projects he didn't even do and gets the job.
Though I will say on this show the main reason a lot of contractors that looked good on paper fail is usually different projects. Just because the guy put a roof on your neighbors house does not mean he's good at building a porch or knows how to install a Chimney.
I believe that when some men acquire tools, they begin to believe they can fix or build anything. The amount they charge probably has little to do with the actual cost of the job, and more to do with the cost of their lifestyle! These guys are allowed to keep going on taking advantage of unknowing homeowners.
@@richardbedard1245 There is a complete lack of consequences for Contractors doing poor jobs or even out right running off with the money. Even with the weight of this TV show behind them it seems most these home owners really didn't get any kind of justice. Sure Holmes helped fix their house, got donations from a charity to help pay for it etc.
But the bad contractors get away with it and probably due to legal reasons the show always refused to tell the audience the names of said bad contractor.
This wall and yard is 😍 stunning
Wow! It looks fantastic and very inviting in the backyard. Great job to Mike and his people. It makes her day bright like sunshine!
Love the finished stone work....Though I have to wonder how she truly dealt with the loss of privacy. Also can't help but think that wall they built was easily have cost 4 to 5 times as much as the previous one would've run. That's before all the extras they put into the project. lol
BEAUTIFUL!!!
Those block should have also been filled with gravel. I've done a few of these dry stack walls, but I've used the 105 lb blocks with the pins for the first 4 courses then go to the 60 pounders for the last 3 courses plus caps. No movement after 10 years now. I have 18'' of gravel behind it with cloth
They did fill with gravel and also put gravel behind the wall to allow for weeping tile being placed
I want to thank you and your team and family and crew and all the awesome professionals doing it right every day.
Mike always does a hell of a job
Mike and crew, I have loved watching your show for many years now. I want to show my appreciation for all the hard work you and your guys and girls do. You are an inspiration to people to "make it right." I have learned so much from watching you correct what other contractors that just rush through the job. You make sure you make it above and beyond what is required to "Make It Right." 😂❤😂❤😂❤😂❤😂❤😂
Wow! I learned a lot!
"Holmes on Homes" doesn't stand up to their Public Views on House building.
Three houses have been or will be demolished!
Please remember one things Folks! He can't be everywhere! BUT! His signature on a Legal piece of Paper, is his BOND for those that buy SOMETHING "Built" by Mike Holmes!
Another terrific job Mike!👍👍
I am glad that Mike took his time to work with everyone on the stones, brick stones, gravel, etc, to get this done in the right way. The most important thing is safety. I couldn’t believe that the previous contractor took advantage of the owner. Hope she can get a lawyer to track him down.
"don't need to go to the gym, become a contractor" are words to remember here
Great work!😮
its a 40 year old wood wall ... 40 years ago fences were a lot different ... but hay i could pour an 6 foot reinforced concert wall that will stand for 100 years
The wall came out so nice.
Diggers hotline Michael
7:11 Smart idea instead of wasting these bricks reusing them in another wall
What does Mike Holmes have say about the "Mike Holmes Approved Homes" in Meaford Ontario. Homes that are just a few years old in are being demolished as there are so many problems with them demolition is cheaper than repairing them.
I am so jealous! This is beautiful. Too bad work like this is out of reach these days for the average person out there.
Great job🎊👏👏greetings from Aruba 🇦🇼 ❤
the problem is there are to many so called professionals that don't know what they are doing. How are we to choose the wright one
very carefully.
Question for SEs. Why not a footer then CMU
Use #5 . Fence posts in the cells. 12 inch block. Done. Is it because of the freeze thaw factor?
Too bad this show is no longer on HGTV that I can find, but thankfully I have the full DVD series all the seasons I got off of Amazon.
All episodes are available here or elsewhere for free so that was a waste of money.
@@Boga217 Not really a waste of money especially since I got it for under $100. Never have to worry about it not being able to find full uncut episodes and behind the scenes.
@@1nsurgent but all of that has been released for free already and yes I can find all uncut episodes pretty easy...for less than 0 dollars
Too bad he's in Canada and not Texas. My house was damaged by a COUNTY CONTRACTOR in the Houston area and I'm STILL trying to get them to fix the damages they caused when they did the work FOUR YEARS AGO. Recently found out that the COUNTY gave the project a final approval even though the mechanical AND electrical work failed city code inspections and there's NO PROOF that they brought to work up to code yet still received final approval.
it seems as though in canada like here in the usa the good ole boy system is a alive and well
Niice wall but too short, yard has no privacy........
I noticed that Mike had an engineer on site (or someone observing for the engineer). I was surprised he did not mention a legal requirement for the engineer. I'm from Australia (NSW), so it may be different in Canada, but here there is a legal requirement that the wall must be engineered if it is over a certain height (I think the limit is 0.9m, but I could be wrong).
yes a metre or more need structural engineering in australia. nsw was the first to bring that requirement.
It’s the same here in Canada. Any retaining wall 90cm needs a permit - which means it needs engineering. This doesn’t look like enough though. My 4’ wall needed proper footings. Garden here likely isn’t just decorative, in my opinion it looks to be how they got away without a 4’ safety fence.
@19:11: Strange: the braces on the gate are backwards.
I would have thought a concrete wall would have been used I built one at my shop I even had buttresses on the inside too but I always get accused of over building every thing ;)
I believe that budget limits sealed the fate of the first retaining wall. If you spend too much you’re out the money above what the job requires. If you underspend, you’re out everything you paid and you still don’t have what you wanted. I don’t only blame the homeowner here. She originally put in the best she could afford. The contractor should have known what the job required and sold the homeowner on what this job required to last a long time. You appreciate quality work long after the cost is forgotten. My opinion.
I think you're absolutely correct. It always looks like the contractor skimps out on the craftsmanship, but the bottom line is budget dictates. There are always 3 things to consider, Cost, Quality, Speed. You can only, almost without exception, have 2 of those 3 things at once. So, whilst the original contractor may have cut corners and made the project fit the budget, it's certainly disingenuous of Mike to act like he was operating under the same budget. I love the show, but often it masks the ACTUAL cost of projects. Not everyone has a generous operating budget like the networks :D
@@ks5396 a lot of material they use gets donated or is supplied with a big discount. the companies get advertising out of it.
there is a australian home renovation competition where each team get 200 grand worth of supplier vouchers. such as all the plasterboard they use is supplied by csr building products, the plumbing fittings is supplied by reece plumbing supplies etc
at the end of the show the finish homes are sold off and the contestants keep the profit so the materials get paid for but they get special pricing.
Anyone have updates on Benji and Sean how they are doing. Thanks
@20:54: 4 steps with no handrail?
Sad she lost her privacy, no fence.
Here’s a huge problem I see this was probably a 30k “repair “ on a 10k job !
how did you get permissions to put your gravel on the rood ?? .. what did you have to give the Mare of the city ? ,, and did you need knee pads??
I must admit, I miss Shaun.
Shaun should have taken over instead of Bennett,never did like his attitude
@@Hippiemanthc - Shauna was humble and understated, Bennett is loud and brash…maybe Holmes likes loud and brash - definitely “sells” more episodes, I imagine.
Funny fact, part of the story leading up to the job was how kids liked to walk on the wall and it wasn't safe... The new wall is so high kids can't even walk on it now.
It's a shame that the bad contractors/builders in all these episodes are protected by law and cannot be named and shamed.
If you do paid work and it is substandard then you ARE a bad contractor, can't see it any other way.
I agree. Especially when the substandard work starts falling apart, and they refuse to come back and fix their screw-ups.