Renovation Realities

[Lee Schierer]

Has anyone watched the DI network show called "Renovation Realities"? It is mind boggling to watch people who have no idea what they are doing try to do remodeling jobs. I've seen outlets moved by splicing on wires with wire nuts and sticking them back in the wall without junction boxes. Load bearing walls removed and beams put in without proper end support. Drywall hung with just screws around the border. Walls torn down where they are suddenly surprised to find wires and or plumbing inside. Wires cut while live after turning off the circuit breaker that turned off the lights. It's no wonder that people like Mike Holmes make a living off of other peoples mistakes.

[Chuck Saunders]

Reality TV, watching stupid people so you feel better about yourself.
The only DIY show that I really enjoy is called Professional Grade. Homeowners do the renovation and are then graded by contractors. If the contractors estimate the quality of job a higher dollar amount than the homeowners spent, the homeowner gets the difference in cash. If they do a subpar job, they get nada. Usually they do a pretty good job.

[Stephen Musial]

I don't mind that one so much - and Holmes makes his money off of other contractor's mistakes. The one that gets me is Rehab Addict.

She was on the other day talking about the tiles in a shower. There were obvious holes drilled in the tiles, cracks, hammer hits etc. and she was explaining that all the damage was caused by years of water hitting the porcelain tiles - "see where it actually wore the porcelain right off?" There was another "wear spot" about 24" away where the other end of the towel bar was located. Then there was the time she had all the woodwork in the house stripped and proceeded to stain every bit of it with red mahogany stain.

And yet I continue to watch it...must be the high camera angles...

[Ole Anderson]

And yet I continue to watch it...must be the high camera angles...

Funny, me too. But I like that she is from Detroit and has no shame in it.

[John McClanahan]

I don't mind that one so much - and Holmes makes his money off of other contractor's mistakes. The one that gets me is Rehab Addict. The only reason she got the job is big boobs, scoop neck shirts and high camera angles.

She was on the other day talking about the tiles in a shower. There were obvious holes drilled in the tiles, cracks, hammer hits etc. and she was explaining that all the damage was caused by years of water hitting the porcelain tiles - "see where it actually wore the porcelain right off?" There was another "wear spot" about 24" away where the other end of the towel bar was located. Then there was the time she had all the woodwork in the house stripped and proceeded to stain every bit of it with red mahogany stain.

And yet I continue to watch it...must be the high camera angles...

Have you watched her climb a ladder in high heals or break concrete in flipflops?


John

[Rich Riddle]

I don't own a television so it saves the experiences of idiots doing things you mention. Having rehabbed a few homes, I can tell you that some people do indeed perform many dangerous activities. When we purchased our current home, only two electrical outlets in the entire house worked. The craw space area had dozens of wires dangling and woven like a spider's web. That was only the first issue. Some folks should never pick up a tool......not us of course.

[Jim Rimmer]

I've watched the Reno Realities a couple of times and have the same reaction as Lee. What is really funny, I think, is that when I watch it I wonder of any of my SMC buddies are watching and what would they think.

[Matt Meiser]

So it sounds like this is a true reality show with a very descriptive title?

[Steve Friedman]

I only watch TV if what's on is going to entertain me, make me laugh, and help me escape from reality for a few minutes. That's why I love Renovation Realities. I watch it like any other sitcom.

That said, I think it would hilarious if a camera crew filmed me doing a home improvement project. I think it would make great television.

As an example, I was laying a plywood floor in our attic around 25+ years ago, with my 5-year-old son watching from below. I was walking on the ceiling joists when I suddenly felt one foot slip and found myself sitting on a joist, with one leg dangling through the sheet rock. In time my coccyx healed, but the humor has lasted forever. I'll never forget my son asking repeatedly, "Dad, what happened?"

Every project has at least one disaster and I'm sure I can embellish it to make good reality TV.

Steve

[David Weaver]

In time my coccyx healed, but the humor has lasted forever.

The last time I heard someone talk about breaking their coccyx, it was Uncle Rico in Napoleon Dynamite!

[Ole Anderson]

Steve, that reminded me of my wife's story: In the late 50's When she was 10 or 11 and her dad was having a new house built she went into the attic and promptly fell partway through the plaster ceiling (her uncle was a plasterer) scraping up her legs. It was many years later that she finally told her dad of the episode.

[Steve Friedman]

The last time I heard someone talk about breaking their coccyx, it was Uncle Rico in Napoleon Dynamite!

At least he had a video camera with him at all times!

Steve

[Steve Friedman]

Steve, that reminded me of my wife's story: In the late 50's When she was 10 or 11 and her dad was having a new house built she went into the attic and promptly fell partway through the plaster ceiling (her uncle was a plasterer) scraping up her legs. It was many years later that she finally told her dad of the episode.

Nice of her uncle to keep the secret. With my blabbermouth son standing there, the whole neighborhood knew what happened.

The trick of falling seems to be learning when to try to stop the fall and when to just go with it. Age has taught me not to fight a fall once it become inevitable. It seems to hurt less that way.

Steve

[David Weaver]

At least he had a video camera with him at all times!

Steve

Goodness, I couldn't even get that right. Upon search for the ridiculous scene, it was "grandma" who broke her coccyx, and I'm sure nobody is going to have any clue what I'm talking about unless they've seen the movie.

[Lee Schierer]

The one that gets me is Rehab Addict.

I can't stand to watch her, even with the camera angles....She takes far too many short cuts and the quality of work is not that great. I've seen her paint over 5-6 layers of peeling paint on house trim that should be replaced so that it looks good for the program and sale of the property, but will look terrible in a year or less. In one show she ripped up wide pine boards in teh attic that were there for storage, ripped them and put them down in a bathroom as a floor that according to here was too uneven to put tile over, so she simply sanded it a bit without removing the patina and put on several coats of varnish saying that if some one else wanted to put down tile, they could do the work to make it flat.