Mike Holmes Recommends...
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During his presentation at the Remodeling Leadership Conference, celebrity contractor Mike Holmes named these seven products as some of his favorites for building homes with an eye toward health and indoor air quality. Find more of his recommendations on the Products page of his website.
Building green and healthy homes isn't just an option for Mike Holmes - it's a must. And he's not wishy-washy about the product selections he makes to achieve his preferred level of construction. During the 2015 Remodeling Leadership Conference (RMLC), Holmes gave unprompted and unpaid shout-outs to a number of building product brands, while calling out some others that have yet to meet his beat-it-till-you-break-it style of putting building materials through the wringer.
"This isn't about me," Holmes told RMLC attendees. "It's about finding the best products, teaming up with suppliers, and creating a trusted Holmes mark. All the companies I tie myself with become a package. It's taken years in the making, but it's really working, and it makes sense to homeowners, to builders, and to me. Everyone wins, there's no negative."
Between product endorsements and putting his Make It Right seal of approval on whole homes through services including Holmes Approved Homes, Holmes Inspections, and Holmes Communities, one might think the polarizing celebrity contractor was just after the marketing dollars. Not the case. Holmes told attendees that he works to get many materials donated to the projects aired on his TV shows, and has paid significantly out of his own pocket to complete the work. Any good business owner knows profit is important, but Holmes also puts a percentage of his profit toward funding scholarships for skilled trades students.
In the meantime, the projects Holmes and his team turn out have a laser focus on reducing moisture and improving indoor air quality. "We know mold has been a number one problem for years and what have we done about it?" he asked. "In the last 15 years we've been working to make homes air tight, but at the same time mold abatement is becoming a huge business. Does anyone notice the rise in asthma? Bronchitis? Allergies? It's become an epidemic due to indoor air quality in our own homes."
The product roundup above highlights seven products Holmes specifically mentioned during his RMLC presentation, the majority of which are aimed toward producing healthier homes. Holmes estimates it will cost about 15% more to build a home "that will not mold, burn, or fall down," and encourages remodelers to talk to homeowners about the air their families are breathing. "What do you want cleaning the air: your lungs, or your furnace?" he asked. "Once I start talking about indoor air quality and I ask, 'do you want your kids breathing this in?' we realize we don't think of ourselves, but we all want to do better for our kids."
