Decor

With more than 20 years of experience under his tool belt, contractor Mike Holmes is one of North America's most trusted advisors in home renovation. Trained from an early age by his father to "do it right the first time," Holmes' no-nonsense approach to building has set the tone for his entire career. These days, you'll find him hot on the trail of the country's best handyman in Canada's Handyman Challenge (series finale February 21 on HGTV).

We caught up with Holmes backstage to find out more about the king of contracting's early days swinging a hammer.