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www.oakvillebeaver.com Artscene Oakville Beaver 26 · FRIDAY, JULY 14, 2006 Wanted: A few good DIY disasters Oakville handyman is host of new HGTV show By Krissie Rutherford OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFF Handymen who aren't so handy, botched renovations, unfinished jobs and bungling do-it-yourselfers are at the centre of HGTV's Disaster DIY. Hosted by Oakville's Bryan Baeumler and featuring renovators from Baeumler Quality Construction and Renovations (BQCR), the show premieres in January and seeks to not only fix up terrible, unfinished reno jobs, but also to teach the people who messed them up a lesson or two. "We actually take them by the ear, show them how to do the renovation properly and make them help us," said the 32-yearold Baeumler. "We have a little fun with them, verbally abuse them a bit," he added smiling. "Some of the jobs are really bad, so a little bit of verbal abuse is good for motivation." Baeumler, CEO and president of the Oakville-based BQCR, has his company signed on for three seasons of Disaster DIY, which is HGTV's first in-house production. The first season is being taped between July and November, and 13 half-hour episodes will air in the new year. "The first episode is a kitchen that's been half-renovated for more than two years," said Baeumler. "The guy's wife was ready to kill him." Do-it-yourself disasters like accidentally taking out a support wall during a renovation, crumbling and sagging decks, brutal basements, kitchens and bathrooms are some of the sites of upcoming episodes. While the show pokes fun at disaster doit-yourself projects, its main message is in educating viewers, and each episode concludes with three renovation tips. "Any of this renovation stuff can be done perfectly and easily," said Baeumler, whose team is given two weeks to fix and re-do the botched reno for each episode. "The major factor in shoddy work is laziness." The Appleby College grad, who has a degree in business and politics from the University of Western Ontario, has been working construction and helping with renovation jobs since he was young. His dad, Werner, built airplane parts for years and started Quality Sheet Metal in 1974, the concept Baeumler continued when he started BQCR in 2005. "I grew up around it," said Baeumler, whose company now boasts anywhere from LIESA KORTMANN / OAKVILLE BEAVER DIY REPAIRMAN: Bryan Baeumler, the host and construction worker for a new HGTV show, Disaster DIY, is looking for local families who need help with their bungled renovation jobs. five to 10 full-time employees. "I worked with my dad over the years, and we'd always done so many renovations ourselves." The TV thing, though, is brand new. "It's bizarre ­ it's really strange," he said, smiling. "I got on set the first day and said, `Ok, so what do I do?'" Baeumler and BQCR got on board with Disaster DIY because he spoke to a production assistant at HGTV more than a year ago after finding out about the potential show. "We just said, keep us in mind, we'd be happy to do a renovation or two for free, just to get our name and logo out there and to do something different," he said. More than a year later, Baeumler got a call from producer Frank Halbert, who said he was interested in meeting the BQCR team to potentially use the company for the show. "I was trying to figure out which one of my friends was messing with me when I got the call," said Baeumler, smiling. Halbert and his team came out that same day to film the BQCR crew on site and to interview Baeumler. Two weeks later, Halbert called and asked Baeumler not only to use his company to renovate on the show, but also if he would be its host. "It's been really weird," he said. "I never thought I'd host my own TV show. No way." With no on-camera training, Baeumler arrived on the first day and was thrown into the spotlight. "I had to do the first shot about 15 times," he said. "I just get out of the truck and say, `Hi I'm Bryan,' but the camera is right there in your face. It was pretty intense." But it's something he'll have to get used to, with the show under contract for three years and the network with big plans. "HGTV expects our show to be the next Holmes on Homes," he said, smiling. "I don't know if I even believe this is happening yet." Disaster DIY premieres January 7 on HGTV. The show is filming this season up until November and is still looking for potential do-it-yourself disasters for this season and for upcoming years. All of the candidates selected so far live in the Toronto area, and Disaster DIY is looking for others in Oakville and surrounding areas. To find out more about being a candidate for Disaster DIY, visit http://www.hgtv.ca/hgtv/castingCall.aspx -- Krissie Rutherford can be reached at krutherford@oakvillebeaver.com. HELPING HAND: Bryan Baeumler goes over plans (above) to fix up a do-it-yourself kitchen renovation that was two years in the making when Disaster DIY stepped in to film its first episode. On the right is the finished product.