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Rock Solid Builds

 

Randy Spracklin sits down with TV Week to unpack the distinct East Coast charm of his particular reno show

There was a time, not so long ago, that Newfound Builders Ltd. was a construction company doing rock solid work for the community around Newfoundland and Labrador — without a camera in sight. “We were just running our business, doing our jobs, and then I got an email in my junk mail, believe it or not, that HGTV were looking for an East Coast show,” recalls Randy Spracklin, who owns the company with his father, Scott. “I said, why not? I still can’t believe how many people tune in. It’s sometimes surreal that we’re doing it.”

It’s Spracklin’s unassuming charm, and a local team that never fails to make viewers chuckle, that is the obvious appeal of the program. But what makes it stand apart from other home improvement shows is that Spracklin and the gang would be doing exactly the same thing, whether or not you were watching. “It didn’t change the way we worked at all,” admits Spracklin. “We asked the clients, were they OK with being on camera? And we just went with it. The same thing with season two and season three: the jobs that we had as a company, the film crew would just follow — and what happened, happened. That’s why you got TV gold!”

Rock Solid Builds on HGTV, Pictured: Third-generation builder Randy Spracklin and his team battle the island's rugged terrain and notoriously harsh weather to pull off historic renos.
HGTV

Three seasons in, what Spracklin and his team have gleaned from the process of doing construction for television was something they discovered early on in the process. “Remembering not to start the work without the camera turned on,” he names as Lesson No. 1. “We had to demo a wall and I can remember the film crew going, ‘No, no, no, no, stop!’ If the cameras aren’t turned on, then people aren’t going to see it. That was a little bit of adjustment. Now we know to ask, ‘Are you ready?’” In fact, being on TV has had nothing but a positive impact on the company itself. “It helped us look at growing,” says Spracklin. “And, I got to say, I love when people are coming to our province. Newfoundland and Labrador, we’re a golden nugget. Being able to showcase that and bring a lot of people here, it’s great for the economy.”

It is not hard to see how fans have flocked to the area after watching Rock Solid Builds. Yet not only does the series showcase breathtaking local vistas, but issues that are distinct to the province. “I think the backdrop that we’re working in is so unique,” says Spracklin. “We are the most eastern point of North America, which brings a lot of challenges, because every bit of our supplies has got to be shipped in from the mainland. That’s a challenge unto itself, and then we got the weather that we’re dealing with, but also the projects that we’re doing — we’re probably fixing a lighthouse, we’re building a house by the ocean, dealing with the tides and stuff. And in season three, we’re building a fishing stage. With all that, our accents and our culture, I think that’s what people really like about the show.”

What also stands out about Rock Solid Builds is that Spracklin can’t think of a build that would not have taken place had the cameras not been present — a five-star chicken coop included. “We would have them locked in as clients before we would get a green light for the next season,” he muses. “If there’s a season four, I’ve already got clients in place, and we’ll go working away and they’ll see the magic happen.” Like, indeed, that out-of-this-world chicken coop we get to see in season three. “I ran into a couple at Costco and they’re like, ‘We want to build a chicken coop, would you come build it?’ I was like, ‘Sure, I’ll build anything.’ I don’t know much about chickens. I said, ‘I can build this, but I’m not going to guarantee all the things that you need to operate as a chicken coop owner.’ ”

Spracklin’s favourite build this season is more of a personal project, turning the dilapidated Academy Hall in Brigus into a space for the community to gather. “In the last episode of this season, I’m renovating an old church hall, which is going to be my café,” he explains. “It was a dream of mine to have a coffee shop. It’s been on my mind now for about seven years. I always wanted to do one in Brigus, and then the church had this building that was run down and in disrepair and I was like, ‘What a way to do it!’ We just opened it up this summer.”

Indeed, the builder loves being part of the tight-knit community that combines its efforts for the show, so much so that he doesn’t seem to mind that the community extends its open-arms policy to out-of-towners, in ways that are maybe a little too helpful: “We’re really friendly and love seeing people come in Newfoundland and Labrador. Now that a lot of people know the show, they’re like ‘Hey, where’s Randy?’ ‘Oh, he lives just around the corner!’” Spracklin laughs. “It’s us, just doing what we do.”

The season finale of Rock Solid Builds airs Sunday, October 20 on HGTV

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