Canada's Worst Handyman 3 - Synopsis - Episode 1: Demolition Derby

Episode 1: Demolition Derby

Original airdate: May 5, 2008

• Entering the Room: Arriving at the Handyman Rehabilitation Centre, the contestants are randomly assigned rooms. Tex in the green room, Joe in the yellow, Dez in the blue, Charmaine in the orange, and Casey in the pink. After entering the locked doors to their rooms, they have to build an eight-foot-tall stud wall, which is going to be used to frame a closet. Tex is the only one to pass, thanks to "Tara Putty", a mixture of sawdust and glue used to fill in gaps where he fell short. Charmaine, who was the last to enter their room, having been frustrated by the lock (using a Phillips-head screwdriver to unscrew Robertson screws), fails due to confusing 8'0" for 80" and giving up after the realization. Joe (who used brute force to break the lock) and Dez (who used his drill to remove the screws holding the lock), and Casey all mismeasured, having forgotten that their top and bottom plates count as part of the eight feet, thus building a stud wall too long, though Joe is the only one to have fixed this after failing the challenge.
• Home Challenge: Prior to entering rehab, the contestants had to build a three-dimensional object at least 40 cm tall which could support their own weight. Though all but Casey chose boxes (Casey chose instead to have a platform on four "teepees"), Tex is the only one whose box holds up, largely because he had built six sides to everyone else's four. Casey had failed twice in his platform.
• Wall Safes: The contestants are introduced to the judges, who teach them how to install a wall safe by locating two studs and cutting out part of the wall between them. Dez and Casey, having a common wall, choose the same spot, and Casey was forced to relocate, but not without accidentally hitting Dez in the helmet with his hammer. The two and Tex (who did not use a stud finder at all) eventually fail due to cutting too big of a hole vertically (though they were more lenient on Casey). Joe also relocates, not knowing how to use a stud finder and having abandoned his first choice of location. However, he eventually manages to brute-force his safe in with a mallet (but the safe is not secured with screws). Charmaine gave up on her wall safe.
• Group Challenge: Demolition: After being given a quick lesson on electrical and plumbing, the group must demolish an old bathroom in order to change it into the space for their kitchen. Joe, overzealous with a sledgehammer, manages to raise the ire of Geoff when he takes down a ceiling full of metal studs, who gives him a quick lesson on safety. Meanwhile, Tex is put in charge of both disconnecting the electrical and plumbing, as well as capping it off. When Joe throws out the garbage, Casey takes over with the sledgehammer, and manages to knock part of the common wall between the common area and Tex's room down. Though Tex performs his job admirably (though his plumbing needed to be addressed twice), the lack of communication between Tex and the others meant that he had to shuttle back and forth between the basement and the common area to get the job done.

At the end of the day, which included designing their rooms' future layouts—Joe and his "No Mercy Room", Charmaine and the "Serenity Room", Dez with the "Tropical Paradise Room", Tex with the "Pinup Room", and Casey with the "Chocolate and Vanilla Room"—the judges give their verdict: Tex, in the group challenge, had left his tools in a mess, though he was considered the most improved by Jo due to his challenge work (and having done the toughest part of the group challenge singlehandedly). Geoff's quick lesson made an impact on Joe, who he nominated for the most improved for improving on his own safety as the group challenge progressed, as well as going back and fixing his failed challenges. As for the worst, Casey and Charmaine made the short list. In the end, Joe won the "golden helmet" for being the most improved, while Casey was nominated as the worst due to having destroyed three walls (his own, Dez's, and Tex's) in the episode. In his extra lesson, he had to remove the filth from the drain that had been part of the old toilet in the common area, a job which he detested.