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NARRATOR: Matt's in Florida.
No, but how about I work at your house?
And he's looking for someone to take him home.
What's it cost?
I work cheap. You check this price?
Zero.
All he needs is someone to say yes...
Come on, Tampa.
...and they'll get an amazing new yard,
complete with two shaded decks, a cabana daybed,
styling fire feature,
and an outdoor kitchen hangout with dual TVs.
Next time a guy comes over and says, "I want to do your yard," you take him home.
You put him in your basket.
You want to take me home?
Professional contractor Matt Blashaw stakes out
I'm giving away gold.
looking for do-it-yourselfers
who need an extra hand from a pro.
I don't know.
What they don't know is
he's gonna transform their simple project
into a total backyard makeover.
WOMAN: It's amazing!
It's like winning the landscape lottery.
Yes!
-- Captions by VITAC --
Closed Captions provided by Scripps Networks, LLC.
What do you got going on?
[ Laughs ]
Looking for yards.
Oh.
♪ Please let me go home with you ♪
Can I just try this out?
Cool!
It's a little warm in here, you know, when you're busy.
[ Laughs ]
How's that?
[ Laughs ]
MATT: You know what you're missing in this vision board? You're missing me.
Gonna draw a picture. [ Laughs ]
Spitting image.
[ Both laugh ]
Check, Weed Eater.
Check.
ROGER: Yeah.
JENNY: Well, the other day, I opened the back door,
and a snake, like, actually went into the house.
Yeah. She called me.
[ Laughs ]
Yeah, you got a problem.
Give me a size of the snake.
It was probably about that long.
I mean, it was skinny, but it was about that long.
I wasn't there. [ Laughs ]
No. I wasn't gonna come home till it was gone.
I don't do snakes.
I knew I had to get it out of the house.
How big is your yard?
The front yard's pretty small. The backyard -- I don't know.
A pretty good size, yeah. Pretty square.
We have, like, a little, teeny, concrete slab
All right.
I would love to follow you guys home right now
and look at this backyard and give you a brand-new backyard.
Really?
Yeah, yeah.
This is just weird, though. [ Chuckles ]
It is a little weird, and it is awkward.
Do you carry, like, I.D. like a cop?
"I'm a contractor."
Like, seriously, because I don't know that, like --
I do.
You actually do have a construction license?
Yeah, I do, yeah.
Deal!
You came here looking for snakes,
but you're gonna leave with a backyard.
Wow, wow.
Into the Tampa heat. Whoo!
I hate snakes.
I know you're friendly in Tampa.
I just pull right into the driveway.
ROGER: Absolutely.
Yes. Welcome!
MATT: Gosh, look at that. That's almost like a picture.
MATT: This is your poor, little patio you're on.
Yes.
That's his baby.
And this is your barbecue.
So you cook here, and then you have people sit.
Most people sit in there. [ Laughs ]
Another big issue that we have is we love to entertain.
Obviously, we've used that sad, little fire pit.
But we need shade, too, so, we want an entertainment area
so that we can hang out with our friends,
Yeah.
ROGER: They're nice.
They're nice. They're just right there.
So privacy is definitely an issue on this side.
Huge. Wow. [ Laughs ]
[ Thunder crashes ]
Okay! It is starting to rain.
NARRATOR: Jenny works in radio, and Roger is a TV-news photographer.
All right, this is gonna be the wettest plan ever.
After a couple of years of doing nothing with their yard,
they're ready to let Matt do his magic.
Okay, this is the fun part.
You're gonna tell me what you want back here.
I would love a perfect setting for my grill.
What I have now does not do it justice.
So chef's kitchen. All right. What do you want?
I want to be able to come outside and relax,
Okay.
Doesn't matter what it is. You want the colors,
you want the feel, to be relaxing.
Relaxed. Absolutely.
Yeah.
Cool.
Perfect.
Oh, it's gonna be fun.
Didn't get snakes, but we got rain.
Hopefully, when I come back,
Tampa's gonna have some better weather for me, right?
[ Horn honks ]
There we go! Let's hear it!
Yay! [ Laughs ]
Good!
I'm feeling great. Ready to get to work.
I feel fantastic, 'cause I brought Team Tampa.
All right. Let's meet them.
Right next to me, this is Jason and Alan.
They are from Outdoor Impressions.
Right there -- that is Phil.
He is from Esterline Landscaping.
And then that's the metal man right there.
That is Lee from Weld-Tech.
Absolutely.
Let's go in the back. Come on. Everybody, back, back, back, back. Let's go.
You want outdoor living out here.
All right, well, I think we got something a little better for you.
Look at this.
[ Gasps ]
NARRATOR: Matt's design includes two steel pergolas...
With some shade fabric on top of that, okay?
...multiple decks to hang out on, a TV pillar...
You're gonna get two screens in it.
You're gonna be able to see it from every point in your yard.
[ Laughing ]
NARRATOR: An outdoor kitchen with bar seating,
a paver patio, a fire feature, and a cabana daybed.
But with a twist.
It's gonna be a hanging trampoline bed.
[ Laughs ]
NARRATOR: All surrounded by lush landscape.
It's unbelievable.
We got a lot of work to do, so let's get out the sod,
All right.
[ All cheer ]
Yeah?
[ Equipment buzzing, whirring ]
Yank it hard! Put your back into it.
There we go.
MATT: Take it easy.
Yeah!
Ah!
He looks like he knows what he's doing.
He has no idea what he's doing, trust me.
It's all for show.
NARRATOR: Coming up, the secret to superstrong concrete.
Okay.
Jenny learns the art of welding...
Wow! That is awesome!
...and problems with the 600-pound steel pergola.
[ Metal clanging ]
Holy mackerel.
This can literally become a yard crash.
NARRATOR: Matt's in Florida, where he found Jenny and Roger...
[ Thunder crashes ]
Okay.
...and a little rain.
All right, this is gonna be the wettest plan ever.
The rain let up, and they tore out their old yard.
Now Matt's design is starting to come to life.
The crew trenches for electrical and sets block
for the outdoor kitchen and TV pillar.
Out back...
Okay, it's TV time, man.
All right. What do we got here?
The TV column.
So we're building block over there, as you see,
and we're just gonna build basically a box
that sits on top of it, okay,
and then just with two little alcoves
Right, so it sets back.
So, first things first, we'll make the columns, all right?
They cut the 2x4s to size...
...then nail two sets of boards together
to create two corners...
So, let's do the other side, just like that.
Phew! You like framing.
It's awesome. I nailed it.
[ Chuckles ] Nice.
[ Laughs ]
...and combine the corners to form the column.
Cool.
Nice.
There you go.
Okay.
Okay? So, you got three more on you?
Yeah, absolutely.
In the yard, the crew spreads two inches of base
for the paver patio.
They screed and compact it.
Then it's time for pavers.
Out back, Jenny jumps on welding the steel pergola crossbeams.
JENNY: Oh, wow! I just welded!
That is awesome.
Yeah, let's do another one.
It's midday. The crew starts planting.
MATT: Up and through.
NARRATOR: And Roger nails on the columns
to each corner of the TV pillar base.
MATT: Okay. Beautiful.
Okay.
You got to have something to go with it, right?
DVDs, all right, your receiver.
So we're just gonna put a shelf on it.
They measure six inches up
and toenail in the 2x4 supports.
ROGER: Hey, I'm getting the hang of it.
Roger is not handy at all.
Matt -- He's just doing a great job.
There we go.
Just like that.
He got my husband using a nail gun.
When he leaves, I don't know
if my husband will ever do anything like that again,
but, hey, I'll take it while I can get it.
Nice.
[ Cheering ]
You got your own fan club.
NARRATOR: In the yard, the crew's making good progress laying pavers...
...running electrical for the overhead lights...
...and block continues to go down for the TV pillar.
Right now we're gonna be human backstops.
Okay.
NARRATOR: ...Jonathan applies the first coat of concrete
to the TV pillar's rooftop form.
JENNY: Splashing all over me.
That's fine.
Not -- anything but the face.
Then they use paintbrushes to work it into any voids.
Okay. Nice!
With the first coat done, they mix the next batch
of concrete with glass fibers
to strengthen it and help prevent cracking.
They apply the glass-fiber concrete coat by hand...
...and use an applicator to pull it up around the edges.
Okay.
Good.
All right, man, hand those to you.
All right.
NARRATOR: As day 1 comes to an end,
Matt finishes the TV alcoves,
the crew stuccos the outdoor kitchen...
...and Jason rolls in with the massive steel pergola top
that Jenny helped weld together.
MATT: Hey, Roger.
600-pound piece of metal on a tractor
and your house -- You worried?
No, not at all.
Okay, good.
You're good.
Ho, whoa-whoa-whoa-whoa!
[ Metal clanging ]
MAN: I got it, I got it, I got it.
Holy mackerel.
Good thing we have house paint.
Scoot back.
This could literally become a yard crash.
Oh, this is not fun to watch. [ Gasps ]
It's moving the pole. It's moving the pole.
Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa.
Nice and easy.
It's gonna make me panicky.
Just tell me when it's done.
ALAN: Down a little bit. Whoa!
Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa.
A little bit more.
All right.
[ Chuckles ]
I know I'm... I am -- I'm shaking.
That was a little --
Did you doubt us for one second?
I'm not gonna lie to you -- I did, too.
NARRATOR: As Lee welds this steel pergola together, day 1 is done.
End of day.
How you feeling? Are you confident?
Yes.
[ Laughter ]
He's not confident.
That was weak.
I know.
I'll tell you what --
"Yard Crashers" signing out, all right?
Oh, yes.
BOTH: Yeah.
All right, so, what are you jumping on?
You jump on pavers, we get on some deck.
How about that? All right, let's go! Overtime!
NARRATOR: Coming up, how to make your potted plants pop...
PHIL: We're gonna add some underplanting to the pot,
and that's gonna give you a full impact
and dramatic effect not only with the plant,
JENNY: Wow.
...the trick to a straight deck...
When you nail it down, we're gonna have
a nice, tight joint all the way through.
...and Roger's new contracting skills are put to the test.
If you pass this, you pass my course.
If I mess this up, we have to start this all over.
[ Chuckling ] No.
NARRATOR: For Matt's favorite projects and tips,
head on over to the "Crashers" page at hgtv.com/crashers.
Good morning, Tampa!
ALL: Good morning!
Whoo! How we feeling? Bring it in.
NARRATOR: It's the final day of this yard crash,
and overnight, Matt and the crew finished laying the paver patio,
framed the decks,
and attached the TV pillar to the base.
Good morning.
We're good.
Good.
I think I'm gonna change the design a little bit
from last night.
Yeah, I'm gonna change the design.
Okay.
I like that plan. I like that plan. [ Chuckles ]
All right? You feeling good?
I am. Let's do it.
Let's get started right now. We can't slow down, all right?
We got to jump right into it.
We got to camouflage in 'cause it's war time!
You ready to go? Let's go!
Whoo! Let's do it!
NARRATOR: The crew adds padding to the edge of the trampoline
that'll become the cabana daybed,
while Jason wheels in the second steel pergola.
They didn't want me under that.
[ Chuckles ]
Luckily, things go much smoother this time.
Could he get more precise?
Next, Lee welds it into place.
Out front...
[ Groans ]
Oh, this is gonna be fun putting up.
JASON: Give it a little shimmy on all the corners.
...Matt reveals the TV pillar's concrete rooftop...
Awesome!
That is killer!
I can't believe this is concrete.
It's so beautiful.
Yeah.
NARRATOR: ...Jonathan polishes the rooftop...
...then it's ready to go up.
And not a scratch on it.
Love it!
And...
10!
[ Laughs ] 10 -- Thank you.
NARRATOR: With the rooftop in place,
Jason paints the TV alcoves black,
and the crew hangs cement board
around the rest of the TV pillar.
Down below...
Yep.
So now all we're gonna do is, we're just gonna start to deck this
and I'm gonna make you real happy.
What? You're gonna do it all?
[ Laughing ] No. We're gonna shoot more nails.
Awesome. Let's do it.
ROGER: We've been working on the decking.
I started off kind of slow with the nail gun,
but I've gotten it down.
I can go pretty quick now.
NARRATOR: Out back, it's time to pot some plants.
Okay.
And it's very tropical.
It's beautiful.
It's gorgeous.
And now what we do is pack the dirt in
around the bottom of the root ball.
And what we're gonna also add is,
we're gonna add some underplanting to the pot
to get a little bit more impact.
What we're gonna do is, we've got this pine filling,
and we're just gonna use this just to topdress it.
Oh, so it pretties it up and then --
Oh, okay.
...and just gives it a finished look.
Back on the deck...
All right.
...so you just have to follow it.
So, this is it.
If you pass this, you pass my course.
If I mess this up, we have to start this all over.
No?
All right.
[ Chuckles ]
Yeah.
...I want you to wrap it up,
Awesome.
Sweet!
Nice.
NARRATOR: It's halfway through the last day.
The crew installs the drip system...
...and Jason tiles the fire-feature base.
MATT: So, what do we got?
JASON: What we've got is a split-face travertine tile.
I mean, it's a natural product,
but it's gonna stick with our modern theme.
And also, with the split-face,
it gives you a little bit more depth and just something smooth.
I like it, too, 'cause the contrast,
rough texture, smooth texture all the way around --
Thanks.
Well done.
Two of you put your heads together --
It happens.
NARRATOR: As Jason tiles, Jenny paints the outdoor kitchen
and Roger finishes the deck.
[ Chuckling ] Yes.
Hoo, hoo-hoo, hoo! Hoo!
I don't think we need a bounce house. This is awesome.
This is just a jungle gym in itself.
NARRATOR: Coming up, Jen finally gets her turn with the nail gun...
MATT: Easy.
NARRATOR: ...and the final reveal.
This is the life...
...right here.
NARRATOR: Matt's trip to Florida started with a ***.
[ Thunder crashes ]
Okay!
He spent the past two days helping Roger and Jenny
transform their yard into the ultimate living space.
[ Laughter ]
I've never had so much fun working so hard in all my life.
NARRATOR: And the hard work isn't over.
Lee welds on the hook for the cabana daybed,
and down below, Jason stains the deck.
On the other deck, the crew attaches
the bar tabletop to the TV pillar...
Beautiful.
...then Matt and Jenny finish it off.
All we're gonna do is, we're just gonna clad the outside
Okay.
MATT: We're just gonna tack these
right into the furring strip we have here.
If you see one line all the way through, your eyes go to it.
I see.
So eyes see the seam, so we're just gonna stagger.
NARRATOR: They use different-sized boards to stagger the seams.
JENNY: Whoo!
MATT: Look at that! Isn't that beautiful?
That is awesome.
With the crew running out of daylight,
Jason and Alan hang the shade cloth...
...the sod goes down, and the TVs are mounted.
It's gonna be tight. Yeah.
The fire feature is installed...
...and with a few final touches,
they're ready for the cabana daybed.
There you go.
Jump in.
Ohh!
This...
...is amazing.
You know what? You're finished.
Whoo!
Before "Yard Crashers," this yard was a place we had to mow.
It was grass and trees and really nothing
and just gave you an empty feeling being out here.
And there were snakes that would come up from the underbrush.
Scary.
It's a relaxing space now.
It's a space where I feel like I can come out
and we can party, we can relax.
It has so many functions, and it's just so beautiful.
I love the kitchen area
and the bar area with not one TV, but two.
[ Laughter ]
Having a lounging area to actually lay on a trampoline
and -- trampoline bed.
It's incredible, and it's beautiful.
I love the concrete features.
The centerpiece is the concrete fireplace.
It's so beautiful
and it really gives this backyard personality.
Oh, my gosh. You have more beauty than the eye can see.
And how about my crew? Jason, Phil, Lee.
MATT: My biggest question -- Are you guys happy?
All right, good.
Just beyond words.
That is a yard crash. We're out, Tampa!
Let's go!
[ Cheers and applause ]