Over Your Head is the series for everyone who has ever attempted a home improvement makeover only to find themselves, well, a little over their heads. Even seemingly simple home improvement projects can go oh, so wrong. On each episode, host Eric Stromer and his team of professionals bail out do-it-yourselfers, taking them on a wild ride from what went wrong, to what it takes to make it right.
Episode 1
301 / BRENNEMAN – “UNFINISHED COOK’S KITCHEN”
Host: Eric Stromer
Carpenter: Josh Hammond
Jason Brenneman promised his wife a new cook’s kitchen eight months ago, and it’s still not done. Jason and Kate bought a “fixer-upper” shortly after they got married two years ago. Jason promised Kate, a serious cook, that he’d build her the kitchen of her dreams. Although he was able to install the new cabinets, Jason found himself adrift when it came to installing countertops and a new floor. Now Kate has water-damaged plywood for countertops, an unfinished kitchen island and carpet swatches on a bare cement floor. Kate calls in Eric Stromer and Carpenter Josh Hammond to help her husband finish the kitchen he was ashamed to admit was a bit more than he could handle.
Episode 2
302 / FERNANDEZ – “HALF-FINISHED HACIENDA ARCHES”
Host: Eric Stromer
Carpenter: Josh Hammond
Angela and Alfredo Fernandez and their two kids live in a modest home in Cerritos, California. Angela has returned to school to chase her dream of being an elementary school teacher, so the family is on a tight budget. But desire knows no bounds when it comes to a king and his castle, and Alfredo decided to do away with parts of the walls that separate his kitchen from living room and dining room to make the area look bigger. He created two arches, using only a hammer and utility knife, attempting to recreate the Spanish style brick arch of their chimney. But Alfredo left out one detail of his planning, what to do once the holes were cut! Now it’s been a year and a half, and Angela is tired of trying to block the unsightly view when her neighbors are on the porch. Eric Stromer and Carpenter Josh Hammond help this “over-arching” do-it-yourselfer complete the arch project of his dreams.
Episode 3
303 / BURNETT – “FIREPLACE UNDER FIRE”
Host: Eric Stromer
Carpenter: Andy Hampton
Harold Burnett is a true DIY guy who’s spent the last several years restoring his 1927 Spanish Villa home. He’s perfected nearly everything about it, except for one big eyesore – the 70’s style gas fireplace in the middle of the living room. Harold’s afraid to touch it–since he knows nothing about gas and electrical work–and his wife Tracey’s getting frustrated since the decrepit old fireplace is the first thing people see when they enter. Eric Stromer and carpenter Andy Hampton help Harold heal his home (and hearth.)
Episode 4
304 / ARANDA – “ATTIC INTERRUPTED”
Host: Eric Stromer
Carpenter: Josh Hammond
Bryan Aranda and his cabinet-maker father worked together for years turning the family’s home into a re-modeled masterpiece for wife and mother Monica. Their last project was turning the attic into a spare bedroom. They gutted the attic from top to bottom, reinforced the floor beams, finished the sub flooring, as well as 75% of the electrical work and plumbing. Then Mr. Aranda died suddenly. That was two years ago. Although Bryan has since married and moved out of the house, his mother’s attic still needs major insulation and drywall, along with some finish work. Monica knows it isn’t a matter of Bryan not wanting to do the work. The real issue is he isn’t confident of his remodeling skills without his father there to guide him. Eric Stromer and “Over Your Head” Carpenter Josh Hammond become surrogate guides for Bryan, helping him finally finish the attic and make his mother proud.
Episode 5
305 / PARKER – “STONE FLOOR STANDSTILL”
Host: Eric Stromer
Carpenter: Andy Hampton
John “Rick” Parker grew up in the home he now shares with his wife, Jennifer. When they got married and moved into the fixer-upper last year, Rick started an extensive renovation, but when he got to the kitchen…he got stuck. He knocked out a wall, raised the ceiling up, installed new appliances, and new cabinets. But when he tried to lay an Italian floor design of broken pieces of flagstone in a pattern bordered by bricks, he realized he was in over his head. He had no idea how to properly lay and level the stone. And, with the floor unfinished, Rick couldn’t move forward installing the countertops and backsplash. Although he has a good grasp of construction, he doesn’t quite have the skills for the finishing work. Eric Stromer and Carpenter Andy Hampton ride to the rescue.
Episode 6
306 / OTERO – “STAIRCASE OF DOOM”
Host: Eric Stromer
Carpenter: Nancy Rodriguez
Jimmy Otero replaced the ugly sliding glass door in his family room with a beautiful new set of French doors. But the new doors didn’t fit properly–and Jimmy didn’t know how to trim them, so he merely stuffed the crack between the door and stucco with old newspapers. And, since the old concrete staircase didn’t fit the new door configuration, Jimmy built a rickety staircase out of scrap lumber as a temporary fix to the problem. However, that was two years ago, and Jimmy’s wife Dawn is at wits end because their large, beautiful yard has remained inaccessible thanks to Jimmy’s jerry-rigged eyesore. Eric Stromer and carpenter Nancy Rodgriguez show Jimmy the proper way to seal and trim the door…and help him build a beautiful new deck and staircase.
Episode 7
307 / STERN – “BOTCHED BATHROOM”
Host: Eric Stromer
Carpenter: Josh Hammond
Jesse and Jeane Stern have been married for three years and would like to get their house in order so they can start a family. So, two months ago, with his father’s help, Jesse began working on the master bathroom and successfully took out the flooring and repaired the plumbing for the shower. Jesse felt confident about installing the new sink and vanity but decided he had to tile the floor first with the Jerusalem stone he bought. But when his dad left and the new shower doors didn’t fit, Jesse was left feeling stuck, and now Jeane is wondering if he’ll ever finish the bathroom. Eric Stromer and Carpenter Josh Hammond arrive to help Jesse get the job done right.
Episode 8
308 / ROBEL – “RUBBLE TROUBLE”
Host: Eric Stromer
Carpenter: Nancy Rodriguez
Dave Robel is a busy father of two with a penchant for starting home improvement projects and not finishing them. After he and his wife purchased their home three years ago, Dave decided that their backyard needed an overhaul–in particular the unsightly concrete slab in the middle. Dave rented a jackhammer and broke up the slab, but, in order to save money, decided not to rent a dumpster and just go ahead and dispose of the rubble in the trash. All went according to plan, except for one problem: the process took a year and a half, since Dave could only throw out a few pieces of the heavy concrete at a time. Maribel says that Dave was inspired by the Tim Robbins movie “The Shawshank Redemption,” which is an apt analogy, since the Robel backyard still looks like a prison yard (no grass, no deck). Maribel fears that she’s looking at “20 years to life” before the project is finished. Eric Stromer and carpenter Nancy Rodriguez swoop to the rescue, turning Maribel’s well-meaning (but procrastinating) husband into a finisher.
Episode 9
309 / SWAB – “SURPRISE SUN ROOM”
Host: Eric Stromer
Carpenter: Andy Hampton
Homeowner Sharon Swab is admittedly not a do-it-yourselfer, so when her handyman roommate Brian Schaefer offered to remodel her master bedroom in exchange for a break in the rent, she quickly agreed. The plan was to convert a disused storage room adjoining the bedroom into a walk-in closet. However, the plan changed abruptly once Brian began removing the water-damaged drywall and discovered a series of hidden windows that had been covered over. The walk-in closet concept was quickly scrapped—in favor of a cozy sun room. However, just as quickly, Brian found himself over his head, since he knows how to install drywall but has no idea how to refinish windows. Eric Stromer and carpenter Andy Hampton arrive to bail out this less-than-handy handyman, so that Sharon can finally have the beautiful sunroom she’s been dreaming about.
Episode 10
310 / REBELES – “D.I.Y. MAYHEM UNDER THE SYCAMORE TREE”
Host: Eric Stromer
Carpenter: Josh Hammond
Sisters and new homeowners Olivia and Anita Rebeles consider themselves “green thumbs,” but remodeling their unattractive hillside backyard has proved to be an ordeal beyond their experience and skill level. Although they’ve been working on it for months, they have little to show for it. The side fence is falling down, the retaining walls are sagging, and the paver walkway they built is uneven and treacherous. However, their biggest problem is dealing with the giant tree in the center of the yard, which has killed all the grass and plants they laid. Eric Stromer and carpenter Josh Hammond arrive and help the sisters transform this barren “no-man’s land” into a safe and cozy retreat.
Episode 11
311 / OLOMON – “WINE CELLAR FIASCO”
Host: Eric Stromer
Carpenter: Josh Hammond
When wine aficionado Ed Olomon decided to remodel his garage, he planned on building himself a wine cellar for storing his vintage collection. His wife Raquel agreed, provided that Ed also turn the rest of the space into a workout room for her. Ed immediately got to work, but quickly found himself in trouble. After spending months designing and building the cellar, he was dismayed to discover that he’d built the room too small, and none of the special cellar doors available for purchase would fit the space. The work stalled—and with it the plans for Raquel’s gym. Eric Stromer and carpenter Josh Hammond arrive and help Ed rebuild his cellar—and his self-esteem—from the ground up. And of course, they also help give Raquel the home gym she’s been hankering for.
Episode 12
312 / ALLISON – “NOT-SO-ENTERTAINING HOME THEATRE”
Host: Eric Stromer
Carpenter: Andy Hampton
For many years, movie lover Tyler Allison has dreamed about building a home movie theatre inside his home. Last fall, he and his wife agreed that the time had come, and he got busy. Since they didn’t have an extra room for this purpose, Tyler planned to construct the theatre in their living room. Since space was an issue, Tyler decided to build ceiling level cabinets to hide the components. But what he didn’t count on was the physical toll this would extract given all the overheard work on ladders. After throwing out his back (for the second time) work on the project came to a halt. Wife Allison is not pleased, since gaping, unfinished wiring holes now cover the living room walls. Eric Stromer and carpenter Andy Hampton help Tyler finally finish his dream theatre, giving this woeful remodeling tale the “Hollywood” ending it deserves.
Episode 13
313 / MOORE – “DEALING WITH THE CEILING”
Host: Eric Stromer
Carpenter: Josh Hammond
Angela Moore is a stay-at-home mother of two. When she and her husband Chris decided to insulate the ceiling in the family room, Angela convinced Chris that she could do it herself (with the help of her contractor friend Sophie) Chalk another one up to “it seemed like a good idea at the time.” The women went to work installing the ceiling insulation panels, which ended up taking weeks and ultimately looking terrible, since they didn’t know how to level the panels properly. (The friend’s “contractor” creds are beginning to look a little suspect here.) Now Angela’s stuck because the next part of the plan is to install bead board over the insulation (in order to approximate the rustic wood finish that she and Sophie covered up.) Eric Stromer and carpenter Josh Hammond arrive to insulate Chris from further delays–and help Angela finish the ambitious ceiling project she started.