Matt Werline is 34 in human years. On TikTok, however, the comedic handyman is just a toddler.
But this man-child has 229,000 TikTok fans cracking up.
This is validation for Werline, who was voted class clown his senior year at Concord High School.
The Wilmington resident is best known as “MattFixxit” on TikTok, an account he started in July that’s gained over 226,000 followers since late January.
MattFixxit’s account features videos of the self-employed handyman, whose TikTok account shares the same name as his repair business. He shares tips and tricks he will use in repairing a building or home he’s been commissioned to fix in New Castle County.
But to spice things up, he weaves in humorous commentary, along with dancing, wearing wigs, adult-themed jokes and some cursing.
Werline often tickles his followers with DIY sound effects he creates for his power tools. His buzz saw is affectionately named Buzzy.
“I never knew any of this was going to happen. I had no idea. I was not trying to go viral,” he said. “But now that I have an audience, I’m having a great time with it. I’m having a blast.”
Newfound TikTok fame
The Concord High grad’s first viral video was Jan. 19 and has since generated 1.8 million views. That video is about moldy bathroom caulking.
It begins with Werline touring a bathtub that has black mold on the caulking, while he gives his impression of a used-car salesman.
“Does your bathroom caulking look like hotdog —-? Are you embarrassed to let your friends and family use your shower? If so, this video’s for you,” Werline said in one TikTok.
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Jenny Werline, Matt’s wife, said when her husband raises the pitch of his voice, which he does near the end in the bathroom video, sometimes “he sounds like SpongeBob.” TikTok fans have jokingly compared him to Jack Black, and he’s been nicknamed the “Ryan Reynolds of Construction.”
In addition to sarcasm in that bathroom video, Werline demonstrates how to remove caulk using the product Krud Kutter.
What helped that video explode, he said, was how relatable it is, something he noticed in the comment section.
“I keep rewatching it just to hear the commentary ma boi,” an amused TikToker wrote.
“This is grade A entertainment and education,” another TikToker wrote.
“LMFAO when [I] was 17 i took white spray paint and gently covered up all the brown spots,” a commenter confided.
Since that video went viral, Werline has released more than a dozen TikToks and each generated at least 40,000 views. His latest was on Feb. 15 and features a home with a roof leaking. It has 59,000 views.
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The success behind his viral following, he said, has been creating content people can connect with that will inspire them to share it. In fact, Werline has gotten tongue-tied in a few videos and said the authenticity of not editing that out has made more people like him.
His most-watched video landed Feb. 3 and features a home repair that needed aluminum siding. It has 3.8 million views.
That was one of the first where he started using sound effects. Now it’s become a staple in his content. But he’s constantly trying to figure out what videos will do well.
“I’ve been over-analyzing the —- out of all this.”
MattFixxit customer: ‘It’s really cool’
Steve Barone of Wilmington has been a MattFixxit customer for a few years. His home is featured in a couple of Werline’s TikTok videos, including one from Jan. 30 where Werline installs soft-closed cabinet hinges.
Barone isn’t into TikTok, he said, but it was a treat seeing Werline act a fool in a video starring his house. The video has 184,000 views.
“When you watch it, there’s the sound effects; and things like that just make you laugh, including the faces that Matt made. It’s really cool. I’ve never seen anything like it,” he said.
Barone has been a reoccurring customer of Werline, way before the TikTok fame because his craftsmanship is on point.
“He does a fantastic job. I used him because of a recommendation from a friend a few years ago on some initial projects. As I go through fixing my house and making updates, I reach back out to him.”
DIY homeowner fail
It’s not uncommon for homeowners to tackle home improvements on their own in order to cut costs rather than hire a professional.
That’s been the source of some crazy DIY fails Werline has been hired to fix. One of the worst he’s witnessed involved folks who tried to repair drain pipes in their kitchen.
“I have seen some caulk jobs where they just loaded it with silicone on the drain pipe, thinking that would fix it; and that never fixes it, because the silicone doesn’t stick since it’s wet and they didn’t clean it off.”
But broken drain pipes are typically a cheap and easy repair. “It’s literally something that costs 30 cents. It’s like a little slip nut, or a little plastic washer.”
‘I’m being dead serious’
The Wilmington man has been running his MattFixxit business for four years. It took nearly a year for him to get to the point where he could work five days a week.
Werline’s success on TikTok has drawn him about four new customers, he said.
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He’s in such high demand these days that he only does repairs in New Castle County. He’s his only employee.
“I can’t keep up with the work that’s 10 minutes away from my house. And I’m being dead serious,” he said. “I was constantly swamped before even going viral. But now it’s just going to get worse.”
Werline is also a real estate agent, and he said he’d like to focus more on selling properties because it’s more lucrative than being a handyman, plus it’s easier on his body.
At the end of the day, though, Werline enjoys being a handyman more than a real estate agent.
“I love the challenge. I get different —- thrown at me all the time.”
In the meanwhile, the Concord High class clown is looking to keep up his shenanigans on TikTok and use the platform to generate more business for repair work.
“Down the road, when I’ll have 5 million followers and be somewhat of a local celebrity, “I’m charging $1,000 a day because I’m the comedic handyman.”
Andre Lamar is the features/lifestyle reporter. If you have an interesting story idea, email Andre Lamar at alamar@gannett.com
