Category Archives: Blog

Win Some Decorating Bucks Now Through October 28!

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We’ve all had this experience, I’m sure: you head to the grocery store to pick up a few extras for dinner. It should be simple. It should be cheap. I mean you need butter. And maybe bacon. Anyway . . . you snag the items you need, see a couple more basic food items you could use, grab some sandwich meat because the kids are back in school and you head to the self-checkout lanes. A few beeps and scans later and the screen’s telling you that somehow you owe the grocery store $79.84. How??

Everything adds up fast right now. But we can help a little bit–at least with your painting projects!

Now through October 28, we’ll be giving away (2) $100 gift certificates on every airing of the RepcoLite Home Improvement Show. But, you’ve got to listen to the broadcast live in order to have a chance to win. Here’s how you do that:

West Michigan Listeners

  • Catch the show every Saturday morning from 8-9 AM
  • Wood Radio — 1300 AM and 106.9 FM

East Side Listeners

  • Catch the show every Saturday morning from 6-7 AM
  • Detroit’s Wheels WLLZ — 106.7 FM
AND
  • Catch the show every Saturday morning from 7-8 AM
  • WDTK the Patriot — 1400 AM and 101.5 FM

Making Christmas Brighter with Angel Tree

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Christmas is rapidly approaching! And while that fills many of us with excitement and anticipation, there are many families in our community who will struggle. Angel Tree is a ministry run by the Salvation Army that allows us to help make Christmas a bit brighter by connecting Christmas gifts with kids and teens in our area who otherwise would possibly not have received anything this year.

There are a lot of good causes out there to give to, but Angel Tree is really a great “hands-on” experience. Rather than simply donating money, you and your family head to any organization hosting an Angel Tree (see links below), pick out a tag or two (or three) from the tree, and then head to the store to buy a gift!

GIFT IDEAS
This year my family got involved with Angel Tree for the first time in a number of years. My youngest daughter went shopping with me and had a lot of fun (and spent a fair amount of time) strolling through the toy aisles, trying to decide on the perfect choice for a 7 year old girl. She was involved in the process and that made her more aware of the needs out there. Also, it helped her become part of one little way of helping.This year, RepcoLite is hosting Angel Trees at 4 of our locations:

  • The 17th Street Store in Holland (473 W. 17th Street)
  • The Byron Center Store (860 84th St. SW, Suite 2)
  • The Broadmoor Ave. Store (2840 Broadmoor Ave SE)
  • The Fulton Street Store (912 Fulton St. SE)
There are also TONS of other locations with trees. We don’t care where you get the tags–just go out and grab a tag! The need is bigger this year than it has been in previous years–even during the height of the pandemic. Please help us make Christmas a bit brighter for the kids in our community!

ANGEL TREE LOCATIONS

Quick “Before-the-Holidays-Arrive” Projects

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The 2023 Holiday Season is officially here . . . and of course, that means everyone is rushing out to tackle a full-home repaint, right? Well, not really. At least not most of us!

Typically, around this time of year, there are other things that keep our minds and money occupied. However, there are a lot of small-investment (both time and money) projects that can pay off BIG in your home. They might be the perfect thing to give your home a needed pick-me-up as you get ready to entertain guests and enjoy family time. 

Here are just a couple projects we’re highlighting from the RepcoLite Home Improvement Show which airs every Saturday morning at 8 AM on Wood Radio, 1300 AM and 106.9 FM.

Paint the Fireplace

Painting a brick fireplace is a big commitment but it also makes a giant impact on a space. We have talked about projects like this in the past so we decided to tackle it ourselves and LOVE the results. Check out the two segments below for more info on this great project:

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Fireplace Repaint, Part 1
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Fireplace Repaint, Part 2

Paint the INTERIOR of your Entry Door

We typically give tons of thought to the exterior of our entry doors . . . but rarely does the interior side get that same attention! That’s a shame because the right color on the entry door can really add some pop to your entry! Check out our conversation on what colors are fair game when it comes to the inside of your entry door:

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Colors for Interior Doors

Curbside Forever!

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Since our stores are now open for customers to shop inside, we have removed our outdoor curbside pickup areas. However, we know that many customers found curbside pickup to be very convenient, and because of this we will ALWAYS have curbside pickup available at all of our locations.

Just ask for curbside service when you place your order, call us when you arrive and we’ll bring your order right out to your vehicle!

It’s fast! It’s convenient! You won’t have to leave your car! And you’ll be back on the road in no time, loaded up with all the paint and supplies you need for your next project!

Ask us about it when you place your order!

Should I Fill the Grain on My Oak Cabinets Before Painting?

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If you’re sitting in a home with 90’s Golden Oak cabinets, chances are you’ve at least toyed with the idea of painting them. However, it’s also likely that if you’ve debated a paint project, you’ve also wondered about filling the grain so you have doors that look smooth.

But is it necessary? 

In most situations, we would say it’s just not worth all the extra work. And there’s a LOT of extra work! There are a variety of options for filling the grain, but all of them are going to require a tremendous amount of sanding. It’s time consuming, labor intensive, and messy. And usually, the end results aren’t worth it.

  1. When you apply 1 coat of primer and 2 coats of finish paint to your cabinet doors, you’re going to find that the graining in the oak is dramatically minimized. The paint and primer don’t fill the grain, but they do minimize all but the most open and porous.
  2. Much of the “look” of the open grain is due to the color variations. The open grain stains much darker than the surrounding wood, creating a deep contrast. However, when the surface is painted a solid color, all of that visual contrast disappears. And along with it, much of the visual representation of the grain.
  3. Finally, painted oak is actually trending! A growing number of cabinet companies are releasing lines of “painted oak” cabinets. The solid paint color is always popular, but the addition of the grain texture adds a modern appeal. (Who’d have thought!)

In most situations, when you paint your oak cabinets, you will see some of the physical texture of the grain when you look at the doors closely and at angles. However, when you stand in your kitchen and look at the room, the only thing you’re usually going to notice is the new, lighter, cleaner, updated cabinets! So don’t let the worries about seeing too much grain prevent you from updating your space!

What Paint Sheen Should I Use in My Bathroom?

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As is usually the case with paint and coatings, there’s no “one-size-fits-all” answer. Before recommending a finish paint and sheen for any room, there are questions that must be asked. In this case, we’re dealing with a bathroom, so the first question is this: Is it a half bath or a full bath? If there’s a shower or tub present, the recommendation is potentially different than if there isn’t.

Other questions we’d ask would concern any problem areas or situations that have manifested over the years.

  • Are mold and mildew a routine issue?
  • Is the current paint in good condition, or are there areas where it’s peeling?
  • And on and on….

It’s always good to talk to someone personally to get a recommendation that fits your space and your needs. However, with that said, we can make some generic recommendations.

So What Sheen is Best?

For the most part, the answer hinges on the product used more so than the sheen itself. Aura Bath and Spa from Benjamin Moore is our favorite bathroom paint. It’s designed for high humidity environments, is mildew resistant, and hides and covers extremely well. Best of all, it does all of that in a matte finish.

That means you can finally have a bathroom that fits in with the rest of your home! Before Bath and Spa, we were forced to choose shinier paints for our bathrooms and we just had to tolerate the look. Now, there’s an option to get a matte look and still get excellent durability.

If you don’t want to use Aura Bath and Spa, we’d most generally recommend a satin sheen. RepcoLite’s Hallmark line offers mildew resistance and great washability. 

If you have a bathroom fan that moves the moisture out of the room quickly, or if the tub/shower doesn’t get a lot of use, Hallmark Eggshell would also be an option to consider.

If it’s only a half bath, your options are wide open when it comes to sheen.

Always Talk It Over!

In the end, we love to recommend Aura Bath and Spa. In our experience, it’s the perfect bathroom paint and eliminates most of the issues that you’ll ever run into when painting that room. But always call, chat on our website, or stop in at any Repcolite, Port City Paints, or Snyder Paints and talk through your exact situation before buying your paint!