Category Archives: Home Improvement Show

EP199: Pet Safe Ice Melt, North Facing Rooms, and more!

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SEGMENT 1: Keeping Our Pets Safe in the Winter

A lot of us have pets who love being out in the snow. But, there are some concerns–especially regarding the various ice melts we often use on our driveways. And unfortunately, not all “Pet-Safe” ice melts are created equal. We’ve got the info you need to help keep your pet safe and happy this winter!

SEGMENT 2: Scuff-X, Miracle Paint!

Scuff-X from Benjamin Moore is a paint we’ve spoken about many times on the show. But it’s still so remarkable . . . we can always find something new to say! Today we talk about how we’re seeing Scuff-X being used with great success on trim and cabinets.

SEGMENT 3: Choosing Colors for a North Facing Room

Color is light. And the quality, quantity, and even the angle light enters our rooms can dramatically affect the look and feel of the colors on our walls. Today we talk why choosing colors for a North facing room can be difficult and we’ve got some suggestions!

Grays That Don’t Lean Too Blue

Look for grays that lean beige:

  • Revere Pewter
  • Edgecomb Gray

Greens With a Hint of Blue

Look for a more balanced green, with equal parts yellow and blue.

  • Spring Valley
  • Desert Green

Beige That Actually Looks Beige!

The rule of thumb in a North facing room is to choose colors that are warmer than you think you should. Then, the cool tones in the light will bring them back into the zone you were hoping. For beige or a warm off-white, try these Benjamin Moore colors respectively:

  • Lenox Tan
  • Gentle Cream

SEGMENT 4: Maintaining the Right Tire Pressure

Keeping your tires at the right pressure is important! Not only for fuel economy, but for safety, handling, and even for preventing undue wear on the tires! 

We talk about what you need to do and how often to make sure your tires are at the right pressure, no matter the season!

And we also mentioned a specific tire gauge that we love. Here’s a link:

EP198: Winter Fun, Indoors and Out

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SEGMENT 1: She’s a Huge Luger!

Hailey visited the Muskegon Winter Sports Complex this past Saturday and was blown away by all they had to offer in terms of outdoor winter fun! Besides ice skating, snow-shoeing, and cross country skiing, they also boast a luge track! Sadly, Hailey didn’t bring home the gold, but she still had a lot of fun! 

If you’re looking for something to do this winter, you’ve got to check out the Muskegon Winter Sports Complex!

SEGMENT 2: What’s Up With VOCs in Paint?

There are a lot of misconceptions out there when it comes to VOCs in paint. Search online for a few minutes and you’ll read a wide range of claims about the dangers. Unfortunately, a lot of that information is inaccurate. 

Today, we discuss what VOCs really are and how much they should impact your choice of paint. 

SEGMENT 3: Wally’s Treasures

Hailey spent last weekend on the luge track in Muskegon.  Dan chose something a little more his speed: a visit to an antique mall. However, this wasn’t just any antique mall! Wallys Treasures is absolutely huge, wonderfully curated, and reasonably priced. It was a great day of searching for hidden treasures and we can’t recommend it enough! 

Wally’s Treasures Antique Mall
1438 28th St. SE
Grand Rapids, MI 49508

SEGMENT 4: Choosing the Perfect Color in 2021

We’re all still dealing with the ongoing effects of COVID and for some of us, that means we’re just not comfortable coming into a store to browse and shop. For others, there are health issues that require them to be cautious.

If that’s you . . . or honestly, if you just don’t have the time to stand at the color display and try to find the right color . . . there are some solutions!

EP197: From Hex Signs to Barn Quilts

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SEGMENT 1: Welcome Hailey!

We’re excited to introduce Hailey Johnson, jack-of-all-trades and now, pre-famous radio personality. Hailey’s got a background in everything from Art to Paint. And while that may not sound terribly all-encompassing . . . Hailey will assure you that it is.

SEGMENTS 2 & 3: From Hex Signs to Barn Quilts

Hex signs have a long, fascinating, and often misunderstood history. We dig into the tradition of barn decorating and the pitfalls of translation.

 

SEGMENT 4: Electronic Door Locks

Here’s a quick, 30-minute upgrade for your homes: install a keyless, electronic door lock! For anywhere from $50 to $300 you could go keyless on the main door of your home. It’s an incredibly convenient upgrade, easy to accomplish, and not too expensive. It might be the perfect Saturday project….

EP192: Creating Warmth for Outdoor Gatherings

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SEGMENT 1: Warming Up the Outdoors

Some of us celebrated Christmas outdoors this year. Maybe in Florida, that’s cool. But in Michigan, it’s definitely cold! Here are a number of products you might want to consider if you’re looking at New Year’s Eve celebrations and you’re still shivering from last weekend:

Coffee Table Fire Pit

Outdoor Patio Heater

Mr. Heater Big Buddy

Solo Stove

SEGMENT 2: Finding the Perfect Gray

It’s easy to think that there really is such a thing as a “standard” or a “pure” gray. However, there really isn’t. Every color (grays included) are affected by undertones. 

In this segment, we’ll give you some easy ways to determine which undertones are in the colors you’re selecting, so you can be sure to always pick the perfect tone!

SEGMENTS 3 & 4: Dan’s 30-Year Furniture Project

Dan A. found a beautiful, antique library table at a barn sale. Though buried beneath layers of pink paint, he could see that it was gorgeous and would be perfect in his home. So he snatched it up. 30 years ago. And a few weeks ago, he finally started the work! We’ll talk about products he’s used, lessons he’s learned, and how we can apply all of that to our own projects!

EP190: Home Theater on the Cheap

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SEGMENT 1: Charlie Brown and the Aluminum Christmas Tree

The Charlie Brown Christmas special, when it aired for the first time, had a dramatically negative impact on the aluminum Christmas tree industry! Here’s the article we referenced on the show:

SEGMENTS 2 & 3: Benjamin Moore’s Color Trends for 2021

Every year, Benjamin Moore releases a new Color of the Year and a small array of colors that they feel will inspire the trends in the upcoming year.

Today we speak with Hailey Johnson from Benjamin Moore about the 2021 Palette.

SEGMENT 4: Home Theater on the Cheap

Last week I jumped into a home theater setup. I’ve been toying around with the idea for years, but finally decided to pull the trigger. And the reason I did it? Because I found a way to create a great theater experience at home for under $500! Here’s what I bought:

The Projector:

There are a number of great budget options out there, but I narrowed my search down to the following two. I selected the Yaber V6 in the end simply because it had (on the specs) a higher contrast ratio and was perhaps a bit brighter. But from the reviews, both are excellent!

I’m happy with my purchase, but it’s important to note that it’s good in low lighting, but definitely excels when the room is dark. If you plan to watch sports or television during the day or in brightly lit spaces, this is probably not the projector for you. You would probably need to bump up the $$ in order to move into a higher quality product line!

But for those of you who want periodic “Movie Night Fun”, I don’t think you can go wrong with either of these:

The Screen:

The Rest:

The most important other stuff to consider is the means by which you’ll get your movies to the projector! You can do that with a BluRay player, DVD player, or even an Amazon FireStick or Roku box. There are many other options out there! 

 

EP189: A-List Christmas Gifts

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SEGMENTS 1 & 2: Out of the Box Games

Jeff from Out of the Box Games, Toys, and Puzzles talked about a wide variety of games. Here are just a few of his recommendations for this Christmas:

  • Carcassonne
  • Settlers of Catan
  • Ticket to Ride
  • Pandemic
  • Trekking the National Parks

SEGMENTS 3 & 4: RepcoLite Home Improvement Show Gift Recommendations

Every year, we at the RepcoLite HIS provide a list of our top gift picks for the year. Because we are so wise and all-knowing? Nope. Because our opinions are weighty and important? Probably not.

Why do we do it then? Mostly just because we have to find a way to hint to our families about what we’d really like this year . . . .

Here are some of the recommendations we made:

DAN ALTENA:

DAN HANSEN:

  • Countertop Knife Sharpener
  • Quality Kitchen Knives
  • Diamond-Infused Bakeware
  • Ryoba Japanese Pull Saw

SEGMENT 4: RepcoLite Christmas Contest 2020

For the last 3 years, we’ve run a HUGE Christmas contest in December. 2020 is no different! The contest is running from now until December 19 when we’ll announce a winner on the radio show! 

Click the link below to enter! And don’t forget to come back daily for those free extra entries!