Category Archives: Home Improvement Show

EP68: Drywall Tips, Brilliance of Mr. Wright, Whole House Generators 101!

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This week we talk to the Wall Doctor and get tips to make our your next drywall project go more smoothly. If you’ve ever hung your own drywall, you know there are little things that can make the project frustrating. Today, you can listen to an expert spill the beans on everything he does to make sure every project goes well!

We’re also in the studio with Brad Krause from Service Professor to talk about power generators. Sure, we all know about the portable options, but are you aware that there are systems that are permanent? That can be installed at your home and which will automatically kick on within 10 seconds of a power failure?

On top of all of that, we talk about an amazing opportunity right here in Grand Rapids! The Meyer May House is a home designed by none other than Frank Lloyd Wright. It was completely restored in 1985 and is now open for free tours! It’s a remarkable opportunity to take a peek into the mind of one of America’s finest, most brilliant architects!

Listen here: 

SHOW NOTES

Segments 2 & 3: The Meyer May House

We promised pictures of our visit and here they are!

EP67: German Smear, WD-40, Roofing 101 with the Sheriff!

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Today’s show highlights a project that we think has tremendous potential! So many of us have brick houses that look and feel a little dated. They’ve got that 70’s or 80’s brick and we just don’t know what to do to breathe new life into it. Well, if you’re an HGTV aficionado, you’ve probably heard of German Schmear (or Smear). It’s a great way to update that old brick. However, it’s a bit labor intensive. Well, we’ve got a contractor who just created the same look on a house with a much simpler method involving RepcoLite’s waterbased exterior stain! If you’re sick of the brick, we might have a project for you!

We also cover a number of unique uses for WD-4o. And then, in the last two segments, we sit down with Matt Williams from Sheriff-Goslin Roofing (a roofing company who has been around for 112 years) to discuss . . . of course . . . roofing. We talk about what signs will tell you when your roof needs replacement and we dig into lots of new roofing technology! Matt even gets a little “sciencey”!

Listen now:

SHOW NOTES

Segment 1: German Schmear

We promised pictures and examples on the show and we intend to deliver! Check out the gallery below. The first gallery is taken from the job we mentioned in the segment. The second gallery is a link to our Pinterest page for examples from around the web!

 

German Schmear from our Pinterest Page

Segments 3 & 4: Sheriff-Goslin Roofing

In this segment, we interview Matt Williams. He is the manager of the Lakeshore division. If you’d like to get in touch with Matt, you can reach him at 616-392-3373.

 

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EP65: Oak Cabinets, Paint Warranties, Safe Electrical Outlets

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On today’s show we talk about painting Oak cabinets. It’s not a complicated project, but the big question always revolves around the open graining: what do you do about it so you can get a great look on your finished cabinets? We talk about that as well as the riveting topic of paint warranties. (And as boring as that may sound, it’s important to understand exactly what a warranty will cover. You’ll be surprised how little some warranties actually mean!) And finally, we wrap up the show with an interview with Brad Krause from Service Professor. Brad sits down with us and discusses a number of electrical safety concerns that are probably happening in your home right now!

Listen now:

SHOW NOTES

Segment 2

Here’s the “homemade air conditioner” we talked about at the beginning of the second segment. Yes, we know this could be a “fake” YouTube video. Yes, we know it might not work as well as it’s shown. But we still think it looks like a ton of fun to try!

EP63: Wool Carpet, Solid Color Stain Explained, A Crafty Flower Pot Project, and Sewer Backups No More!

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Today’s show covers a wide variety of topics. We start by discussing the long-term benefits of wool carpet (as well as the sheep that make it possible). From there, we discuss a confusing topic among homeowners: solid color stain. What is it? Why use it? How is it different from paint? We dig into all of that and then, Betsy goes all “crafty” and has a great project using solid color stain. Finally, we wrap up with an interview with Service Professor in Grand Rapids about sewer backups and all the different solutions that are available to you!

Listen Here:

Show notes for episode 063:

Wool carpet is expensive, right? Overpriced? Not worth it? Absolutely not! We sit down with Nick Sargent from Johnson Carpet One in Grandville to talk about the charm, durability, and incredibly functionality of wool carpet.

Solid Color Stain is typically a confusing product. People think of stain as something you can see through and which has a brown tone! They don't realize that solid color stains actually look pretty much like paint!

But that brings up the next question: when do I use paint and when should I use stain? We answer all of that and more!

Finally, we mentioned an EPA Guide to Lead Safe Repair, Renovation, and Painting. Here it is if you'd like to check it out!

Betsy gets all "crafty" and talks about a perfect Saturday project for you, your kids, your grandkids . . . pretty much everyone!

Sewer backups are tremendously . . . inconvenient. Horrible. Life-Altering. You name it. But did you know there are alternatives to simply "rootering" your line every few months? Alternatives that don't require you to dig up your yard?

We're in the studio with Paul Gerbaisi from Service Professor in Grand Rapids to highlight all the options available to you!

EP62: The Wall Doctor, Lawn Tool Maintenance, and the Nearly Magical Scuff-X!

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Benjamin Moore’s Scuff-X is one of the most unique paint products we’ve ever run across. It’s not every day that we get this excited about a product. But Scuff-X is the real deal! Today we sit down in the studio with Kevin Hermann from Benjamin Moore to talk about Scuff-X as it’s first birthday approaches!

Listen Here:

Show notes for episode 062:

After doing a segment a couple weeks ago about installing new drywall to hide a popcorn texture on your ceiling, we were excited to meet Jason Austin from The Wall Doctor. Jason will actually come out and mud, tape, and finish drywall that YOU'VE hung! And that's just the beginning of what he'll do to help you improve your home!

Many of us use our lawn tools and just toss them back in the garage or shed when we're done. We don't clean them and we don't think to maintain them. And yet, by doing a few simple maintenance tasks, you can keep them looking great for years!

Also, we referenced an article in the show. Here's the link if you'd like to read it! Finally, we mentioned a great rust remover product called Must for Rust. Here are some before an after shots of an old garden hoe that was not cared for at all! The "after" shot is after soaking it in a bucket of Must for Rust for about 30 minutes! No scrubbing, sanding, or grinding required.

Scuff-X is one of those incredibly unique products that lives up to (and even exceeds) the hype! It's remarkably scuff-resistant AND painting contractors are beginning to use it in more and more unique situations!

EP60 – June 2, 2018: Popcorn Ceilings No More, Must-Have Drywall Tools, Paint Behind the Toilet, Egress Windows

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Popcorn ceilings hit the scene in the 1950’s and took off in popularity. However, just like other fads and fashions (bellbottoms, we’re looking at you), the beauty and appeal wore thin before too long! But, many of our homes have that cottage cheese stuff on the ceilings and we don’t know what to do to get it off! Well, we’ve got some ideas on that….

Show notes for episode 060:

Popcorn ceilings were popular in the past. But that was a LONG time ago! Yet, they're everywhere. What can we do to cover them up and make our homes look better? We have some suggestions in this segment!

Also, in the course of the segment, Dan references a picture of himself. Here it is, in all it's 1970's glitz and glamour:

Drywalling isn't a terribly fun job. In fact, it's kind of a pain. BUT, if you've got the right tools, it can go much more smoothly than you may expect!

Painting behind the toilet is one of the biggest questions we receive in our inbox. People just don't know what to do to cover that small area behind the tank with paint. Well, wonder no longer. We have the answer: make your own Toilet Tank Behinder Painter!

George Clark from WMGB Home Improvement is one of our favorite interviews! He's always funny, energized, and ready to dish out as much information as the segment can hold. Today, we talk about everything you need to know about egress windows!