Finding the perfect color for your next project doesn’t have to be complicated! You don’t have to stand in front of the color display for hours looking at 1000’s of colors. There’s a simple process we’re going to tell you about that will help you cut the time you spend looking in half!
That and much more on today’s episode:
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It’s that time of year again! The time when we want to spend all available time outdoors, enjoying everything Michigan has to offer. There are water adventures, camping, sunsets, hiking, and ticks. Yes, ticks! It is going to be another prevalent year for natures little vampires! But don’t think your best conceived summer plan is in peril just yet. David Popp from Rose Pest Solutions is going to help all of us deal with these creepy pests.
That and much more on today’s episode:
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Nothing is worse than spending a beautiful summer day exploring nature, only to get home and find that one of nature's hitchhikers has attached itself to your skin. Then comes the battle to decide which method is best for removing a tick. There are many wives tales o tick removal, but there is only one good way.
David Popp from Rose Pest Solutions joins us in the studio to discuss how ticks attach, how to avoid getting them and what to do if you happen to be the unfortunate person one latches onto.
We hear it time and time again at all of our RepcoLite locations: "I have paneling from the 60s and I'm sick of it. Can I paint that?"
The answer is, YES! It's actually quite simple to do. You just have to be aware of some important ideas that will make your project go a whole lot more smoothly. And we'll also tell you the best way to apply the paint to avoid funny lines.
When people think of preparing a garage floor for a coating, they think chemicals are the answer. When people think of refinishing wood floors, they think of runaway sanders or back creaking labor. When they think of decks that have too many layers of stain, they think it's time to build new. But wait! There's an easier solution!
The OnFloor machine will take care of all those surfaces without the hassle. It will grind concrete in garages, basements and shops. It will take paint, polyurethane and mastic off wood floors and then sand them. It will send old stain off a deck and have it looking like new in now time. And the best part is, it can be controlled with just two fingers! We'll give you all the details and where to rent one in this segment!
Dan has had the argument with his dad over lawn sprinkling for years! How often should you sprinkle your lawn? What time of day is best? How long should you do it for?
The great debate will finally be settled with the help of Aaron Katerberg from Grapids Irrigation. He will answer those questions as well as questions about drainage, for those of us who have the opposite problem - too much water!
Sometimes we look at our homes and don’t know where to begin. The kitchen is a little outdated. Maybe the bathroom needs work. Sometimes we see all that and we find ourselves not sure how to get started. The project just seems too big. Well, if that sounds familiar, Patty Meyer, Director of the Felt Estate near Saugatuck has some inspiring advice for you!
That and much more on today’s episode:
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In 1925, Dorr Felt began construction of what the Felt Mansion for his wife, Agnes. The summer home would be large enough to accommodate his married daughters and their families. Completed in 1928, the 12,000+ square foot mansion consists of 25 rooms, including a third-floor ballroom. Unfortunately, Agnes died in August of 1928, six weeks after the family moved in, and Dorr died a year and a half later in 1930.
From there, the home has changed owners multiple times throughout the years. It's been a seminary, a home for cloistered nuns, and even a prison.
After years of neglect, volunteers from Laketown Township and surrounding communities are restoring the mansion and grounds. It's an incredible community project and a remarkable story!
Today, Patty Meyer, Director of the Felt Estate, sits down with us for two segments to talk about the project, what she's learned, and to give all of us the inspiration to dream and to dare to accomplish what seems almost impossible!
Patricia Hoezee Meyer – Director of the Felt Estate
Pat is a former educator who graduated from GVSU and the School of Education in 1990 with a major in English & History, and a minor in Political Science. Her interest in art, history and architecture led to her passion for the restoration of the Felt Estate.
For the last 13 years, Pat has restored the Felt Estate, and as director of the Estate, planned and implemented hundreds of events. Pat and the restoration project she oversees have won numerous awards at the local, state, and national level. Pat speaks around the State at Historic Preservation Seminars, emphasizing the importance of place in our lives, in our communities, in our history, and in our learning. Pat is continuing her education at GVSU, through the Johnson Center, working toward a Master’s Degree in Non-profit Administration.
There are tons of common paint mistakes we all make in an effort to save time. Today we talk about four that we see all the time!
Our dryer and washer can potentially be very destructive if regular maintenance is not performed. Dryer lint is extremely flammable and washer hoses need to be replaced every five years. Fortunately, with just a little maintenance, you can keep your home safe and protected!
We mentioned in the segment that commonly used plastic or vinyl vent tubing is extremely flammable (as is the lint trapped inside!) Here's a video that demonstrates why you want to remove these cheap hoses from your home and replace them with flexible metal tubing.
This item is very interesting to me. It's designed to be installed very simply, taking only 10 minutes. But when it's installed, it will detect leaks, sound an alarm, and best of all, automatically turn off your water supply valves to prevent flooding! I haven't tried it, but I'm certainly going to dig into it!
You can get more info right here! 
Outdoor living spaces are big right now! They’re exciting ways to expand your home, your entertaining space, and make the most out of some of our beautiful Michigan summer weather. Today we talk with Rob Cackowski from Heritage Fireplace and Design Center ALL about outdoor living spaces and what you need to do to create the perfect one for your home!
That and much more on today’s episode:
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Shopping for carpet can be overwhelming. Most of us don't do it very often and every time we do, it seems that the industry has changed dramatically since our last visit to the carpet store!
Today, we're in the studio with Nick Sargent from Johnson Carpet One in Grandville and he's going to help us cut through some of that paralyzing confusion. He's got tips for how to find the perfect carpet for your space and we'll also talk about the pros and cons of the most common carpet fibers. It's like a Carpet Shopping 101 class for anyone who's starting the process!
Nicolas Sargent is a Flooring and Design Consult at Johnson Carpet One in Downtown Grandville Michigan. Nicolas has a background of working with Interior Designers and Builders in a wide variety of products and design styles for the past 15 years. He also has his own clients helping them achieve their own design vision. Some of his favorite products are Wool Carpets, Custom Area Rugs, Hardwoods and Natural Stone.
Most of us have at least 4 - 5 gallons of leftover paint sitting on shelves in our basement at any given time. Sometimes it's paint we plan to use for touch-ups later. But often, it's just extra. And the collection usually keeps growing as time goes by. Well, did you know that there was a green, environmentally friendly solution to all this leftover paint? And best of all, it's incredibly economical.
We're in the studio with Dave Williams from Re-coat Recycled Paint and he explains how easy it is to clean out your basement and, at the same time, help keep old paint out of our landfills!
When it comes to innovations in the paint and coatings industry, nothing has caused more of a stir recently than the introduction of "Paint and Primer All-In-One" products. They're marketed to be time-saving, money-saving, labor-saving workhorse products. But are they everything they're cracked up to be? We dig into it on this Ask RepcoLite! segment.
And from our blog:
So, last fall I may have done something kind of dumb that may have destroyed my grass in a large are of my backyard. But rather than cry over spilled milk, I'm thinking I'm going to convert that enormous dead zone into an outdoor living space. Unfortunately, I have no idea where to start beyond just throwing down some patio blocks down.
Happily, we have a home improvement radio show and something even better: connections! We got in touch with Rob Cackowski from Heritage Fireplace and Design Center. Besides helping us with all our indoor fireplace needs, Heritage is big into helping people create outdoor living spaces that they'll love. It's a great interview that gave me a little insight into all the possibilities out there!
Rob Cackowski is the General Manager of Heritage Fireplace and Design Center in Grand Rapids. He has 20 years experience in the Hearth, Patio & BBQ industry. He's NFI Certified (National Fireplace Institute) and received his BBA in Finance from Western Michigan University.
Heritage Fireplace is a fully mechanically licensed, bonded and insured company. We specialize in both retail and direct to builder sales and installation. We have serviced the greater Grand Rapids and Lakeshore area for over 25 years.
Home staging. We’ve all heard about it, but how many of us know how to do it? On today’s episode of the RepcoLite Home Improvement Show, we list 5 simple steps that will help you make your home as appealing to new buyers as possible. We also discuss the best colors to choose when painting your home for resale. Do you go with neutrals and look like every other house out there? Or do you roll the dice and try to stand out with color?
We have the answer to that and more on today’s episode.
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Spring is the best time to put your house on the market.....along with everyone else in town! So how can you set your house apart from all the rest, while getting top dollar?
Home staging is a great solution if you are planning to sell your home. It helps potential buyers to see your house in a different light. And it isn't as bad as you may think. We've got 5 simple home staging tips that will help you put the best house forward.
And here's the article with the interesting statistics we referenced in the show:
Paint color is a hotly debated topic whether you're selling your house or not. We help you decide between a neutral or dramatic color scheme. And tell you the last two important steps to home staging.
And, because we have a few extra minutes, Dan decides to tell us about his brick chimney leak and tells us about a great product that will seal the brick and stop the water before it's too late!
We always ask that our listeners email us with questions and Lisa emailed a great one about painting cabinets and trim that we think many other people may have as well. We thought about just answering, but we had a few questions. So, we asked Lisa to call us with her question so that we could give her the best possible answer. Hence, our first caller!
On today's Ask RepcoLite segment, we've got the answers for Lisa's questions!
While we have had a lot of rain recently, at some point it will dwindle and we will be forced to create our own rain to keep our grass green. I have spent a lot of time dragging a hose and sprinkler around to keep everything that SHOULD be green from turning brown and dying. It's hard work!
Aaron Katerberg from Grapids Irrigation stops by to tell me what it takes to put in a new sprinkling system. And Dan asks about upgrading his old system so he can stop jumping out of bed in the middle of the night to turn off his sprinklers when he hears rain!
Today, we sit down in the studio with Kim DeBoer and discuss the adventures of refinishing furniture. Kim talks about some of her best experiences and the joys of taking something old and unwanted and turning it into a centerpiece in your home!
That and more in today’s episode of the RepcoLite Home Improvement Show!
Listen here:
Shopping for furniture to refinish or repurpose can be stressful! What's worth buying? What can actually be refinished and what is just going to make you sad? And where do you look to find these pieces?
Kim DeBoer is a professional painting contractor who does a lot of furniture refinishing on the side. She's been doing this for years and has answers for all of these questions and more!
It's Spring and the weather's getting warmer! And that means that we're right on the cusp of air conditioner season. But did you know that there are a few simple projects you can tackle on a Saturday morning (or anytime!) that will help you make sure your unit runs efficiently, for less cost, and lasts longer!
Today we go over the 2 must-do jobs this Spring!
Staining a deck is a great project! It's fun and even relatively easy. In fact, the most confusing part of the whole project is trying to choose the right stain. Should you go with an oil-based product? Or a waterborne? What opacity is best for your situation? Clear or Solid or something in between?
On today's Ask RepcoLite segment, we've got all the answers!
Spring is here and with it, we get warmer weather, baseball . . . and ants! My home is right now under invasion and so I'm very excited to be in the studio with David Popp from Rose Pest Solutions. He's here to talk about ants, termites, what to look for and what to do when you find a problem!