Tag Archives: benjamin moore

EP91: Pantry Organization, Decorating With Leftovers (NOT food!), Washer & Dryer Problems, and Best Home Improvement Projects

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With the new year generally comes New Year’s Resolutions. These resolutions come in all different forms. Some people resolve to lose weight. Or to eat more healthy. Or to go to the gym more. Or to be more organized. And while we may not be able to help you with the first three, we can certainly help you with the last one. Especially if you are talking about the dreaded pantry. It’s kind of like the closets, except without the dirty socks….hopefully. We’ve got some ideas to help keep you from losing food in the back depths of your pantry.

And after we’ve helped you get organized, we’re going to help you decorate with the items you already have. So often we think that the things we own (such as a table or couch) limits what we can do in a space. But it certainly doesn’t have to! Step out of the box and try something new!

In our third segment, we’re chatting with Joe Rogers and Scott Hosteter from West End Appliance about common problems with washers and dryers. Some things we might be able to fix. Some things we might have to call them for. And some things can be avoided all together if we just take the right steps.

And to close the show, we’re going to discuss some of what we feel are the best home improvement projects. They’re all quite simple and will make you feel better about your home.

 

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EP90: Movie Tool Misses, Projects for Selling Your Home, and Painting Paneling Question

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During the holidays a lot of people go to the movies. We get sucked in by the action and suspense. But watch closely. If you do, you may notice that some integral parts of tools are missing. What good is an air nailer without a hose and air source? We’ve watched the movies and now we’re going to pick them apart.

And, with the new year approaching, you might be thinking it’s the year to sell your home. That’s why we’ve invited Karla Huitsing, owner of Keller Williams Rivertown, to share with us some of the best projects that will pay you back in the end.

And finally, we took a questions from a listener (and a guest on our show) about painting paneling. The catch is, it’s not just any paneling. It’s paneling in a cottage up north that is only occupied on weekends. Is it ok to do different painting steps weeks apart when the temperature can get so cold inside? We’ll give you the answer in our last segment!

 

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EP89: Death of the Aluminum Christmas Tree, Painted Tin Ceiling, and Escape Room Debriefing!

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So, if you are a child of the late 50’s or early 60’s, it’s likely you’ll remember the aluminum Christmas tree. But, if you were born after 1965, it’s entirely likely you’ve only seen pictures of them (or maybe in an antique store, if you’re lucky). The reason for this is the 1965 debut of A Charlie Brown Christmas. Yes, that’s right, Charlie Brown single-handedly brought down the aluminum Christmas tree industry. We’ve got the story of that and the reason for their comeback in the first segment.

We’re also taking a call from a listener, Ruth, who has an old farmhouse tin ceiling. The ceiling was painted quite a while ago and the paint is starting to peel in some areas. We’ll tell her why that is and what she needs to do next.

And finally, Jeff Rietveld from Out of the Box Games is dropping by to give us the results of our recent Escape Room challenge. He’s also going to do a short debriefing to tell us what we did well and what we need to work on for next time. And no matter how we did, these Escape Rooms are something we can’t recommend enough!

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EP88: Cleaning With RepcoLite, Appliance Debate, Holiday Pet Safety, and 11th Hour Touch-Ups!

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Now, who among us really likes waiting in lines? And who thinks of going to the paint store for their cleaning supplies? We’re guessing not many people. But the truth is, RepcoLite has great cleaning supplies that many people don’t even know about. And the line is usually a lot short so you’ll save tons of time! We’re going to go through some of the cleaning supplies you can pick up next time you’re in our store.

We’ve also decided to settle some old appliance debates. And to do that, we’ve invited Joe Rogers and Scott Hosteter from West End Appliance to answer our questions. They’ll finally tell us whether we have to rinse the dishes clean BEFORE we put them in the dishwasher.

And with Christmas and the New Year right around the corner, we thought it would be good to talk with veterinarian, Dr. Jim Bader from Mapleview Animal Hospital in Holland about the possible problems our pets may encounter. Will the commotion be too much? What if they eat our Christmas feast?

And finally, we are in the 11th hour before Christmas and big painting projects are probably the last thing on people’s minds. But what happens if you have some spots on your walls and trim that look bad? Can they be fixed before guests arrive?

Of course they can! We’ve got simple, 5 minute touch up tips for the paint and stain in your house. It’s a lot easier than you think and will have your house looking almost like new before the guests arrive.

 

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NOTES:

SEGMENT 1: Cleaning Supplies

  • Wooster Dust Eater
  • Old Paint Brush
    • Use for dusting
  • Guardsman Furniture Cleaner and Polish
  • Pump Up Wallpaper Sprayer

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EP87: Hackley & Hume Homes, Giving to Furry Friends, and Results For Scuff-X

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OK, now how often is there something we pass every day that we don’t think twice about? For us, the Hackley & Hume Homes were just such a place. We had passed them a number of times and thought they were cool but didn’t give it another thought…until this week.

Forget what you THINK you know about Victorian homes. These surpass that in leaps and bounds. And, right now, they are all decked out for Christmas. We just couldn’t contain our excitement so be prepared!

And, with Christmas coming, we’ve all been busy buying gifts for family and friends. But what about the four-legged friends who don’t have a home? We’ve got Jen Nuernberg and Sarah Shea from the Harbor Humane Society in the studio to talk about their wish list for the furry friends at the shelter. They’ll also tell us if it’s ok to buy a pet as a Christmas present.

And, if you’re looking for something to do this weekend, they have their annual Holiday Open House from 11-4 this Saturday, December 8. You can tour the shelter, decorate doggie “cookies” and get photos with Santa! Check out more details on Instagram!

And finally, we’ve talked about Scuff-X before but it just seems to be one of those products that people can never hear enough about. We’ve posted the videos as proof, but now we’ve got a local company who’s used it for a year. Did it do what we said? Are they still happy customers? We’ll tell you in our last segment.

 

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NOTES:

Hackley & Hume Holiday Tours

  • December 8  4-8pm
  • December 15  4-8pm
  • December 27  4-8pm
  • December 28  1-4pm

 

Harbor Humane Society

The Harbor Humane Society also has a great program called Reading With Fido. Research shows that dogs who are read to in a shelter calm more quickly and become better with humans. Here is a quick video that Sarah took of some young kids reading to “Fido.”

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EP86: Paint Tools, Heat Vents, Laundry Room Transformation, and Christmas Gift Lists

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So, there are some common tools that come to mind when people think of painting; brushes, roller covers, trays and liners, etc. But did you know there’s a whole other group of tools that will save you time and money? We’ve got a list of items you’ll want to consider the next time you paint.

And we’ve been hearing chatter about people closing heat vents in unused rooms to save money. That got us wondering if it really works. We talked to some experts and it turns out closing the vents could be a really terrible idea and actually COST you money! We’ll tell you what we learned.

We’ve also been thinking about laundry rooms. With holiday travel, sometimes the laundry really piles up. The problem is, many of us have laundry rooms that are less than inspiring. In fact, we may dread stepping foot in them, even if we aren’t doing laundry. Now, it’s time to change all that! We’ve got some great ways to make your laundry room just another room in your house.

And last but not least, we’ve got our lists of great Christmas gifts. Some are tools but some are just fun! Check out the notes below for links and videos for all of the items we talked about.

 

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NOTES:

To Close or Not to Close the Vents?? Suggested Resources

Dan’s Recommended Gift List

Betsy’s Recommended Gift List

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