Tag Archives: curb appeal

Episode 223: Decluttering, the Mud Nook, Kitchen Cleaner Review, Painting Foundations

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SEGMENT 1: Decluttering

We all have cluttered spaces in our home. And yes, sometimes, we’ve spent a good number of months letting them get that way. But the good news is that decluttering is manageable! In this segment we talk about a few simple steps that will help you get started.

SEGMENT 2: The Mud Nook

Many of us would love to have a huge mudroom . . . . Benches, ample storage for boots and coats . . . . But most of us just don’t have the space. In this segment, we speak with Michaela Noelle from Michaela Noelle Designs about a small mudroom “nook” she and her husband pulled together.

 

SEGMENT 3: Kitchen Cleaner Review

We discuss 4 of the internet’s most recommended kitchen cleaners and see how they perform. Also, we stumble into another cleaner that is basically a weapon of nearly unlimited power. It can do stuff that few other cleaners we’ve ever used can do . . . . But as they say, with great power comes great responsibility . . . .

The Four General Purpose Cleaners We Tested

The Super Powered Cleaner We Tried

And just for good measure, here are some before and after picks of the caps that sit over the burners on the stove. The first picture shows what I had even after I tried the cleaners in my house AND the 4 cleaners above. 

The second picture shows what I ended up with after an application of Carbon-Off. It wasn’t a complete “no-elbow-grease” kind of cleaning . . . but still, I was blown away by the results. 

Just remember, as we said in the segment: this stuff is potent! You can take paint off surfaces, damage counters, damage the teflon in your pans, and so on. It’s a super weapon against carbon in the kitchen . . . but it needs to be used with care!

 

SEGMENT 4: Painting Foundations

Unpainted foundations . . . or foundations that have been patched . . . can give your home a bit of an unfinished look. If you’re looking for an inexpensive curb appeal project with a big payoff, this might be for you!

EP212: Black Gold

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SEGMENTS 1 & 2: Black Gold

Composting is a great way to cut down on the amount of trash filling your garbage can. However, most of us have probably seen or experienced a compost pile that smells and attracts pests. Luckily, it doesn’t have to be that way. Learn how to do composting right!

MATERIALCARBON/NITROGENINFORMATION
Wood Chips/PelletsCarbonHigh carbon levels; use sparingly
Wood AshCarbonOnly use ash from clean materials; sprinkle lightly
Tea LeavesNitrogenLoose or in bags
Table ScrapsNitrogenAdd with dry carbon items
Straw or HayCarbonStraw is best; hay (with seeds) is less ideal
Shrub PruningsCarbonWoody pruning are slow to break down
Shredded PaperCarbonAvoid using glossy paper and colored inks
Seaweed and KelpNitrogenApply in thin layers; good source for trace minerals
Sawdust PelletsCarbonHigh carbon levels; add in layers to avoid clumping
Pine NeedlesCarbonAcidic; use in moderate amounts
NewspaperCarbonAvoid using glossy paper and colored inks
LeavesCarbonLeaves break down faster when shredded
Lawn and Garden WeedsNitrogenOnly use weeds which have not gone to seed
Green Comfrey LeavesNitrogenExcellent compost activator
Grass ClippingsNitrogenAdd in thin layers so they don't mat into clumps
Garden Plants-Use disease-free plants only
Fruit and Vegetable ScrapsNitrogenAdd with dry carbon items
Flowers, CuttingsNitrogenChop up any long woody stems
EggshellsNeutralBest when crushed
Dryer LintCarbonBest if from natural fibers
Corn Cobs, StalksCarbonSlow to decompose; best if chopped up
Coffee GroundsNitrogenFilter may also be included

SEGMENT 3: Meet the Professor

We are joined by Brad Krause, president of Service Professor. We talk about shortages we are seeing across industries and speculate on how long term that may be. Plus, learn all about the services they offer, including a new technology that improves your heating and cooling efficiency.

SEGMENT 4: Curb Appeal on a Budget

Obviously, painting the entire exterior will have the most impact. Fortunately, there are small projects that can improve the curb appeal of your home with less time and money invested. In this segment, color is the name of the game as we point out some overlooked projects….

EP202: Dutch Doors and Decoupage

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SEGMENT 1: Weekend of Wallpaper

Last week we talked about ways to incorporate wallpaper into your design. This week, we want to dig into one of our favorite kids’ room wallpaper projects: creative cutouts!

Here’s what you’ll need:

RepcoLite Locations with Wallpaper Books

  • 17th Street Location (Holland)
  • Lakewood Blvd. Location (Holland)
  • Byron Center Location
  • Fulton Street Location (Grand Rapids)
  • Broadmoor Location (Grand Rapids)
  • Plainfield Ave. Location (Grand Rapids)
  • Kalamazoo Location

And also . . . in the course of the conversation, we talked about a dad who photoshops his kids’ drawings into realistic images. And they’re hilarious! There are a couple below. Click here for more!

SEGMENTS 2 & 3: Meet Mac Flook

Before becoming the Manager for our Jenison store, Mac went to school for Political Science. His plan was to go into medical law, but that slowly shifted. We learn why and discuss the value of trade skills.

SEGMENT 4: Dutch Door Friendly

Dutch doors date back to the 17th century and were extremely practical before screens were invented. Now they are coming back as a bold design feature that adds a ton of curb appeal . . . we weigh the pros and cons . . . .

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!

EP04 – April 22, 2017: Painting Vinyl Siding and More!

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Vinyl siding was supposed to last forever. But . . . it doesn’t. At least the color doesn’t. After a while, houses with vinyl siding can start to look tired, faded, boring . . . old. Well, Benjamin Moore’s Revive is a paint specifically made for vinyl siding. It sticks remarkably well and is available in a range of over 300 vinyl safe colors! It’s definitely worth a look if you’d like to change the entire look and feel of your home this summer!

That and more on this episode!

Listen now:

Show notes for episode 004:

Did you know you can paint vinyl siding? Kevin Hermann dropped by our studio to discuss Benjamin Moore's Revive Vinyl Siding Paint and gave us some tips to get the job done right. The best news is, there are over 300 "vinyl safe" colors to choose from! These colors will allow you to choose a color that is darker than your original siding, without warping your siding. A whole new world of possibilities has been opened!

Kevin also stressed the importance of proper prep/cleaning before painting. Revive does not require a primer if you take right the steps to clean the siding first. Check out our blog post for everything you need to know about getting your siding ready for paint.

Browse Revive's Color Palette of over 300 Colors!

Kevin Hermann is a Territory Representative for Benjamin Moore. He has been with the company for 26 years and has a wealth of paint knowledge. He answers questions from what type of paint to use for a specific project to application tips. And if you really push him, he might even tell you a fish story or two!

How often do we drive through a neighborhood and slow as we come to a house with a beautiful front yard? We sigh heavily as we dream about that house.

But wait! This can be your house. No need to dream! These curb appeal projects are simple and inexpensive. They range from cleaning the exterior of the house to landscape primping. We've got 4 projects that don't take a lot of time or money. And if you go through these and are STILL looking for more ideas, listen to our podcast about curb appeal, check out our front door color Pinterest board, or read our blog post that gives you 6 more inexpensive projects.

We also found this great HGTV slideshow with before and after curb appeal photos. It proves how far a change in landscaping (often minimizing it!), some paint and a little color will go!

When it comes to snowblower maintenance, how many of us just fill the gas tank and push it to the back of the garage to collect dust for the next 6 months? Lots of people! But there's more to it.

If you have limited time or energy, we have the one step you ABSOLUTELY should not bypass. If you have a bit more time to spend, we have 4 other things that will help your snowblower start the first time you pull the cord when faced with a foot of snow next winter. We also have a tip that will save you from being like Dan and annoying your neighbors for the better part of four hours!

Imagine this scene: you are shoveling your driveway after a long day at work. Everything is fine until you are stopped abruptly when the blunt end of your shovel tries to impale you through the stomach. Dan is all too familiar with this feeling.

But the pain is over! Andy Van Dyke from VDC has the solution for those pieces of sunken concrete. The best news is, it's way cheaper than we would have imagined.

Color Me Home Episode 9: Tips For Selling Your Home Quickly!

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On today’s episode, Betsy and Dan discuss some tips for those of you who are thinking about putting your homes on the market. Even though homes are selling faster than they have in recent years, there are still some things that you can do to make sure your home sells quickly AND for as much money as possible….

View our Pinterest Board for Episode 9!

Episode Outline

  • First Impressions Matter (0:52)
  • Start Outside (2:58)
  • Organize, De-Clutter and De-Personalize (11:56)
  • Make Those Small Repairs (19:58)
  • Paint the Walls Neutral? Or Go Bold With Color! (23:42)