Tag Archives: front doors

EP120: The Perfect Front Door Color, Plumbing Questions: Answered!

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LISTEN HERE:

Segments 1 & 2: Paint For Front Doors

Painting your front door is one of the best “bang for your buck” paint projects you can tackle! You’ll dramatically improve the curb appeal of your home and, best of all, you’ll do it in just a few hours and often for no more than a quart of paint! We mentioned a method for painting your front door on the show today. Here’s a simple graphic of the order to follow:

Segments 3 & 4: Plumbing Questions: Answered!

For everyone who wants the “Betsy Bathroom”, here’s a video of the tub shroom she’s recommending. Also a link so you can buy your own!

EP119: Paint For Front Doors, Home Buyers Need to Know, Types of Tile, and Quick Clean Tips

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LISTEN HERE:

Segment 1: Paint For Front Doors

Nothing adds curb appeal like a great looking front door. And when it comes to front door paint, choosing the right one can make or break the project. No one wants their new paint to peel off in a couple weeks.

Benjamin Moore has a great new front door paint called Aura Grand Entrance. It comes in a satin or high gloss and can be made in any color. And because it’s Aura, it covers like a dream.

Next week we’ll talk about how to choose a front door color and the right way to paint it.

Segments 2: Home Buyers Need to Know

We’ve been hearing for a while now that there is a shortage of homes on the market. If you are a seller, that’s great! It means more for your home. If you are a buyer, it’s less great. It means you could wind up paying more than the asking price.

Sue Prins and Ginger Herman of Sue Prins Five Star Real Estate give us some things we need to know if we plan to buy a house.

Segment 3: Types of Tile

Choosing tile can be a bit confusing. Some tile can only be used in certain areas. And there are things to consider…like in floor heating….so toasty! To help us make a better choice, Nick Sargent from Johnson Carpet One drop by to walk us through the options.

Segment 4: Quick Clean Tips

Big furry dogs mean big furry messes. And when the big furry dog is a Saint Bernard, that means there’s also the drool factor.

Betsy has learned a few tricks to deal with these problems.

  1. Vinegar and Dawn dish soap in a pump up wallpaper sprayer
  2. Seam Ripper to get rid of hair wrapped around brush roller (I use the more expensive, heavy duty one)
  3. Clean your vacuum filter!! It will make your vacuum run like new!
  4. Credit card or gift card as a scraper to remove dried on drool from windows and glass. According to Dan it also works on car windows
  5. Fur-Zoff Pet Hair Remover works like a DREAM in the car! No more dog hair stuck in the carpet!

 

EP13 – July 1, 2017: Picture Perfect Front Doors!

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Painting your front door is easily one of the best “bang for your buck” projects you can tackle around the home. It adds huge curb appeal to your home and, best of all, it’s quick and inexpensive! And yet, we’re often intimidated by the project! We can’t find the right color and we’re nervous about making it look good. Well, don’t worry! It’s easy. And we’ll tell you everything you need to know!

Listen here:

Show notes for Episode 013:

In this opening segment we sit down in the studio with Nick Sargent from Johnson Carpet One in Grandville and he discusses the ins and outs, pros and cons of all types of wood and wood-look flooring.

If you're thinking about a floor project in your home, this is a "must-listen!"

In today's Ask RepcoLite segment, we talk about paint that just won't cover and hide. You know what we're talking about: that bright red paint that takes coat after coat after coat and still look transparent. What's wrong with the paint? Why is this happening?

We'll tell you why it's happening and better yet, how to avoid this common problem in the first place!

It's all about fun in this segment. And delicious food. Rob Cackowski from Heritage Fireplace and Design Center is in the studio and he's dishing out some expert advice that will make sure you're the talk of your next backyard grill out!

Painting your front door is one of the best "bang for your buck" paint projects you can tackle! You'll dramatically improve the curb appeal of your home and, best of all, you'll do it in just a few hours and often for no more than a quart of paint!

 

EP12 – June 24, 2017: Stay Safe!

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Yes, this is a Home Improvement Show, but really, how important is a well-decorated and maintained home if every member of our family isn’t there to enjoy it with us? At RepcoLite, we love painting projects. We love decorating. We love a good, “from the ground-up” remodeling project. But none of those things matter when compared to the safety and well-being of the people in our lives.

On today’s show we sit down with Joe Kuhns from Cover Down Consulting and he basically commandeers the show for a half an hour. Joe is a 26-year Navy Seal Veteran and he’s got solid, practical, and potentially life-saving advice for everyone in your home. You do not want to miss this!

Listen here:

Show notes for episode 012:

Home improvement is more than just changing or improving the physical aspects of your home. It's also about changing and improving the lives of the people who live there. And part of improving the lives of yourself and members of your family is safety.

We are excited to be joined in the studio by Joe Kuhns of Cover Down Consulting. Joe is a 26 year Navy SEAL veteran who applies the skills he learned as a SEAL to his everyday life. He has been kind enough to help arm us with the knowledge we need to keep ourselves and our families safe. He has great information on personal (ourselves) and physical (the spaces we have control in) protection that is worth listening to time and time again.

Besides consulting on personal protection, Joe teaches team building and does performance or life training for young men seeking to join the military. For more information on any of the services Cover Down Consulting offers, you can email Joe at jkuhnscoverdown@gmail.com.

Joe Kuhns of Cover Down Consulting mesmerized us in Segment 1, so we asked him to stay for another segment. Luckily he obliged, so we finished our interview with a discussion on keeping our homes and property safe. This is information every family should have!

The internet is full of all kinds of recommendations when it comes to paint storage. And what's really interesting is that these recommendations show up on reputable DIY and Home Repair websites and blogs. And yet, at RepcoLite, we've noticed time and time again that these methods, though wildly popular, often don't work out as well as you'd think.

So in this segment, we tackle the myths and give you some honest-to-goodness paint storage advice. No, it's not gimmicky. Yes, they're a little bland. But on the flipside: they work! Every time.

We took some time recently to get out to the Parade of Homes. And we saw a number of great things that really inspired us. However, we also discovered a couple things that made us rethink a common idea about "color flow" in a home. In this segment, we talk about some things not to do when you're decorating, but also we pile on a number of practical recommendations to help you with your next decorating project!

 

Color Me Home Episode 3: Curb Appeal on a Budget, 1

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This week, in honor of the beautiful weather we all experienced over Spring Break, Betsy and Dan discuss some simple exterior projects that will help you increase the curb appeal of your home without breaking the bank!

Episode Outline

  • Front Doors (1:55)
  • What If I’ve Got a Storm Door? (7:34)
  • Careful With Your Color, Though! (12:12)
  • Garage Doors (12:39)
  • Shutters (13:40)
  • Vinyl Safe Paint and Colors (15:20)
  • How to Paint Your Shutters (18:20)
  • A Quick Miracle Fix to Revive Faded Shutters (21:51)
  • Mailboxes (25:40)

Before and After Homes with Shutters!

As we mentioned in the podcast, adding shutters to a home can make a tremendous difference. And while I’d love to share a large gallery of photos making our case, I don’t have the rights! So, I’m doing the next best thing: Here’s a google image search that will allow you to see exactly what we’re talking about!

Check it out! And we’re betting that if you don’t already have shutters on your home, after seeing those photos, you’ll move that project to the top of your list.

Vinyl Safe Colors

Benjamin Moore’s Revive is available in a wide variety of vinyl safe colors. Check out the full palette!vinyl_safe_colors_revive4

Penetrol Fix for Shutters

We talked about this at the 21:51 mark on the podcast and if you didn’t hear it, you should listen in to know exactly what these notes refer to. At any rate, I was able to dig up the photos that I took when I applied Penetrol to my shutters early last Spring. The first photo shows the shutter before application–faded and chalky. The next two obviously show the shutter in process. The final photo of the house shows the shutter finished and the surrounding trim cleaned up.

It’s definitely a project to try if you’re looking for a quick and easy way to restore the color of the vinyl. Just be aware, it’s not a long-lasting fix. You’ll typically get anywhere from 6 months to a year out of it. A full paint job is going to last much longer!

 

Paint Your Front Door and Change the Look of Your Home for $30!

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A red georgian door on an ivy covered house

Summer’s getting closer!  And with it, comes a natural desire for many of us to get outside and do some work on our homes.  There’s just something about nice weather, sunny days, warm breezes, and all the beauty of Spring that makes us want to “spruce” up our homes a little bit.

Unfortunately, money is a little tight for a lot of us right now and the thought of dropping a few hundred dollars on a big paint job can be daunting to say the least.

Well, if that sums up you (as it sums up me!), then consider this:  what about a smaller paint project that will still have a huge impact?

I’m talking about your front doors.  Doors can be painted, typically, in a matter of just a few hours.  The cost?  Typically under $30.  The results?  (To use the over-used formula):  Priceless.

A new color on a front door can bring your home from “boring” to hip in just a matter of minutes.  A new color on a front door can give your siding–what you may think of as tired and old–a new look.  A new color on your door will interact differently with your shutters, your roof, your landscaping, everything.

In short, a new color on a front door can give your entire home a subtle new look.  All for under $30 (tools included) and a couple hours worth of work!

So, if you’re looking for a project , but aren’t quite ready to repaint your entire home, give this a try!