Tag Archives: historic restoration

EP140: Historic Church Restoration, Fixing an Orbital Sander, and The Great Christmas Contest 2

Posted on

LISTEN HERE:

Betsy’s Alien Tomato

Today Betsy opened the show talking about the alien tomato on her counter. It’s like the scene from Aliens where the creatures bust out of the poor victims’ chests! Anyway, she promised a picture . . . so here it is!

Segments 3 and 4: Vork Brothers & the Pillar Church Restoration

Today we sat down with Vork Brothers and talked about their work at Pillar Church in Holland. Here are some of the links we mentioned on the show:

Contact Info for Vork:

  • Residential Work: Brandon @ 616-218-4864
  • Commercial Work: Shane @ 616-218-5186

And you can find them online right here!

 

EP92 – January 12, 2019: Hot Tubs, Finding the Right Brush, and the Beauty of Older Homes

Posted on

Old homes can surprise us. Sure, buying one can sometimes involves some work to get it to the condition we prefer, but the benefits to doing so can be huge! They’re full of character, timeless beauty, and they’re often constructed of superior building materials! On this episode of the RepcoLite Home Improvement Show, we’re in the studio with Sharon Ferraro, the Historic Preservation Coordinator of Kalamazoo. She’s a wealth of information and will talk about everything you need to know when looking at an old home!

Listen here:

Show notes for episode 046:

Hot tubs look relaxing, fun, exciting, cool, and honestly, just plain awesome. But, how much do they run? How expensive are they to maintain? Can you install one on a raised deck? There are a LOT of questions!

Today, we're in the studio with Zagers Pool and Spa and we're going to get the answer to all of this and more!

OK. The fact of the matter is that the Brush Aisle in any paint store is a confusing place. A lot of headscratching occurs there! However, it's not as random or haphazard as it may look. There's a method to the madness. And once you understand a few brush basics, you'll be choosing the right brush for your next project with no concerns!

There is a timeless beauty to old houses. The old wood floors, the beautiful woodwork, the character and history draw many of us in.

Today we are in the studio with Sharon Ferraro, the Historic Preservation Coordinator for Kalamazoo and we talk about everything from the difference between an old house and a historic house to the reasons why an old house might be the perfect "new" house for you!

EP48 – March 3, 2018: DIY Confidence, Wood Floor Inspiration, Front Porch History, and DIY Porch Projects

Posted on

 

Everyone has to start somewhere! If there’s one thing we could say to everybody out there it would be that. Nobody is born with the innate ability to build or fix or paint or DIY like there’s no tomorrow! It’s learned over time, through experience. Today we interview Bob Snowden from Snowden Builders in Grandville about exactly that! If you don’t have the confidence to jump into that next project, give this episode a listen!

Listen here:

Show notes for episode 048:

We've all been there. We want to work on our house. We think the project we choose should be easy enough. But then we talk ourselves out of it because what if we CAN'T do it?? What if we screw something up or run into a problem. To help us ALL gain a little confidence when it comes to tackling home projects, Bob Snowden from Snowden Builders stops by to give us all a DIY pep talk.
Ok, so a week or two ago we talked about refinishing wood floors. That prompted us to make a wood floor display for an upcoming Home Expo. It started out as a simple idea but grew when we decided to add a stenciled border. What we ended up with is something we are so proud to show off! This project also got us thinking...why stop with the floor? What else can we use this for? It seems so versatile. It could be used on anything from furniture (wood is recommended!) to ceilings. We just recommend you buy the stencil adhesive to be sure you don't have any issues with bleed through (or under as it may be).
Dan and Betsy both LOVE front porches. Dan greatly misses the front porch at his old house with the couch for reading. And Betsy has always wanted a farm house with a giant wraparound porch. It was this mutual love of porches that led to a brief conversation in passing with Sharon Ferraro, the Historic Preservation Coordinator for Kalamazoo. It was instantly clear that a front porch history segment was necessary. So, without further ado, we give you "The History of Front Porches."
Well, we had a stroke of genius this week. Our conversations with both Sharon and Bob inspired us to mash their topics together to bring you one amazing final segment! Warmer weather has us looking at front porches as we drive around town and we have noticed a number that we can't imagine are usable. They look like they could use a little TLC. But porch projects in particular can seem a little daunting. They seem like they might require a bit more skill than we think we have. This is why we did a little research to get you started. Here is a great blog from the Home Repair Tutor about repairing cement steps. They tell you all the tools you need and walk you through the process, step by step. This Old House has a fantastic article that tells you how to replace porch decking boards easily. Trust us, it isn't nearly as hard as you think! And finally, how about those windows that are painted shut? Don't go just yanking on them until they either spring open or the glass breaks! Watch "Simple Steps to Working Windows" FIRST, then try opening them with confidence.

SaveSave

SaveSave

EP46 – February 17, 2018: Hot Tubs, Finding the Right Brush, and the Beauty of Older Homes

Posted on

 

Old homes can surprise us. Sure, buying one can sometimes involves some work to get it to the condition we prefer, but the benefits to doing so can be huge! They’re full of character, timeless beauty, and they’re often constructed of superior building materials! On this episode of the RepcoLite Home Improvement Show, we’re in the studio with Sharon Ferraro, the Historic Preservation Coordinator of Kalamazoo. She’s a wealth of information and will talk about everything you need to know when looking at an old home!

Listen here:

Show notes for episode 046:

Hot tubs look relaxing, fun, exciting, cool, and honestly, just plain awesome. But, how much do they run? How expensive are they to maintain? Can you install one on a raised deck? There are a LOT of questions!

Today, we're in the studio with Zagers Pool and Spa and we're going to get the answer to all of this and more!

OK. The fact of the matter is that the Brush Aisle in any paint store is a confusing place. A lot of headscratching occurs there! However, it's not as random or haphazard as it may look. There's a method to the madness. And once you understand a few brush basics, you'll be choosing the right brush for your next project with no concerns!

There is a timeless beauty to old houses. The old wood floors, the beautiful woodwork, the character and history draw many of us in.

Today we are in the studio with Sharon Ferraro, the Historic Preservation Coordinator for Kalamazoo and we talk about everything from the difference between an old house and a historic house to the reasons why an old house might be the perfect "new" house for you!

EP08 – May 27, 2017: An Epic Historic Restoration

Posted on

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:

Listen here:

Show notes for episode 008:

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!

  • Making My Paint Cover In One Coat Whether It Wants to Or Not!
  • Not Washing the Surfaces I'm Going to Paint Adequately!
  • Not Priming After I Strip Wallpaper
  • Painting Out of My Full Gallon Container
Check out or blog post for more info!

How to Properly Load a Paint Brush!

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!

Flammable Vent Hoses

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.

FloodStop

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!