Tag Archives: safety

EP45 – February 10, 2018: Home Security, Ask RepcoLite, and Fighting the Winter Blues

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We all think that because we live in a quiet neighborhood, our home is safe. But there are always a few things we can do to make it just a bit safer. Besides, a fire doesn’t care what neighborhood you live in. And breaking into a house just might be easier  on a quiet street than a busy one. Joe Kuhns will help make our homes more safe and make us more confident.

Listen here:

Show notes for episode 045:

How do you keep your home safe? Do you have a security system? A really big, mean dog? Or do you live in a good neighborhood so you think you are safe? Home security is not always something we stop to think about and that's why we've invited Joe Kuhns of CoverDown Consulting into the studio. Joe's 26 year history with the Navy SEALs give him a unique perspective on what we can do to stay safe. It doesn't matter how safe you think your home is, there is always just a little bit more you can do.
One segment wasn't quite enough to cover all the information that Joe had to share so we held him over for a second segment. He didn't seem to mind!
It's time, once again, to Ask RepcoLite! We have chosen another question from our Facebook page to answer on air. This week we are going to talk about that dated, 70's paneling that has the homeowner feeling like they are in a time warp!
Ok, let's be honest, even those of us who love the snow get tired of winter at some point....and we are reaching that point. The weather teases us with a slightly warmer, sunny day, only to force us back inside with frigid temps and snow. If the winter blues have you feeling down, we have a few suggestions to fight these feelings. Some projects will have you feeling accomplished. Some projects will boost your mood with color and life. And some projects will have you feeling creative after buying new tools! We think the Dremel Rotary Tool will open up all kinds of new creative avenues! Besides having all the tools, the website also gives you GREAT project ideas for using your Dremel. It's definitely worth a look. And if that isn't quite your thing, maybe try a Cricut cutter. We bought one to make invites for an event and LOVE it! It is very versatile and the computer program allows you to create anything you can dream up. If you scroll to the bottom of the page, there is a chart comparing all of the different machines. Release your creativity and explore!

EP37 – December 16, 2017: Common Painting Mistakes, Holiday Fire Prevention, and Creative Wallpaper Ideas

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It’s time for a reality check–Christmas is just over a week away. That means even more chaos and stress than usual. Are you thinking about ways to prevent a fire in your home and what to do if there IS one? Probably not. But you should be.

Many people think that Christmas trees start most house fires around the holidays. Surprisingly, that is not the case. The most common cause of house fires is something we do every day. But the good news is that it can be prevented if we just slow down and pay attention. We want to help keep your holidays merry by helping you stay safe.

Listen here:

Show notes for episode 037:

Have you ever left of the lid off a paint can...then stepped on the lid? Have you ever chosen a color, only to paint the whole room and decide you can't stand the color? There are lots of very common painting mistakes that almost EVERYONE makes.

The good news is that they are all avoidable. We've got the mistakes AND the way to avoid them. You won't be spending extra time fixing mistakes or cleaning up messes. You can get straight to enjoying your work!

If you are like Betsy and have a real Christmas tree in your house, you may have some nagging concern that it will catch your house on fire. Most of us have seen the videos of this happening and in under a minute the entire room is engulfed in flames. But did you know that Christmas trees are not the most common source of fires? In fact, the thing that starts the most fires is something we ALL do. We were surprised at the most common cause.

Captain Chris Tinney of the Holland Fire Department stopped by to talk about fire hazards during the holidays. Some of the information really surprised us and caused us to take just a few extra minutes to pay attention to what we are doing. He also had some good advice about using a fire extinguisher.

Captain Tinney took just a few minutes to discuss the Kidde Fire Extinguisher recall. Most of the problems come from the nozzle clogging, detaching, or the unit not discharging at all. The recall involves almost 38 million units. It doesn't hurt to check your unit here to see if it has been recalled.

Ok, this is not your grandma's wallpaper! Gone are the days of totally country or tiny floral prints. Now we have beautiful colors, amazing geometrics, and fantastic metallics. Put those to use in some unusual ways. Get inspired. Get creative. Wallpaper can add personality to any project.

For more inspiration, check out our Pinterest board! And feel free to share photos of your wallpaper creations with us at radio@repcolite.com or on our Facebook page.  

You Wallpapered What?!

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EP34 – November 25, 2017: Stress-Free Holiday Decorating, Safety Tips from Holland DPS, and Drywall Patching and Touch-Up Tips!

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Every day seems to bring new scam and fraud alerts. The news outlets tell us to be careful with our credit cards and identity. Facebook is full of posts warning us about some new scam that has us on edge every time we go to our inbox. That’s why we contacted the Holland Department of Public Safety. They will help us know what to look for, how to stay safe while out Christmas shopping, and a few other things many listeners probably don’t know. Their goal is to keep us safe so we can all have a Merry Christmas season.

Listen here:

Show notes for episode 034:

Christmas decorating can be very stressful. It can also seem stale. All too often we get stuck in a rut of putting the same decorations in the same spot year after year. If this sounds like you, maybe this is the year to try something different. Maybe it's the year to go "Scandinavian." Now this doesn't mean go out and buy all new decorations and take up new traditions. It simply means to scale down what you are doing. And, if you happen to be selling your house, this is the perfect way to highlight your home's best features while still having that Christmas feeling.
Every time we turn on the news, pick up a paper, or check Facebook, there seems to be a scam or fraud warning. Are they really something to worry about or just a lot of hype? It's the Christmas shopping season and we want to be sure that all of our listeners are safe at home, as well as when they leave the house. We sat down with Officer Dan Keuning and Officer Adam Sokolove of the Holland Department of Public Safety to get their thoughts on these warnings. They also have some ways to keep our homes and property safe while we enjoy all the season's festivities.
Officer Dan Keuning and Officer Adam Sokolove in our studio! Thanks for stopping by!
Do you have a wall in your home that has a hole from that time last year when the kids decided it would be a GOOD idea to play catch in the house?? Are you concerned that no matter how hard you try, everyone will be able to tell where you made the attempt to patch and paint the wall? We've been there before. We've left the hole because we simply didn't know how to fix it and have it blend in. We've got the tips on how to properly patch that hole in the drywall and then touch-up the paint so no one will ever know what happened. And if you teach the kids how to do this, you'll never need to know about another hole in the wall ever again!

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EP21 – August 26, 2017: Tankless Water Heaters, Back-to-School Safety, and Unique Kitchen Decor Updates

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We’ve all flipped through magazines and seen amazing kitchens. We dream of something similar in our homes. Then we stop to realize the cost that could be incurred with something like that. But don’t worry! We’ve got some budget-friendly kitchen decor ideas that will let you have an enviable kitchen this weekend!

Listen here:

Show notes for episode 021:

Have you ever considered a tankless water heater? Do you want hot water that never runs out? Mark DeVisser from The Plumber is Here!, joins us in the studio to tell us everything we need to know before we buy one. Mark also has more in-depth information about tankless water systems on his website.

It seems a little out of the ordinary for a Home Improvement Show to talk about back-to-school safety. But we believe that no home improvement is worth it if your family isn't there to share it with you. So we are making it our mission to help you with home improvements AND keep your family safe.

Tom DeGraaf, Principal at Lincoln Elementary School, and Dave Meeuwsen, Director of Transportation for Zeeland Public Schools, join us in the studio to give us an idea of what we can do to keep our kids safe as they head back to school.

Kitchen updates can cost thousands of dollars! It's our goal to help give your kitchen a boost, without breaking the bank. We've got some unique kitchen decor updates that will have all the neighbors talking when they stop by for coffee.

To help get your creative juices flowing, we've got two Pinterest boards you are going to want to check out!

Our Favorite Kitchen Island Inspirations!

Inspired Ways to Use Color In Your Kitchen!

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!

 

EP08 – May 27, 2017: An Epic Historic Restoration

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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!