EP14 – July 8, 2017: It’s Toilet Talk Time!

We know, it’s something people don’t normally talk about in social circles. It’s a topic left for the privacy of our own homes. But we’re breaking the mould and asking all the toilet questions you may have pondered. Mark DeVisser from The Plummer Is Here stops by to answer our questions and walk us through the options when buying a new toilet. The subject matter makes us uncomfortable, but the information is worth the discomfort!

Listen here:

Show notes for Episode 014:

Kitchens are the most commonly redone room in a house. They are also some of the most costly. And there are some things you can do to change the look, without spending a ton of money. We've all heard of painting the cabinets and replacing the hardware. But there is one more project that is often overlooked, but dramatically changes the look of your kitchen.

Painting a tile backsplash can really change the look and feel of your kitchen. It can make a dated kitchen feel current. And, with a little creativity, you can make your backsplash a one-of-a-kind. Check out our Backsplash Ideas Pinterest board to see what inspired us!

Figuring out the perfect lighting for your home can be a challenge. But it can be more difficult as we get older. Our eyes go through drastic changes as we age and most people will require more and different types of light.

Renee Huff from The Lighting Corner in Grandville stops by to discuss how eyes change as we age and some things that we can implement to help us, or our loved ones, see better as we gracefully age.

Outdoor living spaces are the fastest growing segment of home improvement. Everyone is trying create that backyard spaces that every neighbor wants. And all may be perfect until it comes to the furniture.

There are three general issues that come up when it comes to patio furniture:

  1. It looks terrible from sitting in the weather.
  2. It's the wrong style. You bought log furniture, but now hate it!
  3. It's an eclectic collection of yard sale finds.

When people find themselves in one of the above situations they generally do one of two things: they either live with it, or they toss it (for the eclectic collector to find!) and buy new. But there is a third option that we like a lot better! It will save you money over replacing and you can make it something the neighbors will envy! You can find amazing ideas on our Outdoor Furniture Pinterest board.

Yes, we have finally come to Dan's favorite segment of this episode! He has been dying to have all of his hard-hitting toilet questions answered by an expert plumber. And lucky for us, The Plumber Is Here!

Mark DeVisser from The Plumber Is Here! stops by to answer all Dan's questions and add a few laughs.

Mark DeVisser is a Master Plumber and Owner of  Great Lakes Plumbing Services, LLC (or, as it is more commonly known, The Plumber Is Here!). The plumber Is Here can take care of all your plumbing needs including water heaters, faucets, tubs and showers, water and sewer hookups, drain cleaning and so much more! They service residential, commercial and new construction in all areas around Saugatuck, Holland, Zeeland, Grand Haven, Grandville, Jenison, Hudsonville, and beyond. 

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

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!

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!

 

EP11 – June 17, 2017: Paint That’s Almost Magic!

Looking at a scuffed wall, just days after it has been painted, is frustrating! Benjamin Moore is changing all that with a brand new paint that’s almost magical in resisting what life throws at it. We put it through it’s paces and were amazed!  We’ll tell you what the product is, why it’s unique, and how we tested it.

That and much more on today’s episode:

Listen here:

Show notes for episode 011:

Painting a pool can be very intimidating. People think that there is a lot of work involved and that it takes a professional to do it. Ken Kleinke from Insl-X joins us in the studio to assure every pool owner (or future pool owner) that painting a pool is almost like painting the interior of your house. It really comes down to prep, and even that isn't too bad! And even better, your local RepcoLite or Port City Paints carries Insl-X Pool Paint at a very competitive price!

About Ken

Ken Kleinke has been in the coatings business for over 40 years! He has been with Insl-X for almost 20 which is why we contacted him to talk about pool paint. He takes the fear out of painting a pool!

Do you know what dad REALLY wants for Father's Day? More time and less work! We teamed up with Bergman Power Equipment to give one lucky winner a lawn equipment package worth over $600!

Larry Bergman  joins us in the studio to announce the contest and talk a little bit about the tools we are giving away. With a new string trimmer, blower and mower, dad will be relaxing in no time!

Almost every dad would love to get a new grill for Father's Day. At least they wouldn't argue if they got one! We asked Rob Cackowski from Heritage Fireplace and Design Center to stop by and help us sort out grill buying. How do we know what to look for? Gas or charcoal? Rob also has some ideas for small, last minute grill gifts from the kids. And if you want to take dad to pick out his own grill, stop in to see Rob. He'll help dad pick the perfect grill!

Are you tired of having scuffed walls from your kids kicking off their shoes as they enter the house? Do you work someplace where the walls look like they haven't been painted in 5 years, even though they were painted the previous week?

We are in the studio with RepcoLite's very own Dave Helmholdt who just finished training all of the store employees on an amazing new product from Benjamin Moore. Ultra Spec Scuff-X is an amazing scuff-resistant, waterborne paint that is leaving even the harshest critics speechless!

 

EP10 – June 10, 2017: Find that Perfect Color and More!

Finding the perfect color for your next project doesn’t have to be complicated! You don’t have to stand in front of the color display for hours looking at 1000’s of colors. There’s a simple process we’re going to tell you about that will help you cut the time you spend looking in half!

That and much more on today’s episode:

Listen here:


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EP09 – June 3, 2017: Year of the Tick and More!

It’s that time of year again! The time when we want to spend all available time outdoors, enjoying everything Michigan has to offer. There are water adventures, camping, sunsets, hiking, and ticks. Yes, ticks! It is going to be another prevalent year for natures little vampires! But don’t think your best conceived summer plan is in peril just yet. David Popp from Rose Pest Solutions is going to help all of us deal with these creepy pests.

That and much more on today’s episode:

Listen here:


Show notes for episode 009:

Nothing is worse than spending a beautiful summer day exploring nature, only to get home and find that one of nature's hitchhikers has attached itself to your skin. Then comes the battle to decide which method is best for removing a tick. There are many wives tales o tick removal, but there is only one good way.

David Popp from Rose Pest Solutions joins us in the studio to discuss how ticks attach, how to avoid getting them and what to do if you happen to be the unfortunate person one latches onto.

We hear it time and time again at all of our RepcoLite locations: "I have paneling from the 60s and I'm sick of it. Can I paint that?"

The answer is, YES! It's actually quite simple to do. You just have to be aware of some important ideas that will make your project go a whole lot more smoothly. And we'll also tell you the best way to apply the paint to avoid funny lines.

When people think of preparing a garage floor for a coating, they think chemicals are the answer. When people think of refinishing wood floors, they think of runaway sanders or back creaking labor. When they think of decks that have too many layers of stain, they think it's time to build new. But wait! There's an easier solution!

The OnFloor machine will take care of all those surfaces without the hassle. It will grind concrete in garages, basements and shops. It will take paint, polyurethane and mastic off wood floors and then sand them. It will send old stain off a deck and have it looking like new in now time. And the best part is, it can be controlled with just two fingers! We'll give you all the details and where to rent one in this segment!

Dan has had the argument with his dad over lawn sprinkling for years! How often should you sprinkle your lawn? What time of day is best? How long should you do it for?

The great debate will finally be settled with the help of Aaron Katerberg from Grapids Irrigation. He will answer those questions as well as questions about drainage, for those of us who have the opposite problem - too much water!