Is It Too Cold to Paint Outside?

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When the temps drop, questions crop up in the stores about painting in colder, fall weather. People are unsure how long they can effectively paint outside as the year crawls toward winter. After all, who wants to paint outside, only to find out in the spring that it has to be redone because the paint blistered and peeled?

Don’t worry! There’s still time to get one more project in, but there are some things you need to know before you paint outside as the temperature drops.

The Right Paint

The cooler the temp, the more important it is to use a low temp exterior paint. Traditional exterior paints could only be applied as low as 50°, but many paint companies have formulated paints that can be applied in the 40’s and sometimes even the 30’s. RepcoLite’s ENDURA is rated for temps down to 36 degrees and Benjamin Moore’s AURA and REGAL are rated for temps down to 40 degrees.

Important Reminders

  • Temperature ratings include night time temps. You’re looking for temps that reach 36 (or 40) or higher and remain that way for 6-8 hours after application. This allows the paint to dry and form the protective film on the surface. Also,  the temperature rating is for the surface temperature, not just air temperature.
  • The best time to paint is between 10 AM and 2 PM. By starting at 10, you give the dew time to dry before application and the surface you are painting has time to warm up to at least the minimum temperature. By quitting at 2, you are giving the paint enough time to dry before dew sets in again.
  • The short paint window is critical as the temperature drops because paint takes so much longer to dry as it gets cooler.
    • Latex takes 4 hours to dry at 70°
      • It takes at least 6 hours if it is 60° or below
    • Oil takes 8 hours to dry at 70°
      • It takes about 48 hours in cold weather
  • Paint in the sun! We normally tell people to paint in the shade, but as the weather gets cooler, it is actually a benefit to paint in the sun. The sun will help the paint dry and cure better. And it doesn’t hurt that your hands will stay warm too!

You can have great success painting outside well into the fall. It’s just important to be aware of the limitations and conditions that have to be worked around. If you follow the above tips, you will be able to squeak in that one last project before snow flies.

EP22 – September 2, 2017: Lawn Seeding 101, Must-Have Painting Tools, Electrical Questions Answered, and Basement Floor Painting

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We live in Michigan where our basements can be a little scary; especially if you have an older house! There are lots of things that can be done to remedy that. But perhaps the simplest thing to do is to simply paint the floor. It’s amazing how much a coat of paint can brighten a dreary basement. We’ll help give you the confidence to tackle your floor this weekend!

Listen here:

Show notes for episode 022:

Summer is almost over. And that means our lawns have made it through the toughest part of the year. Some may have made it through the heat like champs. Others, however, may have lost the battle with heat and minimal rain, and now have featured brown and dead patches.

Don't fret! According to Matt Bakker from Landscape Design Services, you can still bring your lawn back to its glory days before snow flies. He's got everything we need to know about seeding the bare patches in our yards.

There is nothing more frustrating than trying to do a simple task, only to find you don't have to right tool on hand. Try opening a bottle without a bottle opener (Dan!), or tighten a screw using a penny (Betsy!). It takes way more time to complete the task and there is so much frustration involved!

This same theory applies to painting as well. If you follow our list and always have these painting tools on hand, your next project is guaranteed to be a lot less stressful because you won't have to stop midway through the project (or maybe before you even begin!) to buy the right tool.

Must-Have Painting Tools Check List!

There are a lot of home improvement projects we are comfortable tackling--anything involving wood is generally acceptable, minor plumbing projects are ok, and anything involving paint is a breeze. But electrical....oh, electrical....that is a whole different story! Sure, we can change light bulbs and maybe even wire up a fan or a new lighting fixture. But when it comes to questions like "why do my lights dim when I run the microwave?" we figure it's best to ask a professional.

Lucky for us, Bill Haveman, co-owner of Haveman Electric, agreed to stop by and talk about some common household electrical questions. Hopefully, by the end of the conversation, our power concerns will be put to rest.

Miss Etta James, in the 60s, sang about all the fun you can have in the basement. But what happens if you have a Michigan basement? What if you have dark, cold concrete floors and tony spiders hanging in the corners? It's sounds more like a dungeon that a place to hang out and have fun.

But there is  solution! It's amazing what a difference just painting the floor can make. It will brighten up the space and make it feel a little less cold. And if you are concerned about tackling the project, don't be! We've got you covered with tips and tricks from start to finish.

Floor Painting Tips

  • Use a 14" or 18" cover if possible
  • Use a 3/8" nap cover
  • Use an extension pole. It will save your back!
  • Brush 2" strip around all the edges (cut in)
  • Roll paint from paint tray
  • OR try pouring paint straight out of the bucket in a line on the floor!
    • Pour a few feet from wall
    • Pour a 4" wide strip
    • Only pour as much as you can evenly spread before the paint dries
    • Could use a 3/16" nap cover with this application method
    • Work with a helper
  • Let paint dry completely before introducing light foot traffic
    • Waterborne - at least 6 hours
    • Oil - at least 12 hours
    • All dry times will be slowed even more without air circulation and/or humidity

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!

How to Get the Best Color Match for Touch-Up Work

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You just moved into a new house. The walls are in pretty good shape, but there are a few spots you’d like to touch-up. So, with that as your mission, you head to the basement to look through all the cans the previous owner left. One of them HAS to be the paint you are looking for, right? I mean, it looks like the entire paint store is sitting on the shelf in your basement! But, of course, the color you need seems to be the only color that isn’t on the shelf. How does that happen?! And more importantly, what do you do now?!

Fortunately, this isn’t your first rodeo. You know that a quality paint store can match that color on your wall. But wait! Before you jump in your car and head to RepcoLite, here are some things you need to know to get the best possible match.

ALLOW ENOUGH TIME. We usually figure an average of 30 minutes for a color match. Could it be quicker? Of course! But it could also be longer. It will depend on how busy the store is, what the color is, and if the paint you need is oil or latex. It’s important to know that paint changes color as it dries. This means we need it to be completely dry to get an accurate match. Latex paint can be forced dry with a hairdryer but oil takes quite a bit longer. If you need oil paint, plan on leaving the match overnight so we can be sure it’s dry. Either way, oil or latex, what works really well is to work your paint matching into your other errands. Stop by on your way out, drop the color off with us, and then go do all your other shopping. When you’re done, swing back by the store and we’ll have it ready and waiting for you!

COME WITH A BIG ENOUGH SAMPLE. The bigger the sample is, the more accurate your match will be. We have a computer that reads color, but the sample has to be at least the size of a quarter. And even then, the computer only gets us so close. The color has to be dialed in by eye. We can see slight variations in color better if we have a bigger sample. So many times we’ll be given tiny paint flakes carefully scraped from the wall. They’re brought to us in handkerchiefs and tupperware. And they’re very tough to use to get a good match. The bigger the sample you bring, the more likely that paint is going to blend perfectly with what’s already on your wall!

COME WITH THE BEST POSSIBLE SAMPLE. If you are touching up, we need a sample directly from the wall you need to touch up. If you are painting an entire wall, you can cut a sample from a closet that has the same color. Either way, when you cut out a sample, only cut through the paper on the drywall and make sure it is in an inconspicuous area. This will make patching a lot easier and less likely to be seen after you repaint. Now, if you can’t get a sample from either of those areas, look for switch plates or vent covers that may have been painted. Sometimes you can even find a sample under the switch plate. Get creative! Whatever you can bring us will help.

Now that the color matching guru has worked some magic, you are ready to do some touching up. But before you jump in, remember: the best result will come from using the same type of applicator that was originally used to paint the wall. If the wall was rolled, you should use a roller. You want the touched up spot to blend as much as possible. If you are concerned about the spots showing, or if the color isn’t exact, paint the wall from one corner to the other. This will make it so that any slight variances will not be noticed.

EP20 – August 19, 2017: Central Vacuums, Ceilings, Stress-Free Color Matching, and Buying a New House

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Our ceilings are often like that one guy in the office. The quiet one who everyone forgets to invite to the party. Don’t let that happen in your home! Sure, your walls are having fun trying on new colors and looking good, but don’t leave your ceilings out! In this episode, we talk with Designer Kim Scott to talk about ceilings and some interesting ways to use them to make a statement!

Listen here:

Show notes for episode 020:

Many of us hate vacuuming. Especially if we have stairs! Just the thought of lugging that heavy, awkward vacuum up and down the stairs makes us groan. But we have a solution!

Tom Courtright from WalVac stops by to tell us about his amazing central vacuum system that will save our backs the next time we vacuum stairs. We've heard from many people who have this system, and they say they'll never go back to a regular vacuum. We think that speaks for itself!

When we ask customers if they are going to paint their ceilings, we often get a blank stare. It just seems like one more thing to do. But it's time to change your thinking! Your ceiling deserves just as much attention as your walls.

Kim Scott, of KJS Interiors, is an interior designer who loves to use color in her decorating. She gives us tips on how to use color on ceilings to create that "wow" factor!

No one likes to make multiple trips to the paint store for a color match. We want to help you make one trip by telling you everything we need to get your match done right the first time.

Shopping for a new house can be very overwhelming. There is so much to look at and consider. It is very easy to miss or overlook important things.

To help us know what to pay attention to, Rodger Nyhuis, of Keller Williams Holland Lakeshore Realty, stops by to discuss what he tells his clients. He has great information that will help us be more thorough the next time we walk through a house.

EP19 – August 12, 2017: Adventures in Furniture Refinishing, Masking Tape Woes, Streak-Free Window Cleaning Miracle, and Carpet Care 101

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Paint projects shouldn’t be daunting. Or complicated. Most of the time, any struggles we’ve ever had come from not knowing a few tricks that the professionals know. Today we talk about a number of ways to get beautiful results whenever you use masking tape!

Listen here:

Show notes for episode 019:

Some people may have heard this segment before, but Kim DeBoer had such good information. She told us where to find furniture to refinish and how to tell if it's worth buying. It's a project that is well worth the time and effort. You end up with a truly unique, one of a kind piece of furniture you can be proud of.

Kim DeBoer is a professional painting contractor who does a lot of furniture refinishing on the side. She's been doing this for herself and her customers for years!

We took Kim's advice and went hunting for the perfect piece. We picked up this very sad looking desk for about $50, but thought it might have potential. We were pleasantly surprised to find a beautiful wood top under many layers of paint. We now have a one-of-a-kind desk that we can be proud of!

Have you ever finished a painting project, all excited to pull the tape off and see the fruits of your labor, only to find that paint has bled under the tape and you now have all kinds of touch up to do?

We've all been there. Our paint project goes so well until the tape comes off. Maybe paint has bled under the tape. Maybe the tape pulled paint off the wall. We've got some of the most common tape complaints, when it comes to painting, and the solutions for them.

Many of us dread washing windows because it takes so long and it's so hard to get them streak and spot free. As soon as the sun is at just the right angle, we can see (very clearly!) every swipe of the rag we made.

  We tried the top three window cleaning solutions we found on the internet, and this is the one we thought worked the best.

Magic Cleaner #1

1/2 gal. warm water

1 Tbsp. Jet Dry

2-3 Tbsp. Dawn

  The other solutions we tried were:

Magic Cleaner #2

1/2 bottle Jet Dry

4 Tbsp. Alcohol

1/4 c. ammonia

1 handful powdered dishwasher soap

2 gal. hot water

Magic Cleaner #3

2 c. water

1/4 c. vinegar

1/2 tsp Dawn

New carpet is a huge investment and no one wants to do it often. But most people are unaware that the way they clean their carpet and what they clean it with, can actually void their warranty or even wear it out faster.

Nick Sargent from Johnson Carpet One joins us in the studio to discuss the finer points of carpet care.

And in the segment, Nick talks about Capture Carpet Cleaner. We said we'd include a link. And here it is!