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Home In Progress

Dan Hansen/RepcoLite Paints

Welcome to Home in Progress—the weekly show from RepcoLite Paints where we dig into the projects and little fixes that make home life better. Paint colors, design tricks, flooring, plumbing, yard work—you name it. If it happens at home, we’ll talk about it. Think of it as helpful advice with a sense of humor, always leaving you with something useful and a smile.

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  • 22 episodes
  • weekly
  • Avg 41 min
  • English

Episodes 22

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  • #454
    April 11 · 40 min

    Why Your House Gets Dusty So Fast and How to Paint Kitchen Cabinets

    In this best-of episode of Home in Progress by RepcoLite Paints, sponsored by Benjamin Moore, Dan Hansen covers two popular home improvement topics: how to reduce dust in your house and how to paint kitchen cabinets. In the first half of the episode, Dan explains what household dust actually is, where it comes from, and why some homes seem to get dusty so quickly. He breaks down common causes of indoor dust buildup, including skin cells, pet dander, fabric fibers, pollen, soil, HVAC airflow, and dirty or inefficient furnace filters. He also explains how low indoor humidity can keep dust floating in the air longer and shares practical tips for reducing dust throughout the home. Dan’s dust-control advice includes using a HEPA vacuum, dusting with damp microfiber cloths, washing bedding and curtains regularly, vacuuming upholstered furniture, replacing furnace filters on time, checking filter efficiency, using air purifiers, and maintaining indoor humidity around 40 to 50 percent. He also discusses whether duct cleaning may help and previews that topic for a future episode. In the second half, Dan gives a detailed step-by-step guide to painting kitchen cabinets, especially older stained or varnished cabinets. He explains how to remove and label cabinet doors and hardware, clean away built-up grease, sand the surface correctly, choose the right bonding primer, block stains and tannin bleed, and select a durable cabinet paint that will hold up over time. He also shares tips on sanding between coats, using better brushes and rollers, avoiding common mistakes, and giving the finish enough time to dry and cure before reassembly. Whether you are trying to cut down on dust in your home or thinking about repainting your kitchen cabinets, this episode offers practical advice that can help you get better results. Episode Breakdown 00:00 Best-of episode setup 00:42 Why the house gets dusty so fast 01:27 A short tangent on height and dust 05:09 What dust actually is 07:14 Where household dust comes from 08:39 HVAC filters, airflow, and ductwork 11:09 Humidity and why it matters 12:09 Practical ways to reduce dust 16:21 Building a realistic cleaning routine 17:12 Air purifiers, filters, and duct cleaning 18:37 Wrap-up and cabinet painting preview 19:31 Why painting cabinets can be worth it 22:02 Understanding project scope and cabinet types 22:43 Remove and label doors and hardware 24:47 Prep mindset and deep cleaning 26:53 Scuff sanding the right way 28:54 Priming and blocking stains 32:07 Sanding primer and choosing paint 34:05 Applying the second coat and allowing cure time 35:42 Reassembly and finishing touches 36:45 Final tips and wrap-up

  • #453
    April 4 · 40 min

    How Timing, Paint Quality, and Design Choices Change Your Home

    Host Dan Hansen opens the episode by noting a technical mistake in the original on-air broadcast, which led to the spring painting segment being repeated—then leans into it with a quick apology and a story about how contractor Joe helped him upgrade from a box grater to a rotary cheese grater after a painful pizza-making mishap. From there, Dan dives into one of the most common spring questions: When can you actually start painting outside? He explains why air temperature alone isn’t enough, emphasizing the importance of surface temperature, dew point (keeping surfaces at least 5–10°F above it), and moisture content in wood (ideally below 15%). He also discusses surfactant leaching and how overnight conditions can impact fresh paint. To help extend the early-season window, he highlights Benjamin Moore Element Guard for its ability to handle lower temperatures and resist rain quickly, and shares a practical day-by-day approach to spring exterior painting—including why you should always store your paint indoors overnight. Shifting indoors, Dan shares a firsthand experience helping his son repaint a home, where RepcoLite Optima delivered impressive coverage over both deep, dark colors and even bright bubblegum pink. While nearly achieving one-coat results, he still recommends two coats for a consistent, professional finish. The episode wraps with a deeper look at biophilic design—how incorporating elements of nature into your home can reduce stress and improve well-being. Dan walks through simple, practical ways to apply it: using natural color palettes, incorporating wood and stone, embracing imperfection through ideas like wabi-sabi, protecting meaningful outdoor views, and adding plants (real or artificial) to create a calming environment. He closes by encouraging listeners to connect with the Home in Progress podcast and Facebook page—and offers a warm Easter greeting. Timestamps 00:00 Welcome and On-Air Correction 00:42 Rotary Grater Upgrade 02:56 Michigan Spring Frustrations 04:38 When to Paint Outside 05:34 Surface Temperature Matters 06:47 Dew Point Basics 07:43 Moisture in Wood 09:06 Surfactant Leaching 11:08 Element Guard 12:12 Outdoor Painting Schedule 13:40 Keep Paint Warm 14:22 Shift to Interior Painting 15:08 Repainting Son’s House 15:51 Optima Paint Overview 16:36 Dark Colors Coverage 18:18 Covering Bright Colors 18:32 Final Recommendation 19:00 Greenery Benefits Tease 19:09 Sponsor Break 19:31 Brain Needs at Home 21:05 Biophilic Design Explained 21:53 Nature Lowers Stress Fast 24:21 Earth Tone Color Tips 26:20 Natural Materials 28:17 Sponsor Break 29:43 Wabi-Sabi and Imperfection 32:04 Protecting Your Views 33:43 Plants: Real or Artificial 36:14 Series Wrap and Next Week 37:45 Podcast and Facebook 39:35 Easter Sign-Off

Showing 21–22 of 22 episodes