Ceiling Complete

NYC Ceiling Water Damage Restoration

Imagine you are moving. Soon. You are excited. You have chosen your new Big Apple abode with care to meet your location preferences, lifestyle and budget. Your other lease is over, your stuff is packed in boxes, furniture and electronics are ready to relocate. Then you receive a phone call, not from Chicken Little telling you the sky is falling, but from another source telling you the ceiling has fallen. There was a flood in the residence above which ruined the entire ceiling in one large room, leaving ceiling pieces, insulation and all manner of debris on the floor of your new place. And no real ceiling above.

The best plan is to call us at Paintworks and go find an extra large latte, or a big martini, and give us the weekend to fix it all. We did it - for an early-next-week move-in! Our skilled tradesmen removed all the ceiling pieces which had not fallen on their own, then determined what was needed for new framing, insulation and drywall. Ceiling work is quite challenging and requires the same attention to measurements and installation procedures as walls and floors, but it will test one’s biceps strength and blood pressure to the max, working upside down much of the time. Then there’s cutting out precise spaces for recessed lights and ceiling speakers.

For a smooth finish [pun intended], we taped, plastered and primed the new drywall, covering the new insulation, connected to the new framework. Then, we painted it bright white for maximum natural daylight reflection and packed up our floor coverings, brushes, rollers, tools and equipment. We like to think the next call to the new tenant was the happy news that the ceiling was repaired over the weekend. It was again stable and secure, and the time to move in is now.

Starting the work

Installing the Mold Tough Fire Code Drywall

Priming after taping and plastering

Ceiling like brand new after being taken apart for HVAC work.

Tribeca Drywall Repair

An air handler, well, it handles air and is an important component of the HVAC (Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning) system. It looks a bit like a furnace, and its main function is regulating and circulating air throughout a home or building’s duct system. Like much of the unseen HVAC equipment, the air handler is largely unnoticed until it ceases to function properly. While lots of air handlers are in basements or crawl spaces beneath houses, they are often found in multi-story buildings in New York City tucked in between floors and behind walls.

Here in Tribeca, we opened up a large enough part of a ceiling for the HVAC repair company to work. They removed the old unit and installed a new one, leaving the ceiling repair to us. This entailed challenging tasks like working upside down to put up new drywall, while making sure the rest of the ceiling was sufficiently supported during the whole project. Once positioned and fastened securely, we taped and plastered the drywall seams.

And then, when all was dry and smooth, our team once again climbed up the ladders or scaffolding which we had carted to the job site and primed and painted the new drywall. We worked around the embedded ceiling lights and also patched and painted a hallway column which had been opened up to install new HVAC lines. We work closely with lots of contractors, homeowners and property management companies. For us, it’s all in a day’s work, but for others, it can be overwhelming. We don’t hold their hands per se, but we do reassure them that everything will look nice and new when it’s done. And it does. Every time.

Ceiling open for HVAC work.

Column waiting final sanding and painting.

Column open for HVAC work.

Wonderful smooth ceiling - no more outdated popcorn look

Freshly painted room with a view

Yorkville Popcorn Ceiling Removal and Plastering 

Yorkville’s acclaim for a great New York City place to live has been enhanced in recent years with a new subway stop and ferry landing. Once woods and pastures, Yorkville now boasts an abundance of diverse housing options, along with Gracie Mansion, the official residence of the Mayor. This client acquired a place here which clearly needed some love.

Popcorn ceilings are so yesterday. And popcorn ceilings with cracks and water damage are simply unbearable. We scaped away and captured loose paint and plaster before skim coating the ceilings for a smooth and even texture. We added paint up there and then went around the whole place and painted all the walls. These folks can come home from East River Walk or Ruppert Park to a sweet, freshly painted home with sleek ceilings and warm, welcoming walls.

Clean new paint in kitchen

Professional painter at work

Here’s the ceiling at the outset of the project.

Beautiful newly plasterer and polished walls to showcase professional photos.

Close up view of beautiful walls.

NYC Apartment Skim Coating 

There are lots of ways to incorporate a homey atmosphere into your residence. Rugs, window treatments and furniture come to mind. But the personalization of space, that unique décor element that speaks volumes about the homeowner, might just be how one treats the walls. The options are nearly limitless for paintings, prints, fabric, mirrors, metal art, maps, shelves, plates, sconces, whiteboard, the television and – drum roll – photos. One of our recent clients is a professional photographer, and she wanted to showcase some of her work at home, but not on crummy, rough, uneven, peeling walls with ceilings to match!

We scraped off lots of loose, old paint and plaster before smoothing the surfaces with multiple skim coats of plaster, sanding between each one. After applying an excellent bonding primer, our team painted a polish plaster coat. This final layer provides a smooth, uniform texture which is durable and naturally waterproof. While it can be tinted, this lady opted for the cleanliness of white so her photos capture full attention. We took a few photos of our own so you can see the difference, though not close to professional standards of photography, we know.

The hallway walls when we arrived on the scene.

Ceilings needed serious attention, too.

The lovely, smooth, ceiling completely repaired

The unlovely, peeling ceiling upon arrival

Our plastic protection before any work commences

Our work at the halfway point professionally restoring this ceiling

Tudor City Plastering and Painting

 Ceiling space is the largest expanse in any room. It may be equal to the floor in square feet, but it is not interrupted with furniture and rugs. And while you may not gaze at the ceiling, peripheral vision takes it all in – the big space with possibly one central chandelier or fan or recessing lighting. When your ceiling is in disrepair, then the entire room takes on a dull, crummy appearance. This Tudor City apartment’s ceiling had been peeling for a couple years, and it was time to fix it.

 Our team rolled in with copious plastic sheets to protect furnishings, floor coverings and electronics from debris that was sure to come down in pieces, flakes and dust. Once scraped, we applied a bonding primer to attach firmly to the subsequent coats of plaster. After sanding it flat and smooth, up went a high quality primer ahead of the finish coats. Ceiling work is challenging for the overhead position and working with arms raised on ladders and scaffolding that we haul along with all the tools and supplies. This entire room can now be seen, peripheral vision included, as a warm, inviting, home space.