Patching and Plastering Electrical Work

 There are a lot of electrician jokes circulating and a couple of them involve a carpenter, like what do you call an electrician who tries to work as a carpenter? A bad electrician. In reverse, what do you call a carpenter who tries to work as an electrician? A shocked carpenter. We at Paintworks are fond of the one that goes: Why did the electrician wear two jackets when painting a room in his house? Because the instructions said “for best results, put on two coats.”

Mind you, we maintain a very healthy respect for electricians. We don’t want to mess around with wiring and electrical currents. Our carpenters and painters love building, renovating and painting, restoring walls and ceilings and, yes, tidying up after electricians have neatly rewired something. In this home, we were charged (ha!) with patching and repairing holes after electrical outlets were moved.

The end game in a small project like this one is to make the wall look like it had never been disturbed. With little pieces of drywall, some tape, plaster and paint, plus expert workmanship and experience, the task was accomplished. Not only does the wall look great, but also we mounted the TV set, so these folks don’t need an extra piece of furniture to hold it.   

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

Manhattan Custom Wallpaper Hanging

Instant coffee has a storied history that stretches around the globe, and instant coffee today has a prominent place in the New York City headquarters of Ground Up Coffee & Tea. The company, which ships around the world, was founded by a 3rd generation instant coffee drinker and is dedicated to developing and delivering differentiated coffee and tea. Consumers have always appreciated the convenience afforded by instant coffee. The recent shift toward high grade coffees made with cutting edge processing technology adds premium flavor to the simplicity and portability of instant coffee.  The result is an unmatched experience at the cup and corresponding surge in demand. http://www.gucoffeetea.net.

And while they innovate in the instant coffee and tea arena, they engage a creative approach to making their work space an instant hit with employees and visitors. When Ground Up moved to a new office, they had a custom-styled wallpaper mural designed.  We were the lucky ones who got to install it and keep from getting mixed up on whether we were indoors or outside. The green fields of coffee-growing shrubs, hills beyond and backdrop of mountains are complemented with a captivating motley sky.  

We delicately carved out duct work and air vents while taping and plastering the doorway for a seamless look, except for the hinges and handle. It’s intricate work that our team of craftsmen finds challenging and rewarding. Once we picked up our drop cloths, tables, scaffolding and supplies, we really did not want to depart this glorious mountain scene for the urban concrete and skyscraper scene – like from one jungle to another.

Before. Pointing to the future

Upper West Side Apartment Painter

The Rochester Institute of Technology, 332 miles northwest of the Big Apple, offers a master of science degree in Color Science. According to its website, it’s “a unique master’s degree that decodes how humans perceive and interact with color, providing limitless real-world applications. At the only university in the nation offering this program of study, you will be exposed to the rich, dynamic field of color science through theory and practical application.” Now there’s a graduate program that seriously looks fascinating and fun.

We just love when clients go bold with color. This family had their new home painted before moving in, and we used nine colors throughout the spaces. Every newly painted wall in every room radiated energy and emotion as we brushed and rolled the new colors. Some of us might even have been humming a lively tune as we worked.

Imagine a wee one, fairly new to our world, waking up enveloped in this bold, cheerful shade of pink. Benjamin Moore has named it Sunlit Coral, for having a whisper of orange mingled into a courageous and striking fuchsia color. This was one very vibrant, energetic, happy project, for what we suspect is one very vibrant, energetic, happy family, with an abundant measure of bold and beautiful throughout their new home.

Brownstone Molding Painter

There is something to be said for natural wood – the warmth, history, grain, original, the genuine article. As wonderful as that all sounds, old trim with a dark stain can dull a space, especially molding which has multiple coats of old gel stain on it. The new owner of this brownstone was understandably conflicted between restoring the wide, solid molding to its former glory and brightening the space with new paint.

The good news is that freshly painted trim in this classic style – broad, thick, substantial molding with rosette corners – retains the architectural character while freshening the room. High quality, solid wood casings like these are just as beautiful dressed in white because the grooves, corner rosettes and panels below the windows retain their sculptured style.

Gel stain is a wonderful, oil-based, varnish product. It is thicker than traditional wood stain and rests on the wood rather than being absorbed into it. It does, however, present a challenge to the most professional of painters when it no longer fits the overall décor scheme. Sanding is step two – protecting floors and anything else in the room or adjacent spaces is always step one. It takes considerable sanding to work through the gel stain and/or scuff it enough to accept the appropriate primer which serves as a bonding agent between the newly prepped trim and its bright new paint coats. We completed this job on a tight deadline for the new owner’s move-in date, and the radiant result quite perfectly exudes a stately style.