AFTER - primed and 2 finish coats

PRIMING stage

NYC Fire Escape Welding Repair

AFTER - welding repair, primed and painted.

Welded, repaired, and primed.

BEFORE - rusted, detached, unsafe

NYC Fire Escape Repair and Renovation

Staying safe means lots of things to lots of people in lots of scenarios. There is much agreement, however, on the fear factor scale that fire is both unwelcome and scary everywhere. Staying safe from fire in New York City can mean your fire escape is strong, well-painted and completely free from clutter. The New York City Department of Housing and Preservation & Development inspects fire escapes and can issue citations to building owners if deemed unsafe.

We were called to West Village not long ago to repair, strengthen and paint one of these iconic life lines to the street. It was nestled between multi-story, masonry buildings. We found it detached at top, rusted and unsafe for foot traffic. This job called for superior cleaning, prep, welding, priming and painting. The welding repair assures that the stairs are firmly attached for safe egress in the event that evacuation outside of the building is necessary. Primer protects the metal, and paint provides a clean, safe stairway. Remember: The only thing ever left on a NYC fire escape is a footprint.

Painting the finish coats - the color is custom matched to the business awning.

NYC Fire Escape Repairs

Fire escapes are for … [drum roll] … escaping fires. The New York City Department of Housing Preservation & Development works diligently with the New York City Fire Department, the largest municipal fire department in the U.S. and second largest in the world behind Tokyo, to routinely inspect fire escapes. Their attention to details on the condition of fire escapes all over the city contributes to their optimum function and performance in the case of a fire on an upper floor.

 The Paintworks staff is acutely aware of fire escape requirements and the Certification of Correction and was once again called in to bring one up to code. We did some spot welding and repair work like reattaching a rung to a ladder. Missing a step on a fire escape when one is moving down in a hurry with fear and adrenaline flowing may not end well. Then we ground and scraped off rust, primed everything and painted with special industrial quality finish coats to match the color of the first floor awning. The building’s management team was satisfied with a job well done, as well as the municipal powers who tirelessly oversee these things to protect all of us.

After grinding, priming and painting

Before we started. You can see the rust and failing coatings at bottom of the landing

NYC Fire Escape Violation Correction

This building owner contacted us after receiving a violation from the city regarding the condition of the fire escapes. In order to correct the situation and avoid future violations we began by grinding off failing coatings and rust with orbital grinder. We then primed the fire escapes with rust converter and painted with uv resistant industrial coatings to help the fire escapes withstand the elements. This satisfied the city requirements bringing the fire escapes back up to code. Maintenance for fire escapes is important due to the sun exposure and weather elements like rain and snow. We were happy to tackle this project.

Painting Fire Escapes in Little Italy NYC

Painting fire escapes in New York is a crucial element for standard upkeep of a building. Fire escapes may rarely get use but they must be ready and sturdy during an emergency. This is why painting them to protect the metal is so important. Fire escapes are constantly beaten down by the NYC elements. We always start by grinding off any failing coatings. Once that is done we apply Rust destroyer primer that converts any remaining rust in preparation for the finish coats. We then apply 2 coats of UV resistant industrial coatings to ensure that the fire escapes are protected long term. We painted the above fire escape in Little Italy last month. The owners were happy to get it done before the cold weather hits.

Finished product. Painted with durable oil based paint

Primed with Benjamin Moore Super Spec primer

The rough before picture

Painting Fire Escapes in Brooklyn

Fire escapes are iconic in New York City for their solution to fire safety and for their unique architectural addition to buildings. Because fire escapes are constantly exposed to NYC's rash of outdoor elements eventually paint fails and rust start to build on them. This can lead to hazardous conditions where the metal becomes oxidized and pieces become vulnerable to breaking.  On top of the safety hazards, the oxidation and decomposition of the fire escapes make historic buildings look decrepit and unappealing. To maintain the beauty and safety of our city, Paintworks and Decorating has made it simple to restore and protect fire escapes.

Earlier this month we helped a local Co-op in Park Slope, Brooklyn, restore and paint their fire escapes. We started by grinding off all rust and failing paint. We proceed to prime it with nothing but the best, Benjamin Moore Super Spec Primer. The primer helps protect the metal while also giving the paint something to bond to. Once primed the fire escapes are given a finish coat of Benjamin Moore High Gloss Oil based paint. The paint makes the metal more resistant to water, freezing and continued oxidation. This process adds years to your fire escapes life. The finished product looks clean, new, and vibrant. Whatever issues you may be having with your fire escape we can help.