Exterior House Painter NYC

When this homeowner called us she was looking to refresh the exterior of the home for the new renters. The house hadn't had it's stucco exterior painted in over 12 years and it was started to show. The bottom picture shows before we got started. You can see the failing paint around all the windows, the accumulation of dirt is also visible. Our first step was to rent a boom lift that would allow us to reach all corners of this house. We spent the first day power washing the entire stucco exterior. The next day was devoted to more preparation as we scraped the failing paint, plastered any holes/cracks and caulked around all windows. Once was that was completed we masked off the areas that were not to be painted. We then used professional spray machines to paint the exterior stucco walls. After spraying the stucco was completed we hand painted all window frames and shutters. The client picked a boldly beautiful red to contrast the white house. The client was in awe when she saw the finished project. It looks like an entirely new exterior to her house. Very grateful to be a part of this exterior transformation. 

Painting Exterior Cornices

The New York Times have called roof cornices 'The Crowning Glory’ of NYC architecture in the Early 20th century. Yet these historic pieces of architectural ingenuity have largely disappeared from modern building practices. Built of galvanized iron, copper and terra cotta, the cornice was the cherry on top of NYC beautiful historic buildings. The Brooks Brothers building, at Madison and 44th Street is a superb example of a refined cornice. Sadly, the anti-cornice movement goes hand in hand with the “who-cares” tide of NYC architecture. Buildings after building were made in “modern” designs, seeking to become taller and sleeker. This makes cornice placement difficult.

In today’s world the city's Department of Housing Preservation and Development has adopted a cornice restoration plan as part of its overall housing strategy in the Harlem and Hamilton Heights area. Cassandra A. Vernon, an agency spokeswoman urges developers to include cornices in their designs. She seeks to encourage people to repair and replace cornices on rehabilitated buildings.

Paintworks and Decorating is proud to be one of the few companies experienced to handle this delicate restoration. We see cornices as a major piece of NYC architectural history and wish to keep the artistic tradition alive. The very soul of New York has slowly been deteriorated by the destruction of some of our most historic constructions. With our 25 years of experience we seek to maintain NYC’s rich art and history.

With the easy renting of one scissor lift the our team can restore your historic building's details to their former glory. With a few precise coats of Benjamin Moore Aura Exterior premium paint your cornice will last for future generations to appreciate and admire. 

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.