Repairing Peeling Paint and Failing Plaster in Brooklyn Heights Townhouse 11201

Our first order of business was to address the failing plaster. We began by scrupulously scraping away the loose, flaking paint—a meticulous process. Next, we applied a bonding primer, an essential step that acts as the foundation for what's to come, promising adhesion and durability for the new paint. It's not just about covering up; it's about setting the stage for a lasting transformation.

before we started

after the scraping stage

After the bonding primer set the stage, we turned our attention to the plaster itself. Plastering is an art as much as it is a skill—smoothing over the past, filling in the gaps of time, and restoring the smooth canvas that is a ceiling in a brownstone such as this. Layer by layer, we built up the surface, each stroke erasing years of wear and bringing us closer to a restoration deserving of this home's heritage.

Finally, it was time to reintroduce paint to the ceilings.

AFTER

DURING

DURING

Westchester County Water Damage Restoration 

 Scarsdale, N.Y., was settled in 1701 by a British aristocrat, and more than three centuries later, the English feel remains evident in architecture and street names. The Bronx River Parkway flanks the western border with walking trails along the river, and a rustic footbridge and waterfall. The water is stunning and mesmerizing to watch and photograph, but water is not a welcome addition flowing inside any home. 

This basement in a lovely Scarsdale house encountered major water damage when it flooded, and we went right to work removing tiles, drywall and baseboards. Besides everything being wet where it should be dry, water damage must be managed immediately to prevent mold, mildew, bugs and water-borne disease. Left unchecked, mold can creep through support beams and weaken an entire structure. Once dry, we replaced metal wall studs, new drywall, baseboards and trim, as well as cleaned and re-set the tile flooring. Our team is meticulous with plastering seams, sanding and smoothing everything before applying the coats of paint that render the space dry, attractive and functional once again. 

Plastering and Painting To Revive A Home In Manhattan

When this client called us her apartment was in bad shape. After not painting or repairing the plaster in her home for over 40 years everything started to fail. Paint was falling from everywhere. Adding to the situation was water damage from the apartment above. We spent multiple days scraping and carefully disposing off all the failing paint and plaster. We were surprised to discover wallpaper underneath the paint (seen in the 2nd picture below). The client didn’t know there was wallpaper there! We then spent multiple days priming and plastering the entire apartment to return it to it’s former glory. You can see the dramatic transformation, especially in the bathroom picture below. These pictures were taken at the 70% mark of the project. While we always recommend addressing paint issues as they arise, it is never too late to save your home.

The half way point after 2 coats of plaster

After scraping off the failing paint we discovered wallpaper!

After plastering and priming

The scary bathroom before we started

Finished Master bedroom

Other side of Master bedroom with bold colored doors

The prep stage - Level 4 plastering on walls and ceilings

Jackson Heights Skim Coating and Interior Painting

Jackson Heights is home to many historic residential buildings that are wonderfully built and preserved details. Unfortunately as time goes on and apartments constantly change hands these once fine and beautiful details become lost. Plaster starts to fail, the walls become warped and wonky. Door frames covered in 10+ coats of paint hide the once detailed frame. Good news is that all of this can be fixed. This new homeowner wanted the apartment returned to its original glory and we were happy to help. As professional plasterers and door frame strippers in Queens we immediately knew how to remedy the situation after walking the space. With our Jackson Heights skim coating team in place we began the 4 day process of giving all walls and ceilings of the apartment a Level 4 treatment. Level 4 is 3-4 layers of compound applied to the surfaces to give a smooth look and feel, replacing any current texture. The bottom picture shows a bedroom during the 2nd day of plastering. While the plaster was drying we began the process of stripping all the door frames. Removing years of paint from door frames is an intensive process that takes expertise and patience. Once the paint was removed from the door frames we re-plastered around the frames to make everything look new again. With the plaster dried we sanded all walls and ceilings with fine sandpaper to ensure proper smoothness. We then primed all surfaces to ready them for the finish coats. Using 2 coats of Benjamin Moore Aura we painted the entire apartment. We loved the accent walls and door colors the client chose. Painting the furnace cover a different color from the wall is unique and worked out well. Painting historic Queens Co-ops can be a challenge but it is always worth it. We are thankful for this very involved project and the way the finished place looks.