Home Improvement
A Primer on Water Damage Repair Yes, there are such things as “paint emergencies”. They can be time based emergencies, such as: “our daughter is getting married in the dining room next month and we need to get it painted, decorated and refurnished.” Or, they can be the uglier flavor requiring water damage repair on […]
Providing a clean workspace is a matter of procedure at Topcoat Finishes, and as a homeowner, husband and father, I try hard to hold myself to the same habits and standards at home when we are in project mode, which has been often over the years. So, I have come to think of protecting noses, […]
For readers following this story, and traffic stats indicate that you are, I am pleased to report that we are still in the prep stage and the house is cooperating. Our crew, Sam and John, as featured in this piece, have the situation well under control in spite of serious heat and harsh sun exposure […]
Ok, actually, stripping my deck. I am a paint contractor, but I am also a homeowner. With a never ending “honey do” list. This one has been on the list for…well, a while. What better time to tackle it than when the truck is already loaded up from wood restoration projects all over Chittenden County […]
I have to say right up front that wood restoration using chemical strip methods is a project best hired out to qualified professionals. The pressure washing equipment, chemicals, safety equipment and best practices for all of the above are not common knowledge. Also, knowledge and experience in working wood through various stages of chemical ph […]
**Update: For ipe deck info, visit our new site, ipehelp.com** It comes every year… Exterior wood finishing season sure brings the bittersweet reward of intense immediate gratification after intensive prep in varying conditions. This is an example of a properly maintained ipe deck. Typically, we will apply oil to 6 courses of the deck at a time, […]
In my little corner of the northeast, ipe has built quite a presence as a choice decking product on homes. I’ve lost track of how many miles the l.f. translates to that we have handled in prefinishing and then field maintained.
As these decks age, and their finishes fade, homeowners are often concerned that what they considered to be a pricy investment has gradually started to look more like the silvery gray outdoor furniture.
For some reason, this season I have been asked more questions about ipe finishing by homeowners and colleagues than ever before. To the point that I thought it would be easiest to just create a post.
In the spirit of our custom exterior services for exotic natural wood species, Topcoat employees John and Sam recently completed a very special lakeside octagon screened porch ceiling restoration. The eight sections of the ceiling culminate in a single point in the peak, from which is mounted a ceiling fan. The ceiling material is fir […]
Topcoat Finishes’ relationship with red cedar continues this season as we prepare new homes with visually appealing exterior coatings that perform, and we are also maintaining homes within our client base that have been subject to the most unusual weather patterns we have seen maybe ever. Vermont homes that are located in harsh lake and […]
A very cool blast from the past. In 2009, we did a series of makeover projects with designer Stephen Saint Onge for Better Homes and Gardens magazine. I just stumbled across this on Youtube. This project was cool because it was one of many test projects for our Benjamin Moore Natura Review. The BHG projects […]
DT2
Oisin McHale
Robert T. Trautwein PE
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