Catchlight Painting Blog
A Boston Painter in South Korea
One of our past foremen, Joe Voigts, now teaches English in Korea, and he sent along this photograph of an elaborately painted and decorated eave. We've worked on plenty of Painted Ladies in our time, but nothing quite so detailed! Joe's last photo we posted a few...
The Transition from Military to Civilian Life – Part 2
If you missed Part I, you can read it here. The Transition from Military to Civilian Life - Conclusion By Mike Glowacki Oliver Stone once said something about being in war that was one of the few things about being in war that made sense to me. He said something like,...
The Transition from Military to Civilian Life – Part 1
We're an eclectic bunch here at Catchlight; no knuckledraggers amongst us, nor mouthbreathers. We hire for aptitude, attitude and presentation; our people spend a lot of time in our clients' homes, interacting with kids, pets and in-laws. We like to make sure every...
Lead-Safe Exterior Painting in Greater Boston
Each month seems to bring a new EPA clarification on how we are supposed to implement the RRP protocols while working on homes coated in lead-based paint. The article below introduces a new wrinkle, arguing that the current 10 foot rule is still inadequate in keeping...
Boston’s Dog Days of Summer
The Friday before last, all craftsmen and women were given a paid day off to escape the heat. Even those who were working inside Boston's older homes were without A/C and when the conditions were exacerbated by the need for respirator use and other personal...
Water in Buildings
We have the privilege of tending to some of Boston’s grand old homes and we have learned that ongoing maintenance is the best approach to keep these buildings in top shape. The photograph below is taken from a gorgeous Federal house in Brookline, one that was...
We’re Paint Nerds, and Proud of It!
I’m not sure why our craft is called painting when the vast majority of our time is spent preparing surfaces for paint. Invited to repaint the back deck of a gorgeously detailed home in Brookline, we find a paint failure common to newer construction. The wood in the...
Paint Color Advice for Your Ceiling
There’s a great outfit just outside Philadelphia that is a valuable resource to we painting professionals, the Paint Quality Institute, www.paintquality.com. The institute’s mission is to inform and educate the professional as well as the consumer. Their Director of...
Spring Cleaning
It’s an appropriately wintry April 1st to write a blog about last winter’s remarkably damaging weather. This past month we have seen a significant rise in the number of projects related to ice dams. We were lucky enough to avoid such calamities at our home, but Mother...
Techniques & Tricks for Painting on Ceilings
Ceiling paint is typically the cheapest and lowest tech coating we apply. Not by choice, mind you – the market has decided since ceilings are low maintenance surfaces, white ceiling paints should be cheaper than wall and trim coatings. Reasonable logic, I suppose....
