Historic Home Restoration and Painting in Greater Boston
Artfully Preserving Beauty and Character
Historic and antique homes speak of proportion, scale and form. At Catchlight, we specialize in historic home restoration and painting that restores the original, inherent character and beauty in these important pieces of New England history.
We don’t just paint surfaces; we care for and restore them. From lathe, horsehair plaster
Older Paint
A common issue with older interiors is the brittleness of the paint. Since it is prone to easy chipping, we use a variety of lead-safe methods to remove delaminating layers. On natural finishes, especially handrails and newel post caps, often a thorough cleaning with very fine steel wool is all that is needed.
Plaster Restoration
As plaster ages, the keys, or areas of adhesion to the lath, tend to break causing it to pull away. This results in cracked and sagging plaster. Simply filling or patching these cracks is only a temporary fix; with time the cracks will reappear. When appropriate we install plaster buttons to secure the plaster before excavating cracks and repairing them properly.
Window Repair
We love original windows! We are capable of repairing broken glass, replacing missing putty, and sourcing antique glass to maintain the historic integrity of your windows. We can replace frayed or missing sash cords as well.
Catchlight is a proud recipient of the 2016 PDCA PIPP Award for Residential Exterior Restoration.
Are You Looking For Historic House Painters and Restoration in the Greater Boston Area?
Contact the experts at Catchlight Painting for a free estimate! All Catchlight work is guaranteed for three years, inside and out.
Our Historic Home Restoration & Painting Portfolio
FAQ’s
What is the difference between “painting” and “historic restoration?”
Historic homes demand a level of expertise from a painter that far exceeds the basic application skills required for ‘new’ house painting. For example, understanding how paint ages and becomes impermeable and brittle paint, how this results in alligatoring then peeling; knowing the risks of disturbing lead-based paint; awareness of the compatibility issues of mixing oil-based and water-based paints – the painter of the historic house requires mastery of many skills and more importantly, a painter who is a curious, patient and observant student of our craft.
How is my home protected from lead and other contaminants?
Our work process employs best practices regarding safety – the safety of both your family and our crew. We follow all OSHA and EPA RRP Lead-Safe requirements, and “work clean.” This means protecting furniture, flooring, and adjacent surfaces while managing dirt and dust spread using HEPA-filtered vacuums and negative air machines.
Are oil-based paints better for older homes?
In the old days, oil was the go-to paint, but starting 30 years ago, coating manufacturers anticipated the need for a ‘cleaner air’ paint and invested significantly in the development of water-based products that today easily match or outperform oil-based paints. There is no need to use oil-based paint today except in unique applications.