by HJ HOLTZ | Dec 18, 2023 | Carpentry Services, Client Work, Exterior Painting
It was time for her home’s exterior painting, and Robin knew just who to call: H.J. Holtz & Son.
Only a year ago, Robin and her husband had hired the local firm to paint the interior of their house, following a kitchen remodel. It was an easy decision to hire Holtz & Son then, too.
“We wanted to get it done, correctly,” she says. “We knew their reputation and knew they were good. I didn’t even think of someone else. They’re probably a bit higher in price than some, but we never worried about it; we just wanted it done right.”
Exterior painting requires a slightly different skill set from interior, though repairs often come into play in both situations. With exterior work, sanding and scraping can reveal unexpected damage from water, mold, and even animals. As the Holtz team prepped the exterior of Robin’s house, issues were uncovered.
“We’ve replaced boards here and there, but there was more extensive carpentry work that needed to be done than was expected,” she says. “The carpentry guys are so good; they have such great attention to detail.”
One fun aspect of the exterior paint job, Robin says, was changing the look of the home, which her family has lived in for 25 years. Previously, the house was gray wood clapboard with black shutters, white trim, and yellow doors. Now, the house is blue with black shutters and doors, and pearl gray trim, which was suggested by a member of the Holtz team.
Robin had seen the blue on an acquaintance’s house, which has fiber-cement lap siding. Wanting the same hue – Deep Ocean – but not the siding itself, Robin requested a sample from the manufacturer, and the Holtz team had Sherwin-Williams Emerald Rain Refresh paint tinted to match their wood siding.
“The color is spot-on,” she says.
Robin says it was a pleasure to work with Holtz painters again. “Their people are very nice; they must be treated well,” she says. “They’re so considerate, clean, and very punctual.” During the exterior project, Robin was startled when the team replaced patio furniture and planters every day, as they were finishing work. “I told them that wasn’t necessary,” she says. “But they said they wanted to make it right for the evening, in case we wanted to use the patio.”
There was a gap in time from when Robin and her husband signed the contract in early 2023 and when the painting happened in the fall. “We knew we would have to wait,” Robin says. “We’re very in tune with keeping up with our property, because it’s an investment. We’re not going to let things languish. And they did a really good job.”
by HJ HOLTZ | Nov 14, 2023 | Residential Painting, Employees
Fredy Vigil came to H.J. Holtz & Son 10 years ago at the suggestion of his friend Juan Villanueva. Both are still with the company.
“He told me there was a lot of work here, and everyone was treated well,” Vigil says.
Vigil already had plenty of experience; he had been working as a painter for nearly 10 years when he switched employers. He says the most compelling reason offered by Villanueva was the assurance that at H.J. Holtz & Son, he wouldn’t face random days off without pay because of erratic work load. Instead, he would be guaranteed steady work.
Once he joined the Holtz & Son team, Vigil spent a few years learning the Holtz method, then became a foreman, leading project teams. He enjoys that role, he says, because he can run the job using his approach, which includes plenty of communication.
“At the end of the work day, I let everyone know what we’re going to do the next day,” he says. “That way, they know what to expect.”
Vigil has also enjoyed the chance to develop his painting skills. He is now one of the Holtz painting team members with extensive experience in working with the Fine Paints of Europe (FPE) product line. When painting with FPE coatings, the environment has to be carefully controlled – to prevent dust and other particulates from marring the surface – and the application has to be deliberate and precise.
“I liked the challenge of learning something new,” Vigil says of working with FPE, adding that he enjoys talking with people about that paint line. “We have to educate customers about what’s needed.”
When he’s not in a customer’s home, Vigil can often be found in the spray booth, an enclosed space where furniture and other objects are painted in a climate-controlled environment. “I really like being in the booth, because when I finish, I can see the good quality of the paint job,” he says. “And it’s nice to be on my own sometimes.”
Vigil also appreciates the family atmosphere of the company, noting that he was able to get to know current president Rick Holtz’s parents and sister when they were working with the company. “That makes me want to stay,” he says.
Happy 10th anniversary, Fredy!
by HJ HOLTZ | Oct 31, 2023 | Client Work, Carpentry Services, Wallcoverings, Wallpaper
The unfinished third floor in the house had been useful over the years. With easy access to the second floor below via a wide stairway, the attic was a great storage spot for boxes and bins. Plus, it had two dormer windows that offered light and created a feeling of openness.
But the family now needed more from that space. An attic renovation was in order.
“My clients are almost empty nesters, but the kids come home all the time, and friends come with them,” says Ashley Hanley, principal of her own design firm. “The couple also has younger nieces and nephews, and they were running out of space for everybody to sleep.”
The solution? Turn the attic into a welcoming bunk room with built-in sleeping and sitting areas, and architectural details to elevate the look and feel of the space.
Hanley was familiar with H.J. Holtz & Son’s carpentry division, having worked most recently with the team on a project in Williamsburg that included a custom mantel, shiplap, and built-in cupboards. “I have used and loved the company so many times,” she says. “These clients had Holtz’s carpentry team build custom radiator covers for them, so it was easy for them to get on board.”
For the attic renovation, the Holtz carpentry team created three built-in twin beds, window seats that open for hidden storage, and a chair rail and beadboard. The team also fashioned a new railing for the staircase leading into the room, setting the tone for the refreshed space above. Holtz painting and wallpaper teams finished the room, adding whimsical “Cornwall” wallpaper by Anna French, which Hanley selected.
“The room really has that Mary Poppins attic feel,” Hanley says.
Hanley has worked with H.J. Holtz & Son since early in her career and quickly noticed that Holtz was different from other home services firms.
“I always knew Holtz & Son was really good, and I also knew they were expensive,” she says. “But after deciding to give them a try, I was just blown away by their professionalism. If something is wrong, they’re going to fix it; they’re not going to fight me on it.”
And she is delighted the company continues to expand its carpentry division, making projects like this attic renovation possible.
“Finding a good carpenter is really, really hard,” Hanley says. “Builders use the good ones and don’t like to take on smaller projects. This is such a smart part of the business for Holtz & Son to lean into.
“Everybody is nice, friendly, and talented,” she adds. “They are really proud of the work they do. It’s always a pleasure to work with incredible craftsmen.”
by HJ HOLTZ | Oct 10, 2023 | Client Work, Carpentry Services, Residential Painting
Kristen Ziegler wanted to avoid making the same mistakes twice.
In her first home renovation, she hired H.J. Holtz & Son to paint the house’s exterior after the painter who worked on the interior retired. She knew of the company’s high-end reputation, but soon found the craftsmanship and attention brought by the Holtz team to be worth any added expense.
So it was an easy decision for Ziegler to turn to Holtz & Son to help her renovate her new residence, a condominium in a 1914 apartment building. The original intent of the building was intact, but Ziegler wanted to restore the space with historical accuracy. “My first home was also my first renovation; I wasted some time and money in the learning process to get things right,” she says. “This time, I knew how to do things properly. It’s so hard: you don’t know what you don’t know.”
Painting the walls would be simple enough, Ziegler knew. The challenges were in the space’s woodwork. Trim around windows and doors was buried under layers of old paint. Crown molding at the ceiling wasn’t original to the apartment. And the baseboards were clearly also replacements; they were nearly two inches taller than the original baseboards in the building’s shared stairwell.
Working on a tight timeline, so Ziegler and her husband didn’t have to find a place to live between the sale of their previous home and moving into the new condo, the Holtz painting and carpentry divisions fabricated and painted new historically accurate baseboards, sanded and repainted all the home’s trim, and replastered and painted the walls after the inauthentic crown molding was removed. Later, after the couple had moved in, the Holtz team stripped and repainted exterior balcony French doors and painted the living room fireplace.
“The Holtz team was able to figure everything out – all the different parts – without me having to manage it,” Ziegler says. “They see other things that need attention and go above and beyond to make sure it’s complete. No detail is left unaddressed.”
As founder and principal of Minima – a firm that specializes in helping people declutter, organize, and redesign their spaces – Ziegler has an eye for detail. She credits Holtz craftsman Ricky Reid for working diligently to ensure that the new baseboards were aligned perfectly. “There are no straight walls here,” she says. “He got the trim to look straight and have the shadows look right. It was double the cost it could have been, but I’m so glad I did it.”
Ziegler is pleased with the finished project and even the process of getting there.
“I’m not an easygoing person, especially when it comes to renovations, but I’m kind,” she says. “I could tell they appreciated that, and they never got upset with me over my high standards. There’s no drama [with the Holtz team]; they show up on time and solve problems. They take pride in what they do.
“As a business owner, I value really strong customer service and really strong quality of service,” she adds. “I feel like they share those same principles, which brings peace of mind during complex projects.”
Find Minima at www.minimaonline.com
by HJ HOLTZ | Oct 2, 2023 | INTERIOR PAINTING
Mark Twain is credited with saying “The secret of getting ahead is getting started.” While Twain likely wasn’t thinking about home improvement projects, his advice holds. The beginning point of any change to your home is to have a conversation about what you want and need, because no work can happen until there’s a plan.
At H.J. Holtz & Son, we’d like to encourage you to consider the interior painting or interior carpentry projects that could be accomplished this winter. Here are our top 5 reasons why you should call us now:
- The sooner you contact us, the sooner you lock in dates. We want to accommodate your work window. Maybe you want to have a fresh space for your Super Bowl party – or maybe you don’t want to start until after that big game. Maybe you want a transformation to happen over spring break, when you’re out of town. Once your contract is signed, you’re on our schedule.
- Book now, and lock in 2023 labor rates. One of the things we pride ourselves on at H.J. Holtz & Son is our ability to train and retain quality craftspeople. That requires regular pay increases. We don’t know yet how our pricing will change in 2024, but like any other business facing increased costs in supplies, gas, and utilities, we doubt our prices will drop.
- If you have a signed contract with us and we can’t do the work this winter, you’ll be first in line for spring. Even with a plan in place, schedules can shift. Maybe something changes in your life, or maybe an unknown repair issue surfaces that needs to be addressed. Once we’re working with you on a project, we’re going to see it through, no matter how long that takes.
- Think about upcoming occasions. Look at your calendar for 2024. Are you planning to host any special events in your home – a graduation, bridal or baby shower, retirement party, anniversary celebration? Even if there’s nothing planned, it’s good to be ready for the unexpected, like a visit from future in-laws or a cookout to welcome a new neighbor. You want your home to look its best every day, and we do, too.
- We have craftspeople ready to work. Unlike many other home services companies, we keep our employees year-round; we don’t have seasonal layoffs. In winter months, our exterior team members are more available for interior work, which means we can handle more jobs simultaneously. When our calendar is full, that’s when we’re our most efficient.
Channel your inner Mark Twain today, and give H.J. Holtz & Son a call to start your project – 804-358-4109.
