We are proud members of the Painting and Decorating Contractors of America (PDCA). I’ve been heavily involved in our local chapter for years and my dad held leadership positions at both the local and regional level for over 30 years. I was honored to have been selected to participate on a panel at the PDCA’s national convention in 2015. I’ve included some more information about the PDCA below.
This is a long way of saying that we are fans of this well-respected organization and are eager to participate in our local chapter’s annual charitable paint project for a non profit agency. We collaborate with other members, contractors and suppliers. Participants donate their supplies, time and talent to this event.
This year United Methodist Family Services was chosen as the recipient. UMFS is a nonprofit agency that provides a comprehensive array of programs to meet the needs of high-risk children and parents to enable them to overcome challenging circumstances and succeed. Their mission is to be an unwavering champion for high risk – children and families and collaborating with communities to help them reach their full potential. Take a look at the video below for a peek at what we did!
Approximately 50 volunteers arrived bright and early on a Saturday morning. From H.J. Holtz & Son alone, we had over half of our company participate, to paint the common areas, family room, foyer, kitchen, and halls of four cottages. We also hung a mural in the administrative office. It was a satisfying day knowing we were refreshing the cottages for the residents. Giving back to our community is invaluable and we are so happy we have the resources to participate in this annual project.
About the Painting and Decorating Contractors of America
The Painting and Decorating Contractors of America was founded in 1884 and is the only trade association dedicated to the success of painting and decorating contractors. Nearly 2,000 contractors in America and Canada are proud members of this organization. PDCA is recognized and supported by many industry manufacturers and suppliers as the premier organization committed to helping painting and decorating contractors improve their business.
Recently we were privileged to be called upon to paint a historic home. Federal Hill is a beautiful house in Fredricksburg, VA. This late Georgian style house with Federal details is believed to be built in 1792 by Robert Brooke, the governor of Virginia from 1794-1796. He named the home “Federal Hill” after the Federalist Party which he helped found.
The house was built before the present-day Hanover Street, which explains its angular orientation. During the Civil War, the house was used as a field hospital by the Army of the Potomac. Confederate Major General Thomas R. R. Cobb, was killed defending the Sunken Road at the battle of Fredericksburg on December 13, 1862. The shot that killed him is said to have been fired from a cannon located at Federal Hill, where he visited as a child.
The home has had many owners over the years. However when the Lanier family purchased it in 1946, they completed many renovations while dually preserving the historical integrity of the house. In 1996, when Elizabeth Lanier died, she asked in her will for “the perpetuity of Federal Hill.” The house was unoccupied for many years until 2007 when the current owners Dr. and Mrs. Charles Maurer took on the challenge of living in Federal Hill with their family, while meticulously preserving the historical home. It is on the National and Virginia Registers of Historic Places.
H.J. Holtz & Son was contracted to paint the exterior of this historic home. Because of its registered significance, we had to submit paperwork to the state for approval of the specifications, colors and sheens before we could even begin the project. Once we were permitted to start, our partner Envirowash, applied a low pressure power wash to clean all of the previously painted surfaces and remove mold and mildew. Then our craftsmen thoroughly prepared the exterior of the home using a special bonding primer by Sherwin Williams to respond to previous paint issues which included excessive peeling. We then caulked and puttied to fill all voids and cracks in the wood surfaces. The original, but damaged railings of the house were repaired by applying a two part epoxy, which is flexible and resilient providing, a long lasting and effective cost of repair. A lift was utilized for the painting of the front side elevation; promoting efficiency and not disrupting the historical property with multiple ladder moves. We used over 18 gallons of Sherwin Williams paint on this project!
The painting of Federal Hill is the most recent example how our exceptional craftsmen use their experience and meticulous attention to detail to produce a beautiful, high quality result. We are continually exploring new techniques and technologies, educating our craftsmen, and refining our practices; then blending the knowledge with our multi-generational experience. It was such a privilege to work on a nationally registered historical home. H.J. Holtz & Son has the experience and tools to help you realize your vision. Call us or come visit our design studio and see all of the possibilities that we can create for your home.
Here at H.J. Holtz & Son, our craftsmen have been very busy this fall painting the exterior brick of homes. There are an abundance of reasons our customers are choosing this design technique. It could be something simple, for example not liking the tones of their bricks. Bricks can come in an assortment of colors ranging from black to white with red, pinks, grey and cream in between. Which shades the homeowner likes comes down to personal preference, but by painting them we can design a whole new look.
Many homeowners have added additional space to their home. Most people love their home and do not want to relocate. Adding a new space lets the homeowner stay where they are and gives them additional square footage. However, when an addition is constructed, sometimes it is built with a different material than the original structure such as stucco, wood or even varied brick and therefore it usually doesn’t match. By painting the brick you can blend the old with new; creating a unified look.
Whitewashing the bricks can be another way to personalize the exterior of your home. Whitewashing is a specialized technique that gives the bricks a weathered, distressed look. Sometimes homeowners want their new home to appear old and established therefore whitewashing does the trick. Whitewashing can also camouflage flaws and stains on the bricks by reproducing the look of other bricks on the home so they complement each other and blend seamlessly.
There are many things to take into consideration when painting exterior brick. The brick cannot be new and must settle before we can even begin. We meticulously prepare the brick by gently cleaning it and have industry partners that make all necessary repairs to any worn or damaged bricks and mortar. Our specially trained craftsmen use a special masonry primer to coat the bricks which seals and conditions them. The primer also prevents moisture infiltration but still allows the brick to breathe. A properly prepared brick should last 15-20 years, which is why it is so imperative to have qualified professionals like H.J. Holtz & Son execute the project.
Homeowners want to differentiate themselves and have their home stand apart. By choosing the colors and accentuating the details, for example doors, window trim and shutters, the painted brick gives the house the spark and presence that they desire. A fabulous look that separates them from their neighbors. Painting the exterior brick creates a timeless, unique look that reflects the personality and character of the homeowners and we, at Holtz, are fulfilling their vision!
For more ideas about how to spruce up the exterior of your home, give us a call at (804) 458-4109 or complete the form below.
The picture-perfect pool house, newly built on the historic Weyanoke Plantation in Charles City, Virginia, is a scenic waterfront getaway situated on a wide, grassy bend of the James River. A short distance from Sandy Fields Farm, the 1200 sq. ft. pool house features a panoramic view of the expansive property through tall windows that nearly reach from the floor to the ceiling. The doors facing the adjacent concrete diving pool swing open or slide into a recess in the wall, creating a space that’s both bright and truly open. At the center of the room is a kitchen with a large island and a wall of cabinets, which separates the single room from a back hallway that leads to two locker room-style bathrooms, complete with changing stalls.
The homeowners envisioned rich Venetian plaster adorning the interior walls of the kitchen and wrapping around the huge windows into the hallway, about 800 sq. ft. of wall space in total. Applying Venetian plaster requires trained craftsmanship above and beyond standard painting, so the homeowners hired H.J. Holtz & Son’s decorative artists to create the timeless look.
To achieve the Venetian plaster finish the customer desired, H.J. Holtz & Son foreman Jeff Ragland used Firenze Mineral Finish plaster in Marmorino KS, which contains sand and marble dust aggregates for a highly polished finish. “Marmorino,” which means “little marble,” dates back to Roman times. The material became very popular in Venice during the Renaissance period nearly 500 years ago, and is named for its ability to endure centuries of wear on the dank, canal-side exteriors of Italian buildings. Firenze, the manufacturer, maintains the historic “formula” by importing raw plaster from Italy to the U.S., where it can be tinted or matched to any color.
Before beginning the plaster process, the joints and seams of the walls had to be “skimmed” to achieve a level 5 drywall finish, which has a completely smooth and flat surface. If Venetian plaster is applied to an uneven surface, the burnishing process will create dark marks and unwanted texture on the raised areas. Next, the walls were primed using clear ISOSIL primer, which is suited for lime-based finishes such as plaster.
Applying Venetian plaster is a labor-intensive, two-coat process, Ragland said. First he applied the wet plaster material to the wall and burnished it with a stainless steel trowel as it set, scraping and spreading small gobs in an arc-shaped motion to smooth out any cracks. Shane Legano, a decorative artist assisting Ragland, followed behind to further smear the plaster across the surface of the wall. This creates the distinctive streaky texture and marbled shine, but because the process wears on the shoulders, Legano said that the decorative artists typically complete these projects in teams.
Once the second coat of plaster dried on the walls, the color had lightened by 50 to 70 percent. The marble dust aggregate makes the dried walls feel cool to the touch, with a shiny antiqued finish reminiscent of the “Old World.”
“It gives a different look than paint, and it’s been around for hundreds of years,” Ragland said. The lime-based material is mold resistant and allows moisture to easily evaporate, making it ideal for a damp location like a pool house. While plaster can be stained and damaged, it’s considered a lifetime finish that doesn’t require the upkeep of paint. Venetian plaster can withstand the test of time where acrylic or cement plasters would fail, making it one of the most durable and authentic veneer wall finishes available.
You can bring a traditional Renaissance feel to your space with Venetian plaster, skillfully applied by the experienced decorative artists of H.J. Holtz & Son. Call for an estimate today, or book a visit our new Richmond Design Studio to see the range of finish options we can create in your home.
Alice Massie thinks there are two types of homeowners – those who wait to renovate until they want to sell, and those who keep their homes market-ready through on-going maintenance.
Massie identifies as the latter, and she was eager to refurbish her kitchen for the first time since she and her husband bought their historic brick Monument Avenue home in 1998. At the time, Massie had designed an original layout to match her vision of white painted cabinets and soapstone counters. But after a color snafu involving the cabinets, she put her plans on hold and settled for practical countertops that could take a beating.
When Massie brought in Mako Builders, Inc. to tackle her kitchen again this spring, she hoped to achieve a fresh and crisp look by making major changes to the cabinets, countertops and lighting. “You take a kitchen matching the aesthetic of a house from 1910, and clean it up a lot,” Massie said.
But Massie said she was shocked to learn that the costs of replacing her cabinets had tripled since her last renovation. Instead, H.J. Holtz & Son was brought in to repaint her cabinets for a tenth of the cost and keep the overall project on budget.
To achieve Massie’s vision of a kitchen gleaming in pure white, our painters used Fine Paints of Europe Factory White with a satin finish on every cabinet door and drawer. This same brilliant shade of white was carried over to the ceiling, walls and woodwork surrounding the kitchen’s bay window. Applying a matching coat of white paint to the bare birch barstool pulled together the kitchen’s bright new look.
The white surfaces and white painted cabinets dazzle under luxe new LED lighting, which emits museum-grade white light to illuminate with a completely balanced color spectrum. The plaster ceiling was molded up to the lights themselves, creating a seamless finish. Massie’s kitchen also contains Calacatta borghini marble installed by H.E. Satterwhite, Inc. of Richmond. She opted to give the bottoms of the cabinets a shiny touch with a stainless steel toe-kick – a practical alternative that will resist dirt and wear longer than white paint. Keeping clutter off her beautiful new countertops was a priority for Massie, who said the most challenging aspect of the renovation process was retrofitting her modern appliances into the cabinets.
“People don’t realize that the chair or electric plates or where you put your switches – those details make a difference,” Massie said. “A $20 choice matters just as much as everything else. It’s the little things that make it.”
As painters, we understand how color and craftsmanship can revitalize a tired space and celebrate its history. H.J. Holtz & Son is primarily known for high-end residential painting, but our company takes a strong interest in projects that uplift and beautify the greater Richmond community.
One of the city’s historical gems is St. Elizabeth’s Catholic Church in North Side, which held its first mass on Christmas Day in 1925. The church has undergone several renovations throughout its 90-year history, but the most recent repairs took place after the sanctuary ceiling collapsed in 2006. The damage destroyed the altar and its surroundings, but with support from the parish community and financial assistance from across the country, the sanctuary was repaired and re-opened in time for Holy Week in April 2007.
Paying for these repairs was a challenge for the church, whose small yet diverse congregation comes from a socioeconomically-disadvantaged area of Richmond.
“It’s something we couldn’t afford – we’re in a poor community in Highland Park,” Rev. James Arsenault said. Arsenault, or “Father Jim,” has been the pastor of St. Elizabeth’s Catholic Church since 2012. He also serves as a parochial vicar at St. Michael’s Catholic Church in Glen Allen, which was where he met the Holtz family.
When Father Jim asked H.J. Holtz & Son to breathe new life into St. Elizabeth’s by painting the front façade, Company President Rick Holtz agreed to perform the work at or below cost.
“When this community does work on a project, it needs to be done well so it’ll last for years,” Holtz said. “And we knew that not only could we work with their budget, but we could give them a job that would last for years to come.”
H.J. Holtz & Son wanted to honor the church’s history by highlighting its architectural details, which had previously been painted a single color. The columns were drab gray, and so was the ceiling under the portico at the church’s entrance.
“By using a palette of three to four different colors to paint the front façade, we highlighted all those different features to give it a more sophisticated look, and so that people could see the detail work that was never really noticed before,” Holtz said.
The exterior of the church had never received such a makeover before. H.J. Holtz & Son’s painters restored the entire exterior of the building, including the front-facing Corinthian columns and the metal cross on top of the portico.
“They had great ideas on how to do the work and they took the time to help,” Father Jim said. “It’s a wonderful partnership.”
H.J. Holtz & Son has completed other much-needed renovation projects with the church, including repainting the basement that serves as a multipurpose room, and the interior of the rectory across the street. The metal cabinets in the sacristy got a fresh coat of paint for the first time since the 1920s.
“[H.J. Holtz & Son] brought a lot of life into the place, and people have recognized it,” Father Jim said, adding that neighbors have stopped by to compliment the church’s new look. “People in the parish have a lot of pride in the building.”
H.J. Holtz & Son understands that paint and wallpaper can do so much more than beautify a space – they can inspire a community. Whether you want to transform your home, office or place of worship, our experienced craftsman can help you to realize your vision.
