SPRING HOME MAINTENANCE CHECKLIST

SPRING HOME MAINTENANCE CHECKLIST

Spring is in the air! Is your spring home maintenance checklist up there too? Winter may have been hard on your home’s exterior. It’s important to tackle critical home maintenance items before the summer sun and heat start taking their toll (on your home AND on your motivation to get these things done :). We’ve made it a little easier for you with the following home maintenance checklist.

See some things on the list you need help with? Let us know. We are connected with lots of good contractors and other service providers. We would be happy to help you find the right person for the job.

As for painting, we’re now scheduling exterior projects for the summer, so give us a call soon to get your preferred date, then you can plan your other maintenance items around it.

TOOLS OF THE TRADE

TOOLS OF THE TRADE

Today’s painting projects require much more than brushes, rollers and drop cloths. H.J. Holtz & Son has a range of highly specialized equipment to create the best finished product while ensuring the safety of staff and homeowners.

“We want to be careful and thorough,” company President Rick Holtz says. “By investing in the right products, we can provide a level of service that we know customers appreciate.”

The most commonly used piece of equipment in the Holtz repertoire is a combination vacuum cleaner-dust extractor made by Festool, an American company well-known for its extensive line of machinery and power tools. Holtz says the benefit of the extractor is that it removes dust as the team is working, which protects furniture and flooring while saving time.

When a paint job involves spraying, as opposed to rolling, Holtz team members will often use a negative air machine, which draws paint particles and fumes from the air and traps them in filters. “We can’t eliminate paint odor entirely,” Holtz says, “but we can minimize it.”

For large spraying jobs, the company recently added full-body protection in the form of two oxygen suits that come with compressors carried as backpacks. When in the suit, the painter is completely enclosed, with a clean air source. “It’s just safer for our employees,” Holtz says.

Moving this equipment from job to job also requires some special effort. The company’s large box truck, which is used to deliver cabinets and shutters that have been painted in-house, was recently enhanced with an attractive graphic wrap, promoting the company as it makes its deliveries. “People think we bought it new,” Holtz says, “but we didn’t. We just made it prettier.”

The company recently outfitted another truck with a large utility box that has many compartments, accessible from the exterior, for various tools and supplies used primarily by the carpentry team. “It’s so much easier to get to things when we can just open one or two lockers,” Holtz says. “We can keep everything organized and within reach; it’s really efficient.”

The most expensive element in the Holtz arsenal, however, is not something that is obvious. Within the last year, the company invested in a new HVAC system of filters and blowers for the in-house spray room. Here, craftspeople can spray furniture, doors, etc., in a virtually sterile space. Additionally, the HVAC system allows the paint to cure in optimal, temperature-controlled conditions – not too hot, not too humid – which had always been a challenge, given Virginia’s climate.

“We’re happy to invest in products that allow us to do the best work we can do, while keeping our employees safe and protecting the environment,” Holtz says. “It’s good all around.”

KICKING IT UP A NOTCH WITH HIGH GLOSS PAINT

KICKING IT UP A NOTCH WITH HIGH GLOSS PAINT

Homeowners looking for impact will be delighted with the high-gloss finishes offered by Fine Paints of Europe, which are used exclusively by H.J. Holtz & Son for gloss jobs.

“There’s nothing better,” says company president Rick Holtz. “People just can’t believe what these paints can do.”

Fine Paints of Europe (FPE), headquartered in Vermont, is the sole U.S. importer of paints and finishes made in the Netherlands by Wijzonol Bouwverven B.V. In Europe, the parent company’s focus is on pigments, which are sold worldwide.

Why We Use Fine Paints of Europe

What sets the company’s paints apart is their base paste, says FPE’s Emmett Fiore, color strategist and paint consultant. Every FPE paint has a foundation that is 100% titanium dioxide. Other manufacturers use chalk and fillers to build content in their paints, which destabilizes the mixture, leading to poor outcomes. By contrast, FPE paints have intense, luminous color, and the high-gloss finishes last for years.

“You can pay three times in 15 years, or once in 15 years,” Fiore says. “You pay in the beginning, or you pay down the road.”

Where to Use Gloss Paint

Many homeowners seek out high-gloss paints for their front doors – looking to create a great first impression – but gloss paint can be used anywhere in the house. Fiore says handrails, kitchen countertops and cabinets, walls and even ceilings all good locations for high-gloss paint.

“High-gloss rooms are the new stained glass,” Fiore says. “The ‘accent ceiling’ has replaced the ‘accent wall’ in popularity. All phenoms like this are an actualization of our inner selves and aesthetic sensibilities. When it’s done correctly, it looks awesome.”

Preparation Pays Off

“I know a lot of homeowners who do their own painting,” he says. “Nothing looks worse than a high-gloss job done poorly. You have to deal with dust, divots in the surface…every imperfection will show.”

While Fiore consults with DIY homeowners, the company also trains contractors and maintains a list of those qualified on the FPE website. Fiore notes that H.J. Holtz & Son holds a Master Certified Painting Contractor designation, a mark of how much experience the company has with FPE products.

“Rick [Holtz] was ahead of the curve on discovering us,” Fiore says, adding that Holtz & Son began ordering paint directly from FPE more than a decade ago and now purchases through Palette Paint & Home in Richmond. “Holtz folks care, and they know their stuff. Plus, they are really nice people. That’s the bonus.”

In the end, Fiore says, the average person needs to rely on the contractor they’ve hired. Even if the job is as simple as a piece of furniture or a front door, that job is important.

“It’s the little things that make you happy in your house,” he says. “It’s leaving part of yourself in that project.”

DECORATIVE FLOORS MAKE A STATEMENT IN A WHOLE NEW WAY

DECORATIVE FLOORS MAKE A STATEMENT IN A WHOLE NEW WAY

If, as interior designers tell us, the ceiling is the fifth wall of a room, then certainly the floor is the sixth wall. It may not be at eye level, but the floor – and whatever covers it – is integral to a space, either supporting an overall design or making a statement all by itself.

“We love decorative floor projects,” says H.J. Holtz & Son owner Rick Holtz. “They give us the chance to show off our detail work and creativity, whether we’re executing someone else’s design or creating something entirely unique. We bring the same care and attention to a floor as we do any other job.”

In a larger room, such as a kitchen, dining room or living room, a decorative floor may mimic the appearance of a rug, perhaps in a geometric or repeating pattern. When considering what to do with a decorative floor, clients may elect to complement or match colors already in the room, whether on walls or furnishings.

In a smaller space, such as a bathroom, foyer or pantry, designs can be bolder, because they are contained and in areas where people don’t spend much time.

As with painted walls, the floor can set a tone for the space.

“In more formal rooms, we might use darker colors and a pattern that is noticeable but doesn’t compete with everything else in the room,” Holtz says. “But some customers really like to use a painted floor as a conversation starter, because it’s something that people don’t expect.”

When it comes to design, the Holtz painting team may use stencils, removable tape (to create crisp lines), or draw freehand, as they would on a ceiling. With any technique, the goal can be a floor that is modern or antique in appearance – whatever the house requires. In the past, customers have hired Holtz & Son to create zig-zag lines, faux parquet, even a stunning compass rose.

“Sometimes, people don’t realize that the options are the same as with any other project,” Holtz says. “We are happy to work with a homeowner or an interior designer to create just the right look.”

DECORATIVE CEILINGS FOR YOUR RICHMOND HOME

DECORATIVE CEILINGS FOR YOUR RICHMOND HOME

Decorative Ceilings – Not Just for the Sistine Chapel

Interior professionals and savvy homeowners know a room’s ceiling deserves attention. Commonly referred to as “the fifth wall” – and equal in size to the floor – the ceiling can become a dramatic or wonderfully supportive capstone. When approached with thoughtful consideration, a decorative ceiling sets a tone that may not be immediately recognized, but will be felt.

Humans have sought ways to enliven their living quarters for thousands of years, as cave paintings in both southwestern and southeastern France attest. In fact, paintings in the Chauvet-Pont d’Arc cave are carbon dated at more than 30,000 years old. Cave images, on the walls and ceilings, depict animals and plant life – what people saw around them.

The ancient Egyptians, well known for paintings found in the tombs of pharaohs and the wealthy, mixed ground glass, semiprecious stones, lead, dirt, and animal blood with fats or oil to create their paints. In later places and times, people used water and oils to mix paints with any pigment at hand, with varying success.

It wasn’t until 1718, in England, when Marshall Smith invented his “Machine or Engine for the Grinding of Colours” that paintmaking became a mass industry. More than 100 years later, linseed oil became the industry standard base, because it added durability to paint. In addition to its decorative qualities, paint could be relied upon to protect the surface it covered, acting as a moisture barrier, protecting a wall from dry rot or mold. Walls could also be cleaned and not immediately require another coat of paint.

Historically, decorative ceilings were included in a home’s interior scheme. The Romans incorporated reliefs, adding texture and depth, and would highlight the designs with accent painting. In the Renaissance, artists changed the shapes and heights of ceilings, and also painted images on the ceiling, creating large, framed artworks to be gazed upon (presumably, while reclining on a comfortable sofa).

Decorative ceilings were used to make homes seem more luxurious and expensive than they were, with faux techniques indicating the ceiling was something other than inexpensive wood – marble, copper, unusual (and expensive) burled wood, etc. Sometimes, ceilings were painted with clouds and angels, a wish of life to come.

In the United States, in the early 20th century, ceilings often had beams, which were set off with paint color, stencils, even burlap or paper covering. But after the Depression, more families opted for white paint for the ceiling. White paint was less expensive than tinted, and, if the family chose to change the colors of the vertical walls, the ceiling could be left alone, another cost-savings.

At H.J. Holtz & Son, decorative ceilings are among the most dramatic projects team members execute. Techniques range the gamut: wallpapers to high-gloss finishes, free-hand painting to elaborate stencils placed to highlight a central fixture or interesting shape. A decorative ceiling can visually enlarge a small room or bring intimacy to a large room. Best of all, citizens today aren’t likely to be brought up on charges of sacrilege, as a Charlestown colony preacher allegedly was in 1630 – for painting the interior of his house.

PAINTING YOUR RESIDENCE OR VACATION HOME WHILE YOU’RE AWAY

PAINTING YOUR RESIDENCE OR VACATION HOME WHILE YOU’RE AWAY

In the universe of home renovations, painting and wallpapering changes aren’t the most invasive. But every improvement involves some dislocation – either in the loss of use of a space or living with additional people underfoot – that a family has to accommodate.

Unless the family is somewhere else while the work is underway. H.J. Holtz & Son is pleased to offer customers the option of executing projects while a home is vacant, which offers benefits on both sides.

Save Money

“Customers don’t really want to live through the disruption; it’s stressful,” says company president Rick Holtz. “The benefit to us is that we can stage the job one time and not take it apart every day. That can save the customer money.”

Holtz says the best jobs to undertake in an empty house are interior, especially kitchens. “We can waste up to an hour and a half every day in readying the area and cleaning up at the end of the day,” he notes.

Prior Planning is Key

Prior planning is essential when the homeowners are going to be at another location, Holtz adds. “The more defined the vision and the scope of work, the more successful the project turns out,” he says. “We need to have clear decisions and details, because we don’t want to interrupt the homeowner’s away time unless absolutely necessary.”

Summer for Your Primary Residence – Fall or Winter for a Second Home

Holtz says the most common empty-house projects occur during the summer, when the family is on vacation. But fall can be a great time to schedule projects for a second house, because it’s the off-season, so no one is displaced. And the family is clear on what needs to be done.

“Spring is a busy time for us and for our clients,” he notes. “With fall projects, what you want is fresh in your mind, and you can get it done. It’s still going to be nice and fresh when you come back. “When you wait, the project becomes more of a stress, and it has a whole different feel,” he adds. “You want it to be over before it’s even started.”

Trust is Key

Customers can be confident that their homes and belongings will be safe when Holtz & Son employees are at work, Holtz says. “We are fully licensed, insured and bonded. Employees undergo a background check and drug testing, and many have been with the company for years. “We don’t put people in people’s homes that we don’t trust,” Holtz says. “That’s not good for business.” Or the customer.