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 | 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 | Sep 10, 2023 | Carpentry Services
The word “carpentry” might not be in H.J. Holtz & Son’s company logo, but woodworking has become the fourth appendage in the body of services the company provides, alongside painting, wallpapering, and specialized finishes.
“People don’t know everything we can do,” says company president Rick Holtz, noting that carpentry work is often involved in projects that are originally seen as purely paint- or wallpaper-focused. “When we paint windows, doors, trim, moldings … all of those are wood. And when we prepare surfaces, we often find damage that needs to be repaired. We’re happy to be able to handle that for our clients.”
Woodworking was a love of Rick Holtz’s grandfather, company founder Herman J. Holtz, who opened his own woodworking business after he sold H.J. Holtz & Son to Rick Holtz’s father, Richard Holtz, Sr. The tradition of craftsmanship is evident in the work that the carpentry division is now creating, Rick Holtz says.
“Our team can replicate historic baseboards or moldings, fabricate decorative and functional wood elements, and rebuild damaged window sashes or pillars,” he says. “We’re never happy when we find problems that need fixing, but we’d rather deal with the problem up front than have it become an issue later.”
Recent projects from Holtz & Son carpenters have included fireplace mantels, built-in shelves and cabinets, radiator covers, and even coffered ceilings, which add architectural interest to an otherwise standard living or dining room. Carpenters have also fashioned new railings and support pillars damaged by years of wear and tear. That broad skill set is useful for clients.
“We’re not here to fully renovate anyone’s home, but we can handle every aspect of work that’s related to an aesthetic update or refresh,” Rick Holtz says. “We’re coordinating all those elements in-house, which means clients don’t have to find other vendors and worry about timing. Plus, we bring the same attention to detail with our carpentry services that we bring with our painting and wallpapering.”
The goal is simple: to deliver an excellent finished product that flows from a professional process.
“All our team members take pride in the work they do,” he adds. “We want every client to be able to look at their house or room and know that the work done there is of the best quality possible.”
Just think of the carpentry possibilities…..
- Mantels
- Radiator covers
- Baseboards & door trim
- Crown molding
- Ceiling coffers
- Window sash repair
- Railings
- Pantries
- Built-in cabinets
by HJ HOLTZ | Aug 28, 2023 | Carpentry Services
Ann Green knows she likes order and function. When a pipe failed under her garage sink earlier this year, the ensuing flood damaged existing cabinets and boxes on the floor used for storing items that didn’t fit in the kitchen. Once the pipe problem was resolved, Green reached out to Jeff Nonnemacker, manager of H.J. Holtz & Son’s carpentry division, to help her think through her options.
“I told Jeff what my needs were, and he seemed to understand what I wanted,” she says. “He helped me come up with a design and a budget that I could convince myself was worth spending.”
Green’s initial thought was to have the Holtz Built team craft all-new custom cabinetry. But the cost of custom work was more than a garage seemed to deserve. Instead, Nonnemacker suggested high-quality prefabricated cabinets designed for outdoor use, which can withstand moisture and temperature fluctuations.
Holtz Built custom work was limited to a specialty corner cabinet, a cabinet base, and a garden workstation. Architectural touches are found in the frame surrounding a pegboard for tools and in crown molding atop the highest cabinets – not something you’d expect to find in a garage.
With deeper cabinets on the lower level, and more cabinets overall, Green has enclosed storage for extra serving pieces and other kitchenware. She also has cabinets for patio dishes, grilling tools, and cleaning supplies. And the designated garden workstation is even more than she hoped for.
“I asked for something on wheels that I could pull into the middle of the room – something separate from the cabinets,” she says. “[The Holtz team] built a cabinet, and underneath is the table. That doubles the work space. It’s really, really cool.”
Green had hired H.J. Holtz & Son to paint her home’s interior when she first moved in, so she was willing to trust the company with another project.
“I didn’t think I needed this many cabinets, but I’ve actually used all the space,” she says. “This isn’t something that people usually have in their garages. Maybe some people would think it’s peculiar to put kitchen cabinets in a garage, but this is a way for a space that can easily get cluttered and messy to be really useful and pleasant to be in. Here, everything has a place. It might seem excessive, but it’s so nice for me.”
Just what she wanted.
