This week a similar situation happened to myself and a client while working on a renovation project here in New Orleans, but before we started moving the large Sub-Zero, Max Mendoza came up with a simple solution, we had some tight corners to clear, so after measuring and everything still looked too tight, Max replicated the large Sub-Zero using the cardboard from the box it came in, guiding the cardboard through the door openings and around the corners, we easily determined that one frame needed to be removed. This saved us so much back breaking moving of the refrigerator twice. I still picture Perry and friends circling the block with their side by side!

The goal was to have our contracted repairs completed by the first of January so the apprentice plasterers could begin in early January.  Apprentices began prep work for plastering, repairing lathe board, and removing old plaster between the lathes on Jan 6th. We will continue to work with the Preservation Resource Center on this project over the coming months to provide support and additional repairs as needed.

Ready for plaster

Plaster apprentices at work

Great progress

Choose paint sheens based on the area in the home.

Flat paints are best for ceilings and low traffic areas such as bedrooms, home offices, or formal living areas. A matte finish has a very slight sheen above flat and might be used in the same areas. Satin and Eggshell are often used interchangeably and are great in medium traffic areas such as dens, kitchens, baths, hallways, mudrooms. Semi-gloss is most often used for high washibility on woodwork, baseboards, doors and casings, and windows. In addition, Semi-gloss may be used when more washibilty is desired in wet areas and cooking areas such as baths, laundry rooms, and kitchens (especially in the absence of back-splash and tile work).

For exterior applications, Satin is great for weatherboards and porch ceilings.  Semi-Gloss is good for all doors, windows, and trim work as used inside. At times a Gloss or High-Gloss my be desired especially for the enhancement of architectural details, millwork, fine cabinetry, and crown moldings. Paint sheens are not universally the same from one company to the next. What one company calls “gloss” may be considered “semi-gloss” at another.  So be sure to check with the manufacturer and get a sample to be sure you are getting the desired sheen.

Banana Cream yellow Sherwin-Williams paint

Over the last few years, all the major paint companies have offered “sample” cans that range in price from $3-$6 depending on the size to “try out” a color. This is the best way, to prevent spending $40.00 or more per gallon and the application time to only then realize this shade of orange looks like Macaroni & Cheese!! Ugh!! Samples on color chips look different in the store, than the actual paint on the walls, lighting effects the way the color is perceived as well, fluorescent in the store, warm incandescent at home. Colors will also look different at various times of day and will be affected by the shadows in the room. It is not unusual to paint several rooms the same golden beige and have it look like a different color in different rooms. At the same time you can paint adjacent walls one shade off from one another and not be able to tell the difference.

Color is very tricky and each person will see it a little different as well. Purchase the samples and apply a 3-4 ft square on two to three walls in the room you are painting so that some is applied opposite the window and some in shadowy areas.  Also make sure some is near any item you are trying to match or compliment, ie curtains, sofa, etc.  Going through this exercise a few times is far easier and less costly  than repainting the entire room or having to “live with” a bad choice. When you make your final color selection. Be sure to prime and paint over the sample areas. The samples are usually not “actual” paint and will deteriorate over time if not top coated. You will also always end with a better finish if you start with a crisp white palette. Beware, painting over samples, nail hole repairs, crack repairs etc can create a splotchy look. Happy Painting!

Colorful New Orleans French Quarter Condo

The ideal situation is to use leftover paint from the last application. If you do not have leftover paint, then you need to touch up with everything being the exact same as the original application.

For example: it seems obvious that you want to make sure to use the same color, but also important is the use of the same sheen, such as eggshell or flat.  And to help ensure the best possible match,  try to take the extra step of using the exact same product, i.e.,  Sherwin Williams 200, or 400.

Not as obvious, but very important, is to always buy from the same store. And even though you may not feel you have a need for it, you may need to buy a full gallon. Paint tint machines can vary slightly from store to store much the same as a fountain coke tastes a little different from one restaurant to the next.  Also many light colors are formulated for one gallon measurement in the original formula. If they have a 1/64oz of tint in the gallon it cannot be broken down to 1/256 oz of tint for a quart, therefore a small amount will be rounded down creating a noticeable color difference.  Try to apply the paint in the same manner, such as roller or brush.

Higher sheens do not touch up as well as lower sheen paint. In the same way, a higher sheen will show more imperfections in a wall or ceiling than a lower sheen.

Another helpful hint is to paint corner-to-corner if you have a slight color variation. Any break, like a molding , door casing, or corner will be enough to make any color variation less obvious.

St. Anna's Church

When Father Terry and the Sister’s of St. Anna’s asked Hal Collums Construction to help them restore their 1840’s house attached to the church, the request excited and challenged us.

Initially, they wanted us to re-shore the large two story house which was noticeably out of level in every room on both floors. One staff member in the building had a chair that rolled her right into her desk! Max Mendoza, our Operations Manager using a laser level, recorded the level of both floors and used the data to determine where the structure had failed and why.

The chair no longer rolls into the desk!

It was clear much was soil settlement, some was structural deficiencies and some was poor maintenance. Structural problems created by termites or wood rot had to be repaired before we attempted to return the structure to its original level condition.

The poor maintenance included an old addition attached to an out of level house. The addition floor, installed level at the time, had to be removed to reveal the original floor underneath. Using strategically placed hydraulic jacks, we reversed the settlement effects and returned the structure to its original level condition.

Bryon Cornelison and Father Terry

One day during the re-shoring process, Bryon Cornelison, HCC’s Project Manager received a frantic phone call! “I think you should come over here quick!” Father Terry phoned, “I think the house is coming down!” After so many years of being out of level, the sheetrock had been fitted to the house and, of course, several large cracks appeared in the remuddled areas around door casings and corners, all of which was shocking to the Father and the Sisters! Bryon, however was very excited, “look the floors are level! This chair is no longer forced to roll into the desk!” noting the second floor office with the previously severe floor drop.

Upon final reattachment to the church and foundation, the stately house–attributed to Henry Howard–took on a new feeling of strength and firmness! In addition to the new firm foundation, the house received rebuilt balconies, repaired and replaced windows and doors and a fresh coat of bright Banana Cream yellow Sherwin-Williams paint.

Ironically, the church had utilized the resources of Christmas in October volunteers in the late 1990’s to make minor repairs and paint the house in Renwick Beige. Bryon Cornelison was a volunteer with Christmas in October then and later became the Director at CIO which became Rebuilding Together at The Preservation Resource Center.

It was exciting for Bryon to work on the same project in two different capacities 10 years apart. He was especially happy to know his work had reversed over 160 years of deterioration and had given a historic New Orleans building a new lease on life.

The floors are completely level now.