Berkshire Painting

Historic New England - Merwin House in Stockbridge

shamlin — Sun, 30 Nov 2008 20:59:51 +0000

This venerable house, built around 1825, had considerable damage to its ceiling. The paint was peeling badly and there was a large rectangular hole from recent renovations against one wall.

After prep work

Here the hole has been patched with sheetrock, taped and blended with the surrounding ceiling with joint compound, the peeling paint has been removed and the surface leveled with a skim-coat of joint compound. It's ready for painting.

Lee Citgo Station

shamlin — Sun, 30 Nov 2008 20:23:27 +0000

We were called in to spruce up this gas station/convenience store in Lee, MA. The business had changed hands several times and was suffering from neglect. It had considerable peeling paint, as well as rotted trim and rusting metal rails and masonry caps.

The completed job

After careful preparation, including light carpentry on the fascia boards and eaves, the fresh white paint sparkles against the red brick walls.

Stockbridge Mildew Problem

admin — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 13:16:49 +0000

We painted this house inside and out when it was first built in 1996. Over the twelve intervening years, the paint held up well, but a mildew problem had developed. Not only did the mildew need to be thoroughly removed, but the cause of it had to be determined with as much certainty as possible, if it was to be prevented from reoccurring.

Often, mildew is a result of poor ventilation, causing the house to "sweat" from within. If we had determined that to be the source of the mildew in this case, paint would only provide a temporary mask and curing the problem would have been expensive.

We were able to determine that the source of the problem was not structural in this house. We found that the mildew problem was caused by environmental dampness and was isolated to the shaded areas of the house. Having made that determination, we felt confident that, through proper preparation and careful application, a new protective coating of paint would help prevent it from recurring.

In this photo, you can see the extent of the mildew on the shaded side of the house.

This detail of the previous photo shows the mildew on the siding and eaves and the presence of soffit vents. The vents indicate that ventilation was appropriately handled in the construction of the house.

In this detail, you can see both mildew and dirt collected in the corners of the windows. It would be easy to drive the dirt farther into the trim in cleaning it, rather than properly removing it.

Here's another shot showing the mildew on the lower corner of the window casing and forming a trail from the runoff in the corner under the bump-out.

Added November 30, 2008

The following images show the deck and stairs before and after the first coat, and a detail of the finished job.

Before

After the first coat

Finished

If you've got a mold or mildew problem, whether it's outside or in, call (888) 243-0304 today for a free, no-obligation estimate. We don't just get rid of the symptoms - we find the source of the problem and fix it.

Becket Lake Cabin

tad — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 03:26:12 +0000

Sometimes the simplest jobs present the toughest challenges. This simple lake-front cabin is a case in point. It had lots of potential - especially for painting problems that were likely to come back like the proverbial bad penny. Preparation is always important, but in this interior job, it was especially critical.

The "ceiling" was actually the underside of the roof structure, with vaulting provided by the roof joists. There was a lot of staining throughout, which required sealing in equal proportion to prevent it from bleeding through the fresh paint.

After proper preparation and a fresh coat of paint, the cabin had an airy feel, far removed from the claustrophobic atmosphere of the stained plywood.

The loft had a small balcony that had the potential of being truly inviting, but it fell far short, due to the dinginess. The staining on the plywood and structural lumber was especially prevalent in this area.

Once done, the balcony became one of the highlights of the cabin.

Whether your second home needs a face-lift or your first-and-only home is in need of some TLC, call (888) 243-0304 today for a free, no-obligation estimate.

Commercial site - professional quality

tad — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 02:59:52 +0000

We pride ourselves in our job-site professionalism. Our clients have come to expect a first-rate job without interference in the day-to-day operation of their business. We recognize the importance of our clients' bottom-line and we bend over backwards to avoid becoming an obstacle to business as usual. Whether yours is a retail establishment or a manufacturing plant, we'll do our utmost to keep the lowest profile possible, while maintaining the highest standard of professionalism in our craft.

Call us today at (888)243-0304 to discuss your painting needs. Your job deserves the best!

Beartown Cabin

tad — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 01:32:26 +0000

This cabin, sided with T-111, was in desperate need of paint. The weather had scoured the paint down to bare wood in a number of places, to the point where the siding and trim were in danger of rotting if left alone much longer.

Notice the paint scrubbed off the siding above the slider.

Here's the same slider with a fresh coat of paint. Not only is the appearance greatly improved, but the siding and trim have been protected, extending their life and preserving the equity in the property.

The small porch at the entry was worn and unappealing.

After, the entryway provides a much more attractive welcome to guests and residents alike.

The siding under the kitchen window was badly weathered.

After careful preparation and a neat, properly applied top-coat, the same wall is ready to face the New England winter again.

The underside of the small roof over the entryway was showing a lot of bare wood.

After, the entryway is attractive and the owners' investment is protected.

If your house has suffered from the long, hard New England winters, call (888) 243-0304 today for a free, no-obligation estimate and take the first step in protecting your family's home.

1700 Stage Coach Stop Transformed

tad — Thu, 24 Jan 2008 16:22:08 +0000

This house was a great challenge due to its age.

The facade of the house was in disrepair. To prep the door, we had to fill the holes and prime new construction to blend the old with new work.

The back of the house also required a lot of prep work.

The completed job…

…and the restored facade.

Call us at 888-243-0304 for a quote on your classic house!

Revisiting a 4 year old paint job

tad — Wed, 09 May 2007 15:25:00 +0000

In 2003 we did this job in Great Barrington. We returned to see how it was holding up. We take pride in doing a job that lasts.

We worked on this house about 4 years ago. Most painting contractors will show you the work they did last week or month. We at Berkshire Painting are proud to show you what a job looks like four years after it was completed!

Look close at the windows and see that the paint still looks great. This is an excellent indicator of a good job.

Look at where the wall meets the foundation. Notice there's no cracking or peeling. That's because we took the time to prep the job properly and used only quality products throughout the job. If we paint your house, it stays painted.

The job looks great where the trim meet the clapboards, even on the south side of the house after years of sun, snow and rain.

Call us today at 888-243-0304 and let us give your house the care it deserves.