Klappenberger & Son - Professional Historic Preservation
Schedule Your Free Quote Today
Klappenberger & Son - Professional Historic Preservation
Schedule Your Free Quote Today
Historic Preservation & Painting in the Eastern United States
Count on Klappenberger & Son for all of the historic preservation experts you need under one roof and many more services. We’ll work together to tackle the projects on your to-do list when you contact our experts today.
No matter the project, Klappenberger & Son wants to get the job done to preserve the history of your building and help in maintaining the longevity of the wood. That’s why we’re passionate about repainting historic buildings. This dedication pays off — we’ve even helped the White House and Pentagon maintain their iconic appearances. These prominent establishments trusted us as the state’s top historical building preservation painters for multiple reasons.
Quality over Quantity
At Klappenberger & Son, we don’t do things halfway. We developed a system that ensures we focus fully on your historical preservation project while we work on it and maintaining low moisture levels to help the paint and materials last. All our painters go through extensive training where they learn best practices, including painting and restoring historic buildings. We use some of the best primers such as Mad Dog. Also, we use some of the best topcoats such as Fine Paints of Europe.
Historic Preservation Both Interior and Exterior Services
Whether we work exterior or interior, we know we’re improving a place where history happened, so we treat it and you with respect.
Regardless of where we are painting in a historical home, there is bound to be lead paint. Therefore, we test and take all necessary precautions and adhere to lead abatement codes.
Interior Services
When we paint your structure’s interior, we consider what was initially used to decorate the wall and start from there. Plaster can crack and retain moisture, so we smooth out and fill any cracks and gaps, then apply bacteria-resistant primer to avoid further moisture stains. If your interior has wallpaper, we will try our best to retain as much original design as possible or find a reproduction.
Exterior Services
I understand the prep work is paramount to the paint sticking, but there is one other equally important thing—the wood or substrate’s moisture content. Most importantly to paint sticking for years is that the moisture content is below 16%. Regardless of how much prep work is done, it will likely peel if the wood is too moist. Our painters use a moisture meter every day and check surfaces before painting. These extra steps don’t take much time, but they do make a difference.
If needed, we can fabricate old molding since our team is experienced with exterior painting and experienced in carpentry. Our carpenters can repair your building while retaining the original historic building’s appearance.
Customer Reviews of Historic Preservation Jobs
Want to know what it’s like to work with us on your professional historic restoration project? Just ask our happy clients!
Techniques and Products Used for Historic Preservation
As trained and tested historic home painters, we approach each project differently based on the material we paint and its physical state. Moisture content, texture and sun exposure can influence how paint attaches to a surface. The previous paints and primers used will also impact how we approach an assignment.
Our historic preservation & restoration painters will follow a process similar to the one detailed below when they work on your home. If your historic building requires a different restoration and preservation painting process due to outlying factors, we are prepared to pivot our painting strategy to suit the needs of your project.
Step One
Before beginning painting, our painters must create a suitable surface for the paint. We’ll prepare your historic restoration or preservation project by making the surface smooth and clean.
During the cleaning and preparation step, we use D/2 Biological Solution. Historical conservators specially engineered this cleaner without acid or salts. As a result, it can clean a historic surface without damaging the materials. Organizations such as The White House and Veterans Administration rely on this product to safely clean their structures.
Step Two
Once we prepare your building for historic painting, we’ll prime the window sash with an oil-based primer. We use oil-based products during priming because they offer multiple benefits to historic walls. An oil-based primer works well with a variety of materials, including wood and surfaces that already have paint. It seals the primed surface, protecting it from stains and damage. After priming the project, we let it dry thoroughly.
Step Three
With the primer dried, we can apply the first glaze. In history, painters used to employ glaze as a final topcoat that protected the paint’s surface and added texture. During the first glaze step, we apply glaze to help the paint adhere to the surface and create a historically accurate texture. Once we finish the first glaze, we wait seven days to ensure low moisture content. A dry surface helps the paint adhere correctly.
Step Four
After we let the first glaze dry for seven days, we add a latex-based primer for the paint itself. Latex-based primer resists peeling and cracking and can cover minor stains. It also has a fast drying time.
Our Master Home Restoration Painters use Mad Dog Professional Primer, a product used in historical restorations and any professional project that works with latex-based primer. This primer has strong adhesive qualities that smooth out cracks and grip to the final coat of paint. We use Mad Dog products for both interior and exterior projects.
Step 5
For the final step of the historical painting process, we apply two coats of a latex-based paint. Latex paints can come in historic colors that resemble the original appearance of your project. They also have excellent color retention, letting them preserve your space’s appearance for longer than other paint types.
We use Fine Paints of Europe latex paint in our historical restoration projects. This Dutch company offers paint in a wide variety of color palettes, including British Standard colors. Their top-of-the-line products can last as long as 10 to 15 years and pass strict European quality standards. Eurolux latex paint from Fine Paints of Europe dries quickly enough that we can apply two coats on the same day.
Historical Preservation Is All About Using the Same Materials
When we paint your historic building, we preserve as much of the originality as possible. Cleaning, sanding and eliminating sources of moisture comes first to keep both old and new elements intact. Then, we match our paint to the historical paint color and layer coats appropriately to prevent chalking and shrinking. We have access to historical interior paint as well as historical exterior paint which is vital to the preservation of your building as well as ensuring the job is done correctly and the historical paint will last.
We know what painting products to use for each step. Primers are not all created equal. Some primers come with a 20-year warranty against chipping and peeling. Premium top coats also vary in how long they retain color, and their ability to allow moisture to penetrate and release. Through decades of experience, we have been able to document our processes and refine our practices. Not only will your building look like it did in the past, but it will also continue to look that way in the future.
Why Choose Klappenberger & Son for Professional Historic Preservation?
At Klappenberger & Son, we are a historic restoration company that has Master Painters and carpenters to help you with all your historic preservation needs and so much more. We serve multiple locations on the East Coast and have brick and mortar locations primarily in Maryland & Virginia.
The Process
Our no-stress painting process allows us to transform your project space quickly and easily.
The Pricing
We offer transparent, reasonable pricing that lays the cost out in a way that is easy to understand.
Our Team
We are professional, experienced painters that will respect your home and keep the workspace clean.
Our Communication
Let's talk! We make sure that you're always "in the loop" and aware of the project schedule.
