Painting
Hackettstown's Historic Homes
Hackettstown's historic district is graced by many grand old Victorian
homes. Have you ever wondered what goes into the restoration of one of
these fabulous Painted Ladies? Steve Dimiceli, proprietor of  Dimiceli
Painting was on hand at the Hackettstown Historical Society's meeting
on February 7, 2007 to talk about his first hand experiences.
There are several distinct stages to painting any
house, especially a house with a lot of history, and lots of layers of
paint! Choosing the colors is the first, and some will say the hardest
step, and most Victorian homes are typically three or more colors;
body, trim and accents. After the colors are chosen, it's important to
map out the house and identify which colors will go where. "Taking a
lot of pictures, of every angle and architectural feature, really helps
with this, " Dimiceli told the group.
Step three is the removal of the old paint, which
helps to remove the dirt, mildew and algae that can grow on a house
over time. Scraping is the most common way of doing this, but new
chemical peels can strip multiple layers of paint simultaneously and
take the exterior surface down to the bare wood. "You should never use
a heat gun or a torch on an old house," Dimiceli chuckled, "and I hope
I don't have to tell you why!"
Restoration is next, and Dimiceli stressed the
importance of repairing bad wood and having a clean and neutralized
surface to paint. After the repairs are complete, the house is ready to
be primed. The primer stage allows the paint crew an excellent
opportunity to find any holes or cracks that may remain, and get them
fixed before the finish coat goes on.
 The finish coat is put on in stages, with
the body or main color first, followed by primary, secondary colors and
trim colors. Decreasing the contrast of trim colors creates a subtle
effect; increasing them creates a more dramatic look. Attractive
architectural features should be accented as well. Punch colors are
applied last. These colors bring more attention to the home's natural
focal points and should be used sparingingly.  When
painting the porch, risers are typically done in white or one of the
trim colors, and the treads are done in the same color as the porch
flooring. Finally, the finishing touches; cleaning the windows, hanging
shutters and returning the hardware, like house numbers, mailboxes,
planters, brackets and more. "There's a lot that goes into this, and a
lot going on at once," Dimiceli quipped. "It's like being a director in
a movie."
Steve Dimiceli has been painting houses in
Hackettstown and the surrounding areas since 1995. He has been featured
in NJ Monthly Magazine and received Painting Contractor Magazine's
Honorable Mention award in June 2003.
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