Many congregations in DC, Silver Spring, Takoma Park and Hyattsville meet in buildings that are decades or even a century old. Sanctuary ceilings are high, walls are plaster, and there may be stenciling or decorative painting that should be preserved. The building also has to be ready for services every week.
We plan with your facilities committee around the worship and holiday calendar, and set up lifts or scaffolding for high work. Plaster is repaired using our plaster repair methods, pews and woodwork are refreshed through wood staining and varnishing, and decorative details are recreated with our decorative finishing work. Schools and daycares on the same campus follow our education center process.
What we paint
Sanctuary walls and ceilings
High work on lifts or scaffolding, with floors and pews protected.
Plaster repair
Cracks and loose plaster repaired before painting.
Decorative and stencil work
Existing stencils traced and recreated.
Pews and woodwork
Cleaned and recoated to restore the finish.
Halls, classrooms and nurseries
Durable finishes for heavily used rooms.
Exteriors, doors and towers
Trim, doors and hard-to-reach exterior features.
Local insight: painting houses of worship
Schedule around the calendar, not just Sunday
Beyond weekly services, sanctuaries are busiest around Christmas and Easter, the High Holy Days, and Ramadan and Eid, plus weddings and funerals that come up with little notice. We schedule sanctuary work for quiet stretches and keep a flexible sequence so the room can be cleared for an unplanned service.
High ceilings and old plaster need planning
Ceilings above 20 feet usually need scaffolding or a lift, which affects cost and schedule more than the paint does. Old plaster often needs consolidation before painting, and in older buildings, some layers of paint may contain lead.
Nurseries can make it a child-occupied facility
If the building was built before 1978 and young children under six use part of it regularly, such as a nursery or preschool, that part is a child-occupied facility under the EPA lead renovation rule. Lead-safe work practices apply there, and we plan for them.
How a congregation project runs
Walk with the committee
Scope, priorities and budget discussed.
Calendar plan
Work scheduled around services and events.
Access setup
Scaffolding or lifts placed with floor protection.
Paint and repair
Repairs, primer and finish coats.
Reset for services
Space cleaned and returned for each service.
Religious institution painting questions
Can work be phased to fit our budget?
Yes. Many congregations phase projects, for example the sanctuary one year and halls the next. We price each phase separately.
Can you recreate our decorative stencils?
Usually, yes. We trace and photograph existing stencils before painting and recreate them in the same colors.
Can you provide insurance certificates for our board or diocese?
Yes. We issue certificates naming the required parties.