Project: St. Joseph’s Roman Catholic Church Interior Painting Hoboken NJ
Alpine Painting’s detail craftsmen have ample experience painting and renovating churches, synagogues and mosques. Special considerations and massive attention to detail are necessary requirements when servicing places of worship and for that reason the Archdiocese of Newark once again entrusted Alpine to paint the interior of St. Joseph’s Roman Catholic Church in Hoboken, NJ. The Archdiocese requested that Alpine replicate the aesthetic effect achieved during the interior painting of its St. Rose of Lima church, as well as create a clean look and feel with a new color scheme for St. Joseph’s.
The Challenges of Painting a Church
St. Joseph’s Roman Catholic Church in Hoboken, NJ was built in the late 1800s, so it had very worn, high ceilings and moisture related damage, as well as an outdated color scheme. Also, as churches tend to be very decorative, intricate detailing and trim work was required, especially in the oddly shaped altar and dome ceiling. This assignment, therefore, required highly skilled painters with a keen attention to detail.
As is the case with many types of commercial painting projects, this assignment needed to be completed in five weeks as this was the longest time the church could remain inaccessible to parishioners. For this reason, the project needed to be completed within a very tight timeframe and the management team did have some difficulty securing enough staff available to put in the long hours and additional work days.
Alpine was able to overcome any potential staffing issue by identifying a pool of talented crew members willing to put in the time thanks to its many years of experience in the industry and resourcefulness. Alpine also overcame some paint shortages, safety concerns and custom scaffolding challenges. They were able to do so with ingenuity and decades worth of experience troubleshooting painting jobs and performing complex and detailed work for centuries-old architectural structures such as churches and educational institutions.
A Heavenly Assignment Comes to Life
The areas that needed to be painted included the front area hallway, main sanctuary, upper mezzanine and vestibule. The surfaces to be painted included previously painted walls, ceiling, and window frames. There was also lots of spackling that needed to be done and accessibility became a challenge at times.
During the interior surface preparation there were several steps taken. These included:
- Covering and protecting surrounding surfaces where work was not being performed.
- Supplying and erecting the necessary scaffolding and ladders to access areas to be painted.
- Preparing surfaces to be painted by hand tool to scrape the remaining loose and peeling paint.
- Repairing deteriorated plaster surfaces around damaged areas to a sound substrate.
- Spackling and sanding the interior sheetrock/plaster walls/ceiling surfaces
- Applying acrylic latex paintable caulk in cracks and around gaps in trim.
- Supplying tarps and plastic underneath the working area to contain all paint chips.
- Cleaning the immediate work area and removing paint cans and debris generated from work being done.
- Adding scaffolding to the originally estimated 1,000 square feet of prep area.
The project required rolling multiple ridged scaffolding towers with safety rails on the top. Each tower was custom built because of the shape of the altar and dome ceiling. Airless spray equipment was also needed as the project required completion within a tight timeframe.
The assignment also required that the church’s decorative columns be painted with specialized metallic coating. Throughout the entire process, Alpine gave special attention and care to religious artifacts and monuments in the church while conducting its work.
When it came to safety, Alpine developed a job site analysis (JSA) which ensured the application of best practices in workplace safety and efficiency. The crew’s safety plan therefore included implementing fall protection, safe scaffolding erection, respiratory protection during painting, and respiratory protection against any dust created.
A Strong Belief in Alpine Painting
When considering Alpine for the job, the archdiocese's facility manager had worked with the company for many years and knew it had a track record of success. During the bidding, what set the company apart yet again was its level of professionalism, attention to detail in its proposal and scope of work, and a consistent open line of communication throughout the entire process.
Alexander M. Santora, pastor of Our Lady of Grace and St. Joseph’s Roman Catholic Church, said: “When we reached out to contractors, Besi Janova of Alpine Painting was one of the bidders. Besi has a great personality; he made [the bid] very reasonable and [since then] has lived up to everything he said he was going to do and even threw in a few extras. I cannot believe the Alpine team completed this [assignment] within a month and it looks as magnificent as any church can look.”
Because churches and other places of worship are so special to their communities and worshipers, Alpine places special consolidation when painting and repairing the inside and outside of these landmarks. From protecting priceless artifacts and sacred fixtures to erecting specialized scaffolding, Alpine adheres to all the precise procedures that these types of projects demand.
