Remodeler: Stephen Ortado
Company: Historic Structures, Washington, D.C.
Product: Dutchlac Paint, www.finepaintsofeurope.com.
Stephen Ortado of Historic Structures specializes in restoration projects, so he's not looking for quick and easy when it comes to products. Case in point: He uses a paint that most contractors wouldn't touch. He first discovered Dutchlac Paints in a wooden boat magazine 12 years ago when he was a boat builder. He used the marine enamel and was impressed, but he was skeptical about using Dutchlac for anything other than boats. John Lahey of Fine Paints of Europe convinced him to try it, and he's used it ever since.
The Dutch paint requires a lot of preparation before applying, and a minimum of three coats. The extra work is worth it to Ortado. “It's very high gloss, like a lacquer. If we're doing an entrance door, in a black or red, it's so glossy it looks like a mirror. You can adjust your tie in it!” He uses the paint on all the exteriors he works on, and on some interiors, too, like a high-end dining room done in Chinese red.
Ortado says that clients not only love the look of Dutchlac but they're impressed by the paint's longevity. “Some doors that I painted 10 years ago, I've never had to repaint.”
The paint's base is a long oil (meaning that it has a higher percentage of oil). “It takes a very long time to dry, so it stays pretty resilient over a period of about 10 years.”
For more product information, visit ebuild.com, Hanley Wood's interactive product catalog.