Grand Rapids Historic Home Restoration Company

Serving all of Kent & Ottawa Counties, including Grand Rapids, Holland, and Grand Haven.

Historical Home Renovation Page Form

Historic Home Restoration Overview

Keeping the charm of your historic home alive presents unique challenges. When it comes to painting, interior and exterior surfaces must be treated very differently from a newer home. Unfortunately, many contractors aren’t aware of requirements and best practices. Within a year—or even a month—the new coating will begin to fail.

At VanDerKolk Painting, we understand the science of paint failure. Our trained and certified professionals evaluate your surfaces and address your longevity concerns, budget, and other expectations. We employ a specialized system to safely and effectively remove old coatings, including lead-based paint. For repairs, we offer expert carpentry services. And we back our work with a five-year warranty.

Restoration Vs. Renovation

When speaking about home projects, renovation, and restoration are two words that may be used interchangeably, although they mean slightly different things. A home renovation involves making updates to your home to make it more modern or to change the style. A home restoration, on the other hand, involves home improvements that improve the appearance and state of the home while maintaining the same style, or restoring previously altered features to what they originally were.

It’s important to note when discussing historic home renovations that there is a difference between a historic home and a home that is simply old. Historic homes that are designated by certain groups and organizations may have protections in place to maintain their historic significance, and thus prevent major renovations that significantly change the appearance of the home. For these homes, restoration is more appropriate for maintaining the historic appeal and appearance. Other old homes may give you plenty of freedom for renovations that will modernize the look of the home and bring your personality into your space.

Historic Home Restoration Services

We offer restoration and renovation services for both the interior and exterior of your historic home. Whether you’re trying to keep your historic home as close as possible to its original look by keeping everything in tip-top shape, or you’re modernizing an older home with a fresh new look, we’ll ensure everything is done correctly to protect your home’s surfaces and keep it looking great for many years.

Interior Painting

Interior paint is a great way to freshen up a space. Over time, paint can get scratched or marked, and it needs to be refreshed every several years to keep it in the best condition. Whether you’re keeping the same color that’s close to the original paint or choosing something new to update your home, we can help you pick paint colors for walls and other surfaces in your home and give your walls a new, flawless look.
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Wallpaper Removal

Over time, wallpaper may fade, get scratched, or start to peel around the edges. This leaves your walls looking unsightly, and it can make it easier for the underlying surface of your walls to become damaged. Wallpaper removal can be a necessary step in restoring the appearance of your historic home’s interior, but it can also be very tricky in older homes depending on the paper and adhesive used and whether your walls are drywall or plaster. Our team of professionals will work hard to protect your walls while removing wallpaper so that they’re kept in beautiful condition for new wallpaper or paint.
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Paint Stripping

Many older homes have wood features that may have been painted over the years to update the home’s style. Old wooden doors, windows, or cabinetry can be restored to their original look by removing paint that wasn’t part of the original home design. Paint stripping reveals the wood surface underneath which can be refinished with staining or new paint.
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Carpentry And Drywall Repairs

Repairs to drywall and woodwork are vital in preserving your historic home’s beauty. We can help ensure that your walls are smooth and flawless before you add new paint or wallpaper so that your newly restored walls will have a pristine finish.
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Exterior Painting

For many historic homes, the way the outside of the home looks is even more important than the inside for celebrating the historical significance of the home in the community. Historical homes often have elaborate trim and woodwork on their exteriors in unique and beautiful colors. Historic home exterior painting can be very detailed work, requiring precision and an experienced team of painting professionals.
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Wood Siding Restoration

Historic homes often have materials that are less commonly seen in newer homes, like wood siding. Wood siding needs regular maintenance and repairs to keep your home protected from water and pests. We can repair a variety of types of damage to restore and protect your siding.
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Historical Home Restoration

We take pride in the quality of our work. Below you can see examples of past projects we’ve done with historic home restoration.

A house with a roof that has a triangle on it

A large gray house with a porch and stairs on a sunny day.

Before After

A large house with a porch and stairs is for sale.

A large blue house with a porch and stairs

Before After

A large house with a lot of windows is sitting next to a hedge.

A large blue house with a lot of windows is surrounded by trees and bushes.

Before After

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Why Choose VanDerKolk Painting For Your Historic Home Restoration?

VanDerKolk Painting began in 1991 as a residential painting company. We quickly grew over the years to include related home services to meet our customers’ needs. Today we offer a variety of services in residential, commercial, and industrial settings. In all the work we do, we strive to set ourselves apart from the competition through quality workmanship and our dedication to outstanding customer service.

All the painters we work with are full-time employees and never contractors. This means that we can ensure our painting professionals’ skills and experience are matched to the job. Historic home restoration requires precise work and knowledge of a variety of materials that not all painters or painting companies have. Our team has the training required to handle detailed work and harmful substances, like old lead paint. We ensure quality work as well as the safety of you and your family when you work with our team.

Our dedication to customer service begins when you schedule your free estimate. We’ll come out and assess your project, provide transparent pricing, and answer any questions you may have. We can work with you and your budget to create a plan for your historic home restoration project that will meet your needs and expectations. We’ll keep you updated throughout the course of your project. We also provide a warranty on all our work to ensure your satisfaction and that the job gets done right. Call us at 616-202-6570, or fill out our quote request form to begin your historic home restoration project today.

Historic Home Restoration Near You

VanDerKolk Painting is based in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and we serve the surrounding West Michigan area for residential, industrial, and commercial painting services. The cities we serve include Ada, Byron Center, Cascade, East Grand Rapids, East Lansing, Fruitport, Grand Haven, Grandville, Holland, Hudsonville, Jamestown, Kalamazoo, Muskegon, Rockford, Spring Lake, and Zeeland. Contact us to get started on your historic home restoration project.

Historic Home Restoration FAQs

How Do I Know If My Home Has Historical Significance That Affects My Renovation Plans?

Homes that are listed on the National Register of Historic Places will have limited ability to make major renovations that significantly change the look of the home. Most homes on this list will have a sign or plaque outside identifying it as historic, but not all do. If your home is more than 50 years old, has any historical significance in your community, and still has most of its original features and aesthetic, it’s worth checking to see if it may have been listed on the registry just in case.
How Much Does Historic Home Restoration Cost?

The cost of repairing your historic home may be more than similar services for a newer home due to the level of detail and skill required in an older home. For every service we provide, we offer a free quote so you know upfront what to expect in terms of cost. We’ll help you plan and select services depending on your wishes and budget.

For some registered historic homes, additional financing options are available for home preservation. The government and certain organizations provide grants, loans, and tax credits to help homeowners preserve the historic qualities of their homes so they last for many years to come. Look into your financing options to make your restoration project easier on your wallet.
How Do I Register My Home As Historic?

If your home has historical significance, it may be eligible to be added to the National Register of Historic Places through the National Park Service. In Michigan, adding your home to this list is done through the State Historic Preservation Office. These organizations protect and celebrate buildings and structures with historical significance in their communities. Registering your home as historic can be a lengthy process involving organizational review as well as public comments. The main benefits of having your home listed in the national register are financial, as it will make your home eligible for grants, loans, and tax breaks.
How Long Will My Historic Home Restoration Project Take?

Historic home restoration timelines are dependent on many factors, including the services being done, the size of your home, and how detailed the work is. Because historic homes often have more intricate details and materials that are less commonly seen in modern homes, most historic home restoration projects will take longer to complete than a similar project on a newer home. The end result will be worth the wait!

Request Your Free Quote

We provide quotes at absolutely no cost. Requesting a quote gives you an opportunity to meet with one of our team members, better understand our process, and explain the details of your project. You can request a free quote by filling out the form, or by calling us at 616-202-6570.