TAMER & TAMER

Tamer and his workers are experts in refinishing architectural woodwork on site. You couldn't ask for better. Our staircase is almost the only original detail left intact in our 1889 row house, but it was covered in layers of paint. One guy first stripped the woodwork in the correct manner, which was with a chemical strip, not sanding. Once the old paint was gone, a different finishing crew came in. They meticulously sanded and repaired elements of the stair details. After that, they applied a durable and maintenance-free lacquer finish. In addition, Tamer invented a solution to restore the wainscoting, which had been desecrated with carelessly apply caulk. His crew removed the delicate original trim elements, saved them, then removed the caulk. They installed new little strips with a tiny reveal that Tamer had fabricated to replaced the space previously occupied by the caulk, then replaced the original trim. It was masterful. The result is a staircase and wainscoting that is incredibly beautiful natural cherry and poplar, silky to the touch. When something went wrong -- the finishing crew mistakenly applied a stain I had not requested, or the floor needed clean-up where shipping or lacquer had slightly damaged it -- the fix was done at no charge. The guys worked neatly and cleaned up carefully every day. The job took three months start to finish, but was totally worth it.