So its been a bit since I posted. I have been going crazy at work, with a design competition for the National Women’s Hall of Fame, and various extra curriculars like being a mentor for the ACE Mentorship Program. All of these are fantastic things, but I have neglected my readers as a result.

You may remember that my Kitchen ceiling was an ugly menagerie of textured spackling to cover the several large cracks, water stains and damage from previous leaks, teamed with the additional damage caused by the internal rain storm late this summer courtesy of my toilet tank.

I had always intended to have the ceiling repaired, and as luck would have it, Mike Dube…a master plaster artisan/craftsman…who lives in the Rochester area had recently done some work over at my parent’s place. To say Mike has a gift…both for conversation  and plaster restoration techniques…is a gross understatement. Not only that, but Mike, despite doing restoration and reconstruction work on elaborate ceilings in churches, banks, mansions etc, such as this…

(picture coming soon)

…also does less glamorous work such as a ceiling at My Perfect Little Money Pit. Mike quoted me a price that was quite affordable, considering I would be getting a gleaming smooth plaster ceiling again in the kitchen. Mike has a proprietary process through which he is able to remove only limited areas of severely damaged existing plaster and cohesively meld a new veneer plaster with the old. His multistep process involves spot reconstruction back down to lath, resecuring loose or deflecting sections of existing plaster, preparation of the existing plaster surface, application of a bonding agent and reinforcing mesh, and then a meticulous two to three coats of new veneer plaster. The finish product is nothing short of amazing.

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And with this beautiful ceiling I now can hang this! Eat your heart out Craftsman Style lovers!

As a small thank you and surprise for Mike for his terrific work, I worked with my fellow committee members on the Landmark Society Awards Committee to nominate him for the Craftsman Award. This award is bestowed sparingly on the very best historic preservation craftspersons in the greater Rochester area. After reviewing some samples of Mike’s body of work, the committee unanimously voted to present Mike Dube with the Craftsman Award for 2014. Needless to say he was thrilled and humbled, but its the least I could do for someone as talented, dedicated, generous, and kind.

So…long story short, if you have some badly damaged plaster like my kitchen ceiling, or even way worse. Don’t tear out that beautiful plaster for inferior drywall! Hire Mike Dube Plastering and Stucco!!!