Judith Jacob is a Professional Associate of the American Institute for Conservation. She currently works for the National Park Service as an Architectural Preservation Specialist in New York, N.Y.  On May 18th, she will be sharing her extensive knowledge of paint technology with workshop participants at Howard Hall Farm in Athens, N.Y. In this restoration-heavy area of the Hudson River Valley, one of the primary issues homeowners have to address is how to safely remove decades of paint accumulation without destroying the historic fabric of their homes.  Paint stripping is time-consuming, messy, and toxic work. Unanticipated surprises are common. However, with proper preparation and a good knowledge of paints and removal materials and methods, paint stripping projects can be carried out with a minimum of problems.

Judith's workshop, Investigating Paint Technology and the Science of Removal, will train participants to safely execute a successful paint removal project.  Students will learn how to analyze and date historic paint layers during the removal process.    Participants will be trained to carry out their projects in the most environmentally friendly way possible. They will practice their new skills on a plethora of different historic materials found within the Federal manor that serves as our learning laboratory, some of which date back to the 1700s.  They will learn architectural paint technology, solvent technology, paint removal techniques, toxicity of materials and health/safety precautions, as well as hazardous waste disposal. We will also discuss the preparation of contract documents. Participants will then execute a series of paint removal tests using different materials and methods, and evaluate the results. This workshop is part of Howard Hall Farm's Environmentally friendly Paint Technology Workshop Series. The workshop fee is $100.  Lunch is included.  Admission is free to the press, and Judith Jacob will be available after the Workshop for interviews.

Howard Hall Farm is both an historic restoration project and a vehicle for educating people in sustainable, environmentally conscious restoration techniques. The site of our learning laboratory is a 1780's stone manor in the heart of the Hudson River Valley. This Federal-style home presents a number of restoration challenges specific to this region of the country and is an ideal platform for a grass-roots look at how to ease a deteriorating home into the future as a modern, functioning dwelling with minimal impact to the house and the environment.  As preservation architect Carl Elefante says, "The greenest building is the one you don't build."   In our restoration we are focused on dovetailing an acute attention to historic detail with the newest green technology, which will allow historic homes to go into the future as modern, functioning dwellings with minimal impact to the house and the environment.  Our mission is to investigate, restore, and revive every facet of this structure in a green manner, and provide a forum for other interested homeowners and craftspeople to learn to do the same.  In an effort to educate ourselves, we bring in preservation and restoration experts from all over the country to train us and everyone who attends our workshops in green techniques to preserve and revive our homes while minimizing their impact on the environment.  With the help of these individuals, we can all learn to bring an old home out of the cobwebs and into the green.