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houses

Korth & Shannahan Paints Picture Perfect Homes for 40 Years

August 24, 2021 by Stacey Pfeffer

In the process of buying a home, it’s widely agreed that a home’s curb appeal is a key purchasing factor. A well-maintained home’s exterior appearance sends a signal to buyers that the owners cared for their property. And one of the most important features of the exterior is a good, neat paint job. That’s where Korth & Shannahan, a 40-year old residential painting and carpentry business with New Castle roots comes in.

A Company with Local Roots

Will Korth, the owner of the business started painting at 14 years old as a summer job while attending Horace Greeley High School. He can still recall the first house he ever painted, a yellow Victorian on Roaring Brook Road in the 1980s. At the time, the company was called Shannahan & Shannahan and run by two local brothers Greg and Kevin who also attended Greeley. They did most of their work within Chappaqua, Mount Kisco and Millwood during the summer. People came to rely on the company because they were honest, hard working teens who made every effort to make the customers satisfied. 

Upon graduating college and entering the workforce, Korth held a number of successful sales positions but when Greg offered him the opportunity to buy the company, Korth decided to pursue it and he’s never looked back.

Korth’s company counts notable customers including the Clintons, Clive Davis and the Zabar family. “Painting the Horace Greeley House was certainly a feather in our cap,” notes Korth, who has done it several times over the past four decades.  His company’s commitment to high quality workmanship and service results in many repeat customers and long-standing relationships with his customers. He also offers customers a four-year warranty which is double the industry standard.

Currently the company consists of 32 painters and four carpenters who do everything from crown molding to replacing decks and they’ve expanded their customer base to include Southern Westchester towns. But Chappaqua and Armonk homes still account for one-third of his business. “The customer will always get a team I know and trained which ultimately results in consistently happy customers,” says Korth.

Cutting corners isn’t part of Korth’s mentality. When his team preps for a paint job, they sand rather than scrape the old paint which is more labor intensive but results in a smoother finish. He will also at times consult with a color consultant if a customer can’t decide on which color to choose. “The worst thing is to make a client feel pressured to choose a color,” explains Korth. 

Painting Through the Pandemic

Like many other home improvement companies, Korth has seen an increase in demand for his services during the pandemic. “People are home more now than ever and really seeing the value in investing in their home,” notes Korth. When the pandemic started, Korth ensured that all his employees took COVID safety protocol courses. 

Korth is proud of his company’s “squeaky clean reputation.” Whether it is learning the latest COVID protocols or becoming certified EPA lead renovators, Korth cares deeply about the safety of his customers and his employees. “Lead paint can be particularly dangerous to young children and is actually way more toxic than asbestos,” explains Korth. “If you are getting rid of lead paint, you don’t want to be sanding it off and get it on the children’s swing set. It needs to be removed properly to ensure everyone’s safety but it isn’t as costly as many customers initially think.” 

Before
After

Painting Tips

Most paint jobs tend to last eight to ten years. If you are thinking of painting your home in the near future, Korth suggests painting a few rooms each year and asking to see the company’s liability insurance. Fall is actually a great time to paint as Korth’s crew continues to do exterior work through early November so that your home will be picture perfect just in time for the holiday season and beyond. For more info or to contact, visit: korthpainting.com

Filed Under: Lifestyles with our Sponsors Tagged With: Exteriors, House Painting, houses, Interiors, Korth & Shannahan, painting, William Korth

“Habititis” – An “Itis” that Should be Spread!

June 3, 2016 by The Inside Press

Smiles all around after heavy-duty digging and sign-building. (L-R): Chappaqua resi- dents Michael and Eileen Gallagher, Greg Simon, and Warren Gottlieb.
Smiles all around after heavy-duty digging and sign-building. (L-R): Chappaqua residents Michael and Eileen Gallagher, Greg Simon, and Warren Gottlieb.

By Eileen Gallagher

Take a look at the old Orthodox Friends’ Meeting House as you drive up the hill on King Street. 300 King Street, a landmarked building which many residents remember as the Village Nursery School, is now buzzing with the sweet sounds of hammers, saws, drills, and even a newly purchased jackhammer. Who is doing all of this buzzing? Not surprisingly, the busy workers are often members of our very own community, in conjunction with Habitat for Humanity.

Jim Killoran, the Executive Director of Habitat for Humanity, Westchester, is the tireless source of inspiration and perspiration as he works toward ensuring that everyone in Westchester has a home in which to live. Bill and Keiko Spade–resident architects who have dedicated countless hours advocating for safe and responsible affordable housing here in town–joined with Killoran in the genesis of the first Habitat project in New Castle.

Many residents have fond memories of the nursery school, but might be surprised to learn that the “Queen Ann style” building which features an elevated porch with decorative scrollwork was actually constructed in the late 1800’s as the Quaker meeting house. The reconstruction will restore the building to its original “Stick Victorian” styling from 1885, while also maintaining the original post and beam framing. Per Spade, “This will enhance the quality of the surrounding neighborhood, which has other fine examples of architecture from this same period.”

Teaming up with Habitat was a no-brainer for the Spades. They’ve been “green” in their building techniques for years, attending Passive House trainings to save precious energy and utilities while saving families money as well. Having worked with Killoran on a number of homes, they were aware of the green homes built by Habitat.

For 300 King, the Passive House features will include a thickened exterior “envelope” with up to three times the insulation value, sophisticated moisture and air barrier layers, highly insulated doors and windows, and an Energy Recovery Ventilation unit which circulates fresh air while recovering energy. Solar panels are being considered, as well as rain barrels, which save water runoff and usage. Spade added, “We look forward to sharing the process of building these Passive Homes with the community, to educate the broader community about the importance of energy-efficient construction.”

Per Spade, New Castle has been very supportive of the project, which will add two units of affordable housing toward meeting the county settlement of 2009. The units will be condominiums owned by families, something that Killoran is very proud of.

“Ownership creates the bank for each family. As ownership happens, studies show that education goes up and wealth of families goes up.” Killoran also pointed out that the former property of the Lutheran church will now be back on the town’s tax roles. It is expected that construction, depending on the availability of funding and volunteers, will take between nine months to a year, with a target occupancy date of early 2017.

In the meantime, three or four days a week the active site is under the watchful eyes of Habitat site supervisors and volunteers as the deconstruction phase winds down in preparation for the rebuilding phase. Killoran speaks of “habititis,” where people of all ages are drawn into helping with everything from building, fundraising, and providing snacks for workers.

“Habititis is moving throughout Chappaqua and Northern Westchester. Everyone is a philanthropist and volunteer and all can help,” he urges. Killoran’s catch-phrase is “The excitement is building!” Habitat has built throughout the county in addition to helping more than 1800 homeowners affected by Hurricane Sandy, delivering generators as well as working on homes. First building in Larchmont in 1988, Habitat continues to build, help rehab homes, and is currently designing “aging in place” opportunities to help create an intergenerational New York “so all generations can continue to live in Westchester and New York, and not have to leave.”

Indeed, the excitement is building, pun intended. Many groups have already helped in this effort, including West Point cadets (all fed by the generosity of Lange’s Little Store), several groups from high schools and colleges, families both in town and from other parts of the county, faith communities, offices, and local merchants. The trend has been to “bring a friend” or several friends, and spend a few hours working diligently in the company of kindred spirits. There are “regulars” (including this author) who enjoy seeing the building as it progresses, while fostering new friendships.

Not sure if you have the know-how to build? Killoran’s staff are more than happy to help. From the proper way to measure and cut to using building equipment such as circular saws and jackhammers, you will be in good hands. Skills learned at Habitat are also quite handy for use in your own homes as well.

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In addition to this location, work has begun on the latest town project at 437 Saw Mill Road in Millwood.Each unit can cost $250,000 to rehab and make beautiful for families, and Killoran asks that each volunteer give a dollar, or ten, one hundred, one thousand, or more. “Whatever they can give, so we can continue to build strong into the future.”

To help with all the ongoing efforts, contact Chappaqua@habitatwc.org and donate: habitatwc.org

Visit: Facebook (Chappaqua Habitat), Instagram and Twitter (@HabitatWC)

Eileen Gallagher is a freelance writer and 13-year resident of Chappaqua. Married with two sons, she has a full-blown case of Habititis along with her husband Michael. They can often be seen wearing hardhats and goggles working and laughing at 300 King Street.

Filed Under: Cover Stories Tagged With: building, habitat, houses

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