About Us
Our Expertise
At North Star Preservation, we specialize in window and door restoration, preservation carpentry, timber framing, historic masonry, and traditional building techniques. Our approach combines historical authenticity with modern methods, ensuring the longevity and charm of every restoration project we undertake.
We are all graduates from North Bennet Street School's Preservation Carpentry program and are connected to a network of specialists in the field of preservation.
Our Services
Door Restoration
New Openings
Your door is a focal point of your home and gets much wear and tear. Historic doors were handcrafted traditionally with mortise and tenon joinery. The wood used came from old growth trees with tight rings which made them more resistant to rot. The majority of doors can be repaired and restored back to their beauty. We use radiant heat and hand scrape your door to remove all old paint and varnish. Once we have a clean surface we treat the wood, make repairs and stain, varnish or paint the door using the highest quality materials.
Window Restoration
Seeing clearly
Historic wooden windows were made to be repaired and last hundreds of years. Instead of throwing your old growth wooden windows in the land fill, let us restore them. Once fully restored they provide as much insulation as new windows and last ten times longer. We have restored all types and sizes of old windows and would love to chat with you about fixing yours!
Preservation
Expert Guidance
We have a network of folks, including us, that work on preservation from timber frame repair to lime plaster restoration. If we can't do it, we will point you in the right direction to find the preservation specialist who can do the job. We care about making sure your project gets done the right way so we will not cut corners or use a quick fix solution. Contact us about your preservation project and we will help guide you!
Philosophy
Our North Star
At North Star Preservation, we approach each project with meticulous care and dedication, ensuring that the legacy of the past is preserved for future generations . We studied the traditional techniques used by the original craft people and want to continue in their path. We believe in saving as much of the original materials as possible and we stand by all of our work with pride.
We celebrate women, LGBTQ identities and those folks who are marginalized in the building trades. We are passionate about uplifting their skills and talents in the building trades.
Client Testimonials
"We have worked with Chris on multiple jobs and been impressed each time with their friendliness, knowledge, and professionalism. We have antique French doors that needed fixing and wanted an expert in restoration who could do the job without damaging the original craftsmanship. Chris was easy to schedule with and worked efficiently. The doors are working so well now--we are very grateful. Chris also repaired a bed frame that got damaged in a move and now sleeps wonderfully again. We are lucky to have North Star Preservation in the Boston area. Highly recommend!"
Laura C
"I had a devil of a time trying to find a competent restoration expert to restore the badly weathered front doors of my 1890's Victorian. Chris Pienta came to the rescue, and I'm thrilled to have my doors restored back to their glory. Chris exudes a tremendous amount of knowledge about wood restoration, and learned from one of the best in the field, an American recruited to work on the Notre Dame project. That alone is HUGE. I've got many more doors lined up for Chris to restore as time allows. I can't speak highly enough the quality of work, and can assure you, you can't go wrong hiring Chris to work on your project."
Adrienne K
"Chris from North Star Preservation is incredible with their craft, incredibly detailed, and is a clear communicator. We had an old stained glass window that was missing panes and need of significant restoration work. It was a bit of a black eye on the front of our home for years and thanks to Chris it has become a beautiful focal point. At every step along the process there was clear communication on the work, schedule, and costs. We even got progress photos, which was a sweet touch. Cannot say enough good things, highly recommend working with North Star Preservation!"
Kris C
Contact
Get in Touch
Reach out to North Star Preservation for inquiries, project collaborations, or to learn more about our restoration services.