Nick Slavik
Nick Slavik is a professional painter, restoration contractor, and trade educator known for house painting, historic restoration, and cabinet finishing.
Painter
Tim Leahy
Historic restoration specialist
Tim Leahy is a restoration painter known for historic millwork, careful preparation, traditional colors, primers, and architectural finishes.
Tim Leahy quick facts
Leahy's restoration work addresses historic substrates and millwork through preparation, coating systems, and preservation-focused finish standards.
| Full name | Tim Leahy |
|---|---|
| Born | — |
| Died | — |
| Nationality | — |
| Movements | — |
| Paint types | Oil-based primer · Acrylic paint |
| Other media | — |
| Other materials | — |
| Painting surfaces | Old-growth wood, plaster walls, and drywall in restoration and interior work |
| Painting methods | Stripping, scraping, sanding through progressively finer grits, priming with oil-based primer, and applying compatible architectural topcoats selected for the substrate and project specification |
| Common subjects | — |
| Notable works | Painting Trim the Right Way · The Path to a Perfect Finish · Make Old Walls Smooth and Sound |
Sources: Fine Homebuilding: Painting Trim the Right Way, Fine Homebuilding: Tim Leahy on historic restoration, Fine Homebuilding: The path to a perfect finish, Fine Homebuilding: Make Old Walls Smooth and Sound, Kirby Perkins Construction: Services, and Kirby Perkins Construction: Historic restoration.
Paint types used by Tim Leahy
Records document Tim Leahy’s use of Oil-based primer, Acrylic paint; examples below link each paint medium to a specific work and its role in the image.
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Oil-based primer
In Leahy’s documented restoration coating system, he applies oil-based primer to dense old-growth wood before the topcoat. The primer seals and prepares the substrate for adhesion; it is a preparatory coating, not interchangeable with the acrylic finish or a topcoat paint.
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Acrylic paint
In a historic-restoration project, Leahy used oil primer on dense old-growth wood followed by Benjamin Moore Aura as the topcoat. Benjamin Moore identifies Aura Exterior as 100% acrylic resin; the primer is a separate preparatory layer, while the acrylic is the weather-resistant finish.
Sources: Fine Homebuilding: Tim Leahy on historic restoration, Fine Homebuilding: Painting Trim the Right Way, Benjamin Moore: Aura Exterior paint specifications, Kirby Perkins Construction: Historic restoration, and Fine Homebuilding: The Path to a Perfect Finish.
Painting surfaces used by Tim Leahy
Documented works by Tim Leahy use Wood and Plaster, with examples clarifying when a material is painted ground, backing, or part of a constructed work.
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Wood
Leahy restores old-growth wood surfaces, retaining and preparing historic trim and paneling. His coating system starts with oil-based primer on dense wood before an acrylic topcoat, documenting wood as the substrate and distinguishing preparation from finish paint. The record identifies the panel as part of the painted construction.
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Plaster
Leahy’s restoration work includes plaster walls, repaired and prepared before repainting. He fills damaged areas, allows the material to cure, and applies primer where needed so the finish coat adheres evenly; this is architectural restoration rather than painting on plaster as a fine-art support.
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Drywall
Leahy also works on drywall in modern interiors and additions. He repairs joints and surface imperfections, then primes and paints the wall; the substrate needs different preparation from historic wood or plaster. The project record confirms the architectural surface as the mural ground.
Sources: Fine Homebuilding: Painting Trim the Right Way, Fine Homebuilding: Tim Leahy on historic restoration, Fine Homebuilding: The path to a perfect finish, Fine Homebuilding: Make Old Walls Smooth and Sound, Kirby Perkins Construction: Services.
Painters similar to Tim Leahy
Leahy connects to restoration painters who prepare historic surfaces, work on architectural millwork, and apply traditional coatings and finishes.
Jim Lacey
Jim Lacey is a New England painter and contractor known for historic reproduction, traditional interior finishes, trim painting, and craft instruction.