Elevator doors and cabs, bronze and brass entrances, stainless steel, handrails and window mullions, restored on site for Brooklyn buildings.
Paintworks NYC refinishes and restores architectural metal in Brooklyn co-ops, condos, rentals and commercial buildings. We restore elevator doors and cabs, bronze and brass lobby doors, stainless steel, handrails and aluminum window mullions, all on site. Our crews work across Brooklyn, from pre-war co-ops on Ocean Parkway and Prospect Park West to new towers in Downtown Brooklyn and Williamsburg.
Replacing doors, cab panels and lobby metal is expensive and slow. Refinishing restores the original surface in place, at a fraction of the cost, in a fraction of the time, with minimal disruption to residents. We have been doing this work on architectural metal since 1950, and elevator interiors are the single most common thing New York buildings call us about.
Elevator doors take more abuse than any other metal in a building: carts, deliveries, move-ins and daily hand contact. We restore them in place, one car at a time, and coordinate with your elevator maintenance contractor when needed.
Many of Brooklyn’s pre-war buildings still have their original bronze entrance doors, brass mail chutes and kick plates. Decades of failed lacquer, harsh cleaners and oxidation leave them dark, streaky or green. We clean, strip the old lacquer, remove the oxidation, polish or satin-finish, apply a patina if you want one, and seal with lacquer or wax. Restoring original metal keeps a building’s character, which matters to co-op boards and in landmark districts.
We restore entrance and vestibule doors, frames and transoms, mail chutes and mailbox banks, kick plates and push bars, plaques and signage, and bronze doors at churches and synagogues. We also spray-paint mailboxes gold to match classic NYC lobbies. That is a painted finish, separate from true brass polishing.
Stainless steel scratches easily and stains in ways most cleaning crews can’t fix. We remove scratches, re-grain brushed finishes so repairs disappear, and treat rust and tea staining, which is common in south Brooklyn buildings near the water. We work on elevator doors and cabs, lobby panels and columns, handrails, service doors and commercial kitchens. See our full stainless steel refinishing process.
Faded or chalky aluminum window mullions and storefronts make a building look older than it is. We spray-refinish them on site, including electrostatic painting where it fits, so nothing is removed and the building stays open. We color-match bronze-anodized, black and custom colors, use low-odor coatings in occupied buildings, and mask and protect everything around the work. That covers interior mullions, storefronts on Brooklyn’s commercial strips, entrance door frames, radiator covers and metal trim.
We refinish brass and bronze lobby handrails, stainless stair rails, painted steel stairwell railings and iron stoop railings on brownstones. Polished metals are cleaned, polished and sealed; painted rails are stripped, primed and refinished. Stairwell work is staged so tenants always have a way through.
Want new metal to match 90-year-old bronze, or a darker finish for a lobby redesign? We create custom patinas and oxidized finishes on site and provide sample boards before any work begins: statuary bronze from light to dark, antique brass, oil-rubbed bronze, blackened steel, satin nickel and controlled verdigris. We also do the reverse, removing unwanted green verdigris from bronze doors.
Lobby handrails, stairwell rails and brownstone stoop railings polished or refinished.
Scratches, key marks, graffiti and etching removed by re-graining the metal.
How it works
We walk your building with you at no cost, identify the base metal and original finish, and polish a test panel or make a sample board so your board or manager can approve the result before anything starts.
You get a written proposal and a certificate of insurance naming your building and managing agent. Work is scheduled around residents, often nights or weekends, and elevators are staged one car at a time so the building never loses full service.
Floors, thresholds and lobby finishes are masked. Doors, cabs, frames, handrails and mullions are refinished in place — no removal, no shop time, no replacement panels.
A clear protective coating is applied where appropriate, you get care instructions to keep the finish looking right, and you receive photo documentation for your files, your board, or your owner.
Ocean Parkway, Eastern Parkway, Flatbush, Ditmas Park and Midwood. The 1920s and 1930s Art Deco and Tudor co-ops here still carry bronze entrance doors, brass and bronze elevator doors, faux-woodgrain steel doors and brass mail chutes. Bronze restoration, statuary patinas and elevator door refinishing are the core of the work.
Park Slope, Prospect Park West, Brooklyn Heights, Fort Greene and Clinton Hill. Pre-war co-ops sit beside brownstones, with brass lobby hardware, kick plates, bronze vestibule doors and iron stoop railings. Much of this area is in historic districts, where restoring original metal is usually preferred over replacing it.
Downtown Brooklyn, DUMBO and Boerum Hill. New high-rises and converted lofts use brushed stainless elevator cabs, blackened steel and bronze-anodized aluminum mullions and storefronts. Scratch removal and on-site mullion spraying keep them looking new.
Williamsburg, Greenpoint and Bushwick. New condos, hotels and converted warehouses mix stainless, painted aluminum window walls, raw and blackened steel, and brass accents in hospitality spaces.
Bay Ridge, Bensonhurst and Sheepshead Bay. Post-war six-story elevator buildings and co-ops have stainless and painted steel elevator doors, aluminum storefronts and anodized entrance doors.
Brighton Beach, Coney Island and Manhattan Beach. Salt air near the ocean tea-stains and pits stainless, builds heavy verdigris on bronze and corrodes aluminum. Corrosion removal, passivation and protective coatings make the finish last.
| Factor | Refinishing | Replacement |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | A fraction of replacement | New doors, panels or rails plus installation |
| Downtime | Days, often after hours | Weeks, with fabrication lead time |
| Elevator service | One car at a time; the bank stays in service | Cars often out of service during install |
| Original character | Keeps the original metal | Loses original material; may need approvals in landmark districts |
| Best when | The surface is worn, scratched, stained or oxidized | The metal is structurally damaged, or you are redesigning the space |
How much does metal refinishing cost in Brooklyn?
It depends on the metal, the finish, the amount of damage, how many doors or floors are involved, and whether work runs after hours. After a free site walk and test panel, you get a fixed written price. Refinishing typically costs a fraction of replacement. Our project minimum is $950 plus tax.
Do the elevators have to be taken out of service?
One car at a time, usually for part of a day. We schedule around your building’s traffic — nights and weekends are routine for us.
Can scratched and vandalized stainless be saved?
Almost always. Scratches, graffiti, key marks, and acid etching in stainless and bronze are removed by refinishing the grain, not by replacing the panel — at a fraction of replacement cost. Only deep dents or structural damage call for new skins.
Why is our bronze lobby door turning green or black?
Its protective lacquer has failed and the bronze underneath is oxidizing. Dark brown and black come from ordinary tarnish; green is verdigris, which builds fastest near the water. We strip the old coating, remove the oxidation, refinish the metal and reseal it.
Can elevator doors be painted?
Yes. Painted steel elevator doors are stripped, primed and sprayed on site, and we can reproduce the faux-woodgrain finishes common in post-war Brooklyn buildings. Stainless, bronze and brass doors are usually refinished rather than painted.
What finishes can you match?
Satin and directional grain, mirror polish, statuary bronze, oxidized and antique patinas, and polished brass. We match the existing finish so refinished cars sit next to untouched ones without a visible difference.
Do you work while the building is occupied?
Yes. Floors and surrounding finishes are masked, we use low-odor coatings, and work is staged one car, door or stairwell at a time so residents always have access.
Do you work in landmark districts?
Restoring original bronze and brass is usually the preferred approach in Brooklyn’s historic districts, like Park Slope, Brooklyn Heights and Fort Greene. Our on-site refinishing keeps the original material in place instead of replacing it.
Do you carry insurance and provide a COI?
Yes. Certificates of insurance written to your specifications are issued before the crew arrives.
How long does a typical job take?
A single cab and door set is often a one-day job. A full bank in a pre-war co-op typically runs several days, scheduled to avoid move-ins and peak hours.
How long does a restored finish last?
It depends on the metal, the traffic, and how it is cleaned. A sealed finish holds up far longer than bare metal, and we leave care instructions so your staff can keep it looking right between refinishings.
Which Brooklyn neighborhoods do you serve?
All of Brooklyn, including Park Slope, Brooklyn Heights, DUMBO, Downtown Brooklyn, Williamsburg, Greenpoint, Fort Greene, Clinton Hill, Prospect Heights, Crown Heights, Flatbush, Ditmas Park, Midwood, Bay Ridge and Brighton Beach. We also work throughout Manhattan and North Jersey.
At the end of the day we want you to walk into your building and say WOW.
Discover the difference that attention to detail and personalized service can make. Choose us for a transformation that speaks volumes.
Your peace of mind is paramount. As a fully licensed and insured company, we uphold the highest standards of safety and compliance. You can rest easy knowing your project is in the hands of credible professionals.
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