Historic Tollhouse Shines Again
The tollhouse on Delftweg in Rijswijk is a national monument built in 1866. A few years ago, the building changed ownership. The new resident hired Parkstaete Schilderwerken to repaint the exterior of the historic building and to repair and replace the woodwork. A specialty of Julia Schlemmer and her team.
The tollhouse is located along the Rijn-Schie Canal and was commissioned by the municipality of Delft. At that time, toll collection was a common method to generate municipal revenue. The building remained in use as a tollhouse until 1931. It is now the last preserved tollhouse in the wider area and is recognized as a national monument.
Tollhouse Becomes Residence
The tollhouse largely retains its original form. It has two floors and offers 100 square meters of living space. An extension with double terrace doors and a door with windows has been added to the rear facade. In 1931, the municipality of Delft sold the property. Since then, it has been used as a residence.
A Lot of Work to Do
The current resident asked Parkstaete Schilderwerken to restore and paint the woodwork and plasterwork of the tollhouse. "There was a lot to be done," says Julia Schlemmer. "The plaster was damaged in many places, and several window frames were affected by wood rot. Two doors and four windows also needed to be replaced."
Cleaning
The team from Parkstaete Schilderwerken started by cleaning the woodwork and plasterwork. Using high pressure and environmentally friendly cleaning agents, they removed algae, moss, and other contamination. After repairing the plasterwork, they applied a primer to ensure good paint adhesion.
Repairing
The woodwork was stripped of old paint layers using hot air and paint remover. Damaged areas of the wood were repaired. The carpentry workshop of sister company Alexandria Garantie Aannemers produced two new doors and four windows to replace those that could not be restored.
Sanding and Painting
The woodwork then underwent a series of treatments: sanding, polishing, filling (where necessary), priming, undercoating, and finishing. Parkstaete Schilderwerken exclusively uses high-quality materials, such as the paints from Farrow & Ball and royal supplier De Vos Verf.
Careful Selection of Paints
"When choosing paints, we consider the specific situation of a property," explains Schlemmer. "If a building is located near the coast, we apply multiple layers of paint for better preservation. That was not necessary here. Since this is a national monument, we selected the paints in consultation with the owner and the Dutch Cultural Heritage Agency."
Cultural and Historical Gem
The tollhouse now looks magnificent again, a cultural and historical gem on the banks of the Rijn-Schie Canal. Julia Schlemmer looks back on the project with pleasure and pride. It took a bit longer than planned, she says, due to weather conditions and additional wood repairs discovered during the project.
Craftsmanship Comes First
"In consultation with the client, we adjusted the planning," says Schlemmer. "Craftsmanship is our top priority; we want to deliver optimal quality. That way, we can also provide a good guarantee on the painting work."