Heritage Home Painting in St. Thomas, Ontario

Interior considerations in older homes

Plaster and lath walls behave differently from drywall. Hairline cracking is common and often seasonal; filling it properly means addressing the movement rather than simply skimming the surface. Original baseboards, casings and picture rails carry many layers of older paint, and the profile detail is easily lost if the coatings are applied too heavily.

Woodwork in these homes is frequently oil-based underneath. A bonding primer is required before any water-based finish, otherwise the new coating will peel at the edges.

Exterior considerations

Older exteriors often have wood siding, deep eaves, decorative trim, porch details and wood sash windows. Preparation takes longer because there is more scraping, more spot-priming of bare wood and more caulking than on a modern building.

Homes built before the late 1970s may contain lead-based coatings in older layers. Where that is a possibility, surfaces should be tested and appropriate safe work practices applied rather than assumed away.

Respecting the building's character

Colour choices on a heritage property affect the whole streetscape. Period-appropriate palettes, sensible body-and-trim contrast, and consistent treatment of windows and porch details usually produce a better result than a purely contemporary scheme.