Historic Home & Craftsman Exterior Painting

Pre-1940 exterior prep

An old house punishes shortcuts. Original wood siding moves, splits and holds moisture differently than stucco, and paint applied over failing substrate will lift within a couple of seasons. The sequence that works: wash, scrape back to sound material, sand and feather the edges, repair or replace damaged wood, caulk the joints, then prime every bare surface before the finish coats.

• Hand scraping and sanding on original siding and trim
• Wood repair and replacement on siding, fascia, eaves and window trim
• Full priming of bare and repaired surfaces
• Caulking at joints, trim and transitions
• Two coats of premium exterior coating

Lead-safe practices on pre-1978 homes

California law requires contractors to assume lead is present in any building constructed before 1978. On a city where a third of homes predate 1940, that covers most of the housing stock. Lead-safe work practices govern how scraping and sanding are done, how debris is contained, and how the site is cleaned. Ask any contractor how they handle it before they put a sander on your siding.

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Historic review and color

South Pasadena maintains a register of landmarks, historic districts, and an Inventory of Historic Resources. The Cultural Heritage Commission Chair reviews exterior alterations affecting those properties. The practical step is simple: confirm your property's status with the Planning Division before you commit to a schedule, because review timelines are outside anyone's control.

Color guidance is included with the estimate. On a period home we start from what the architecture supports rather than what is trending, then work within whatever approvals apply.