Painters in Haddon Heights, NJ

It can be done, but plaster under old paper can be soft, so we go slowly. We score and soak the paper, scrape it off gently, then wash away the leftover paste. Paste left behind makes new paint crack and peel. After it dries we seal the wall with a primer made for this job, patch any damage, and paint.

Late spring through early fall usually works best. Paint needs dry wood, mild temperatures and time to cure before the evening dew. Old wood siding holds moisture after a rain, so we wait for it to dry out before priming. We watch the forecast closely and plan the sunny sides of the house for cooler parts of the day.

Yes, and they matter. Porch floors take more wear than any other painted surface on the house. We clean and scrape, sand smooth any raised grain, prime bare boards, and use a coating made for porch and floor use. If you want better grip on the steps, we can add a texture to the final coat.

Longer on the shaded sides, shorter where the afternoon sun hits. Old wood siding has been painted many times, so how well the old layers hold decides a lot. When we scrape to sound paint, prime bare spots and use a quality acrylic, the body of the house usually stays in good shape for years, while south facing trim and porch rails need touch-ups sooner.

Three is the common answer: a body color, a trim color and an accent for the door and maybe the sash. Rafter tails and tapered columns look best in the trim color so the shape reads from the street. We put sample patches on a sunny wall and a shaded wall, since colors shift under the porch roof. Then we match the sheen to each part.

We can, though wide baseboards, door casings and stair parts in these houses usually have several old coats, and some drips and brush marks with them. We sand the surfaces smooth, fill chips, and spot prime. Then we brush on an enamel that levels out and dries hard. Plaster walls behind the trim get patched and primed at the same time.