A fresh coat of high-quality paint can bring new life to an older home, restoring warmth and character to spaces that have seen decades of use. Painting these homes is different from painting new ones. You need to prepare carefully and understand what makes older structures unique. When you use the right techniques, you can achieve professional results that enhance your home’s beauty. In this guide, we’ll cover how to paint an old house, from prep work and paint selection to tips for avoiding common mistakes.
Why Painting an Old House Requires More Than Just a Fresh Coat
Painting an old house is not exactly like painting new homes. Weather and time create cracks and peeling that must be fixed before you can apply new paint. Many older properties contain lead-based paint, which becomes hazardous if you remove it without the proper safety measures. Depending on how your house was built, the original masonry may have been designed to allow moisture to pass through. Sealing it with modern paints traps water inside and causes damage. Older homes also often feature fine woodwork that requires careful handling to preserve their historic integrity.
Painting an Old House: Common Issues
Older homes bring their own set of painting challenges. Before you start your project, it helps to know what issues you might face along the way.
Peeling and Cracking
Paint peeling happens when the paint lifts away from the wall’s surface and curls into flakes. This happens when surfaces aren’t properly cleaned or have moisture trapped beneath the paint. Cracks form when paint is applied in too thin a layer or when coats don’t get enough drying time. As paint ages, it becomes stiff and can’t flex with temperature changes, which makes both peeling and cracking worse.
Lead Paint
Homes constructed before 1978 often have lead-based paint, which used to be valued for its durability. This paint becomes dangerous when it deteriorates and releases toxic particles that cause serious health issues. If old paint is stable and not peeling, you can leave it as is for now. However, lead testing is the first step to determine if you need certified professionals for safe removal.
Efflorescence
White, crystal-like deposits form on painted brick and concrete when moisture gets inside and pulls natural salts to the surface. Older buildings often have efflorescence because their foundations may lack proper waterproofing or have cracks. Simply covering these stains with fresh paint won’t work because the moisture underneath pushes them through again.
Mold
Older homes often lack ventilation in the bathrooms and basements, where mold thrives. Water enters through leaky old roofs, clogged gutters, and foundation problems. Painting over existing mold doesn’t kill it. It keeps growing and eventually destroys your fresh paint job.
Chalking
Exterior paint breaks down due to sun and weather exposure, leaving a powdery residue. This may occur extensively if walls were painted using cheap paint containing fillers instead of quality ingredients. Thinning the paint too much also speeds up this breakdown process.
Alligatoring
Paint develops scaly cracks when it ages and can no longer flex with temperature changes. Problems multiply when you use oil-based coatings over latex without proper preparation, since these materials expand differently. Neglecting to sand the walls or rushing between coats leads to this pattern.
Blistering
Bubbles form when heat or moisture gets trapped beneath paint. Moisture from bathrooms and kitchens often causes paint to peel off the surface in blisters.
Rust
Iron nails rust over time and create orange-brown stains that show through paint. Metal parts and decorative iron pieces also corrode, leaving streaks on your walls. Painting over rust doesn’t stop corrosion, and those ugly stains will come right back through your new paint within months.
How to Paint an Old House?
Follow these steps to successfully paint your historic home’s exterior.
Step 1: Assess Your Home’s Age, Materials, and Paint History
The first thing you should do is research when your house was built to understand potential challenges that may arise. Examine exterior materials, like wood boards, brick, or stucco. Try to assess the existing paint layers and identify whether they’re oil-based or water-based products.
Step 2: Lead Paint: Testing, Safety, and Legal Requirements
Most homes built before 1978 likely contain lead-based paint. When old lead paint breaks down, it creates dangerous dust and chips. Children suffer the worst effects because lead permanently harms their developing brains, causing disabilities and behavioral problems that remain their entire lives. Adults also face serious health issues due to lead exposure, including kidney problems, memory loss, and coordination issues. Before starting any work, you need to test for lead by either hiring an inspector or purchasing an EPA-approved test kit.
Step 3: Deep Surface Preparation
Good preparation is what makes paint jobs last. This part of the project takes the most time, but skipping steps will cost you later.
Cleaning the Surface
Start by protecting the plants in your lawn with fabric tarps. Mix up a cleaning solution of one gallon of water, one cup of bleach, and one cup of phosphate-free cleaner. Scrub surfaces with a long-handled brush to remove dirt, mildew, and loose paint. Rinse with a garden hose, not a pressure washer, which can damage old wood.
Scraping and Sanding
Now it’s time to remove paint that’s coming loose or bubbling up with hand scrapers. Always scrape along the wood grain to avoid visible marks. After removing all loose paint, sand where bare wood meets adhered paint. Use medium-grit sandpaper first to shape these areas, then finish with finer grit for smoothness.
Repairing Surfaces
Once scraping is done, fix any damage you found during inspection. Quick-setting fillers work well for small cracks and shallow dents that just need leveling. Deeper problems like rot require the boards to be removed and replaced.
Caulking and Sealing
Next, you’ll seal up all the small openings that are less than a quarter-inch wide between the trim, windows, and boards. Choose a caulk labeled as siliconized acrylic, as it adheres well to paint, unlike pure silicone, which can cause paint to slide off.
Step 4: Priming
A good primer creates the base for a long-lasting coat of paint. Old houses need quality primers because their weathered surfaces require sealing before topcoats can work properly. You can use acrylic latex primer for most applications, but you may need oil-based primer for cedar and redwood to prevent stains.
Step 5: Choosing the Right Exterior Paint For an Older Home
Acrylic latex paints are a strong choice for most older home exteriors because they flex with temperature shifts and help prevent cracking. Sherwin-Williams Duration or Emerald are popular choices and provide reliable high high-quality results. For brick and stucco, masonry paints such as Sherwin-Williams Loxon offer dependable protection and create a clean, uniform finish.
You can also choose between these types of finishes for your paint:
- Flat/matte finishes hide bumps and flaws beautifully on textured siding. They give a soft appearance that complements older houses. However, it shows dirt easily and is hard to clean.
- Satin/eggshell finishes provide a soft luster that balances appearance with ease of cleaning. It hides minor imperfections and is suitable for slightly old or weathered siding. Satin is the standard sheen used on most exterior projects.
- Semi-gloss paint brings gloss and durability to trim, doors, and window frames. The reflective surface emphasizes architectural details and decorative elements nicely. It cleans easily and resists the weather.
- Gloss delivers maximum shine and durability, but highlights every tiny surface flaw. Use this finish on extremely smooth surfaces.
Step 6: Historical Accuracy vs. a Modern Aesthetic
Decide if you want colors that match how your house looked originally, or if you want modern colors for your house. If you care about historical accuracy, research what colors were popular when your home was built. Victorian houses from the late 1800s usually had three or more distinct colors highlighting different areas, while Colonial homes stuck to simple earth tones. You can hire professionals who analyze old paint chips or consult local historical groups for guidance.
Step 7: Use Application Techniques That Best Work for Old Homes
Brushes give you the best control for trim and textured surfaces, where the paint needs to be applied evenly in small spaces. Rollers cover large, flat areas faster and maintain even coating thickness. Sprayers are efficient for large projects but can waste paint through overspray and require extensive preparation, including taping and placing drop cloths. Most professional house painters use all three methods, spraying or rolling large areas, then immediately brushing to work paint into surfaces. No matter what tools you use, always prioritize safety with sturdy ladders, masks, eye protection, and non-slip shoes.
Mistakes to Avoid When Painting an Old House
Painting an old house comes with specific pitfalls that can compromise your results and waste your investment. Avoid making these common mistakes.
- Not Testing For Lead: Lead-based paint becomes hazardous during scraping or sanding. So, bring in a certified tester before you start to ensure everyone stays safe.
- Skipping Thorough Prep Work: A successful paint job starts with properly cleaning and preparing every surface you plan to coat. Otherwise, dirt, grease, and flaking old paint prevent new paint from adhering properly.
- Using Low-Quality Paint to Cut Costs: Cheap paint lacks binding properties and requires you to apply multiple coats for coverage.
- Ignoring Temperature or Weather Conditions: The best time to paint is during warm, dry weather, with summer and fall offering the most reliable conditions. This helps the paint cure correctly and ensures a smooth long long-lasting finish.
- Not Addressing Surface Damage Before Painting: Wood rot, cracks, and loose material need complete repairs before painting. Covering problems with a fresh coat just hides damage that continues to deteriorate underneath.
- Choosing Colors That Clash With Fixed Features: Your paint color needs to match the undertones in your brick, stone, and roof. When colors don’t match well, your home’s appeal reduces.
Budget and Cost Considerations
Older homes require bigger painting budgets due to surface damage, extensive scraping, and weathered materials requiring special primers. Your total cost splits into several parts: labor may account for 70-80% of expenses, while paint and primer account for a smaller share, plus you’ll pay for repairs and prep materials like caulk and sandpaper. With this breakdown, you can budget accurately for the project.
When to Hire a Professional Painter
Here are some situations that call for professional help.
Extensive Prep Required
Old houses need significant preparation work that takes longer than most homeowners expect. Professional painters are experts at what they do and can scrape siding, repair damaged wood, and treat wood in a fraction of the time.
Lead Paint or Multi-Story Access
Only certified professionals should handle lead paint. Painting second or third-story exteriors creates a risk of falls that professionals manage with proper scaffolding and safety harnesses. Their insurance also covers any injuries or accidents, protecting you from costly liability.
Lack of Tools, Experience, or Time
Most homeowners don’t own commercial equipment. Buying tools for one project often costs more than professional services. Experienced painters can also spot structural issues that untrained eyes may miss completely, preventing premature paint failure and saving time.
Architectural Complexity
Intricate trim and decorative details separate historic homes from modern ones. These features need careful brushwork to avoid smudging or uneven paint. Professionals develop steady hands through years of practice, making ornate elements stand out beautifully.
Get a Free Painting Estimate For Your Historic Home
Painting an older home takes more than just adding a coat of color. You need to fix surface problems, pick the right products, and follow the steps that help the paint last longer. Boise Commercial & Residential Painting handles both interior and exterior painting projects for homes and businesses with quality materials and careful work. Contact us today to receive your complimentary quote, and let us help restore the beauty of your historic property.
