Professional Interior Painting in Greater Boston

Interior work in Greater Boston usually starts with the age of the walls. Per the US Census, the median home in Brookline, Somerville and Belmont was built in 1938, and in Belmont 88 percent of homes date from before 1980. Houses of that period were generally finished in plaster over wood lath, with thick painted casings, picture rail and built-in cabinets. Plaster takes paint beautifully once it is sound, but it cracks along lath lines, bulges where the keys have let go, and often carries decades of oil-based layers that need deglossing and a bonding primer before a modern latex will hold.

Age also means lead. Many homes built before 1980 also predate 1978, so the federal lead rule applies, and trim, window sashes and stair parts are where old lead paint usually survives. We are an EPA Lead-Safe (RRP) certified firm, so sanding and scraping in those areas happens behind plastic containment, with HEPA vacuums and a verified cleanup. Winter is a common season for interior projects across the region, which works well as long as the heat stays on so each coat can cure properly before the next one goes on.

Before you book interior painting in Greater Boston

1. 1

   Map the plaster cracks first

   Walk each room with painter's tape and mark every crack, bulge and soft spot before the estimate. Hairline cracks can be taped and skimmed, but plaster that moves when pressed needs to be reattached first. Knowing the count ahead lets us plan prep time honestly instead of discovering it with the brush.

2. 2

   Sort out the shared hallway

   Per the US Census, 53 percent of Somerville homes sit in two- to four-unit buildings. If you own one unit of a triple-decker or two-family, find out whether the front hall and stairs are common space, who else must agree on the color, and when neighbors need the stairs kept clear.

3. 3

   Test the trim before picking sheen

   Old casings are often oil-based under newer latex. Rub a hidden spot with a rag and denatured alcohol: if the paint softens, it is latex; if not, it is likely oil. Oil trim needs a bonding primer, and gloss finishes show every old drip, so we would rather know before you choose.

What interior painting runs into in Greater Boston

Conditions in Greater Boston that shape how we prep, which products we choose and when we schedule:

What We Offer

Premium Materials for Greater Boston

Benjamin Moore Aura for salt resistance, Sherwin-Williams Emerald for historic homes, calcium silicate primers for brick, marine-grade topcoats for waterfront properties

Examples of Our Work