If you own an older home in Milford, there’s a decent chance the exterior has a few stories hiding under the current coat of paint. You might spot an old color where the trim has chipped, or find so many layers on the siding that it’s hard to tell what came first.
Once it’s time to repaint, all that history starts to matter. If your home was built before 1978, some of those older layers could contain lead. That means you’ll want to be a little more careful about how the scraping, sanding, and other prep work gets done.
Why Painting an Older Milford Home Takes Extra Care
If your home was built more than a decade or two ago, there’s a good chance it’s been painted more than once. There might be layers of old coatings underneath the color you see now, along with patches and repairs made by previous owners.
If the paint is cracking or peeling, slapping another coat over it won’t make those problems disappear.
The prep can uncover problems you didn’t even notice before, like soft wood around a window or an old repair that’s well on its way to failing. Original siding and detailed trim can also be surprisingly easy to damage if scraping or sanding gets too aggressive.
If something underneath the paint needs fixing, now’s the time to find it, not after the house has been freshly painted.
Could Your Old Paint Contain Lead?
If your Milford home was built before 1978, there’s a chance lead-based paint is somewhere in its history. The coat you see today might only be a few years old, but an older layer underneath it could date back decades.
That’s something you’ll want to account for before the scraping or sanding begins. Scraping or sanding through those layers can release hazardous lead dust and paint chips.
Homeowners can perform work on their own pre-1978 homes, but the EPA recommends hiring a lead-safe certified contractor when work may disturb lead-based paint.
The EPA’s Renovation, Repair, and Painting (RRP) Rule is particularly relevant for these projects. It sets requirements for contractors performing certain types of work that disturb paint in pre-1978 homes, including certification and the use of lead-safe work practices.
| What Does Lead-Safe Paint Prep Look Like? You may see more plastic and protective coverings around the work area than you would during a typical paint job. Crews take steps to catch old paint as it comes off, keep dust down, and clean up chips and debris as they work. Depending on the prep being done, that can also mean using HEPA-equipped tools and vacuums to help keep lead dust under control. |
How Do You Prep an Older House for New Paint?
You never quite know what you’re going to find once the loose paint starts coming off an older house.
That little peeling spot underneath the window may turn out to have soft wood underneath it, or the section that’s been repainted three times could have a moisture problem that no amount of fresh paint is going to fix.
That’s part of the reason prep on an older home can take a little more patience.
Here’s what that process usually looks like:
- Take a good look at what’s already there. Check for peeling and cracking paint, soft or damaged wood, failed caulk, and spots where moisture might be sneaking in. On a pre-1978 home, this is also when lead needs to factor into the plan.
- Get rid of the paint that’s no longer holding on. Loose and failing paint needs to come off so the new coating has a sound surface underneath it. With older siding and trim, careful scraping and sanding can help avoid gouging wood or wearing away details that have survived for decades.
- Make the repairs you uncover. Once the loose paint is gone, old patch jobs, deteriorated wood, open joints, and other trouble spots tend to be easier to see. Fix them before you prime and paint so you can start with a clean slate.
- Prime and paint for the surface you actually have. Bare wood and repaired areas may need primer before the finish coat goes on. The paint also needs to be compatible with the existing surface and applied when the weather gives it enough time to dry and cure properly.
What Makes a New Paint Job Last on an Older Home?
There’s nothing quite like spending time and money to repaint your house, only to spot the first little bubble or peeling edge a year or two later. On an older home, how long the paint lasts has a lot to do with what was happening underneath it in the first place.
A dry, solid surface gives the new coating a much better chance of staying put. Lingering moisture, deteriorating wood, or layers of poorly bonded old paint can eventually work their way through even a great paint job.
The primer and paint need to suit the surface, too, and Michigan weather can make timing an exterior project a little tricky.
Once the house is painted, keep an eye on the spots that tend to take the most abuse: window trim, sills, porch details, and other exposed areas can start showing wear before the rest of the house does.
Catching a small peeling spot early is a whole lot easier than waiting until you’re back to square one with another major scrape-and-paint project.
How Much Does It Cost to Paint a Historic Home?
Exterior house painting typically costs between $1,800 and $4,500, with most homeowners paying around $3,200. This cost is highly dependent on factors specific to your home, including the square footage of the paintable area and the amount of prep work involved.
Historic homes can cost more to paint when the exterior needs extensive prep or lead-safe work. Setting up containment, controlling dust and paint chips, and cleaning the work area carefully all take time.
The size and height of your house will play in here, too, but two Milford homes with roughly the same square footage could still have very different estimates once you see what condition the exteriors are in.
Frequently Asked Questions
Painting an older home can bring up a few questions you might not have with a newer house. Here are answers to a few common questions we get.
How do I know if my house has lead paint?
The only way to know for sure is to test the paint. If your home was built before 1978, lead paint may be present, including in older layers underneath newer paint.
Can you paint over lead paint?
Yes. If lead-based paint is intact and well bonded, it can often be coated with new paint rather than removed. If the existing paint is peeling, deteriorated, or needs to be disturbed during prep, lead-safe work practices are important to control dust and paint chips.
Does all old paint need to be removed before repainting?
Nope, you generally don’t need to strip every layer of old paint. Paint that’s still firmly bonded can usually stay, while loose, peeling, or failing areas need to be properly prepared before repainting.
Can you sand a house that has lead paint?
Yes, but sanding lead paint requires lead-safe methods to keep contaminated dust under control. For work covered by the EPA’s RRP Rule, contractors can’t use certain high-dust methods, including power sanding without a HEPA-equipped dust collection system.
The work area also needs to be properly contained and cleaned afterward.
Why does paint keep peeling on an older home?
Repeated peeling usually means there’s a problem with the surface or the previous paint job. Moisture, deteriorated wood, poor adhesion, or inadequate prep can cause new paint to fail again if the underlying issue isn’t addressed.
How often should an older wood house be repainted?
Many wood-sided homes need exterior repainting about every five to 10 years, but there’s no fixed schedule. Sun exposure, moisture, paint quality, and the condition of the wood can shorten or extend that timeline. If you’re seeing peeling, cracking, or exposed wood, it’s time to take a closer look.
Give Your Historic Milford Home a Fresh Coat
An older home may need a little extra attention before the first can of paint is opened. That time spent dealing with old coatings, worn wood, and any lead concerns can make all the difference once the fresh paint goes on.
If your Milford home is ready for a new look, we can take a look at what’s already there and figure out what it needs before we get to work. Contact RDP Pro Paint today to schedule an estimate for your exterior painting project.
Sources & References
- Angi – “How Much Does It Cost to Paint a House Exterior?”
Provides national exterior house painting cost estimates, including typical project ranges and factors that can affect the final price.
https://www.angi.com/articles/cost-paint-house-exterior.htm - U.S. Environmental Protection Agency – “Reduce Your Risk of Lead Exposure in Your Home”
Provides homeowner guidance for reducing exposure to lead-based paint and lead-contaminated dust, including precautions for older homes and work that may disturb painted surfaces.
https://www.epa.gov/lead/reduce-risk-lead-exposure-home - U.S. Environmental Protection Agency – “What Does the Renovation, Repair and Painting (RRP) Rule Require?”
Explains the EPA’s requirements for renovation, repair, and painting work that disturbs painted surfaces in pre-1978 homes. Covers contractor certification, lead-safe work practices, containment, prohibited practices, and cleanup requirements.
https://www.epa.gov/lead/what-does-renovation-repair-and-painting-rrp-rule-require
