Most Detroit houses were built before the 1950s, so interior painting here usually means plaster walls, tall ceilings and wide wood trim. Cracks are repaired and stains are sealed before any color goes on. In homes built before 1978 we treat old paint on trim and windows as possible lead paint.
Step inside a bungalow in Bagley or a foursquare in Rosedale Park and you find the same things: plaster walls, coved ceilings, wide oak or pine trim and doors with many coats on them. Interior painting in Detroit is mostly work on these surfaces. Plaster moves a little each winter when the furnace dries the house, so hairline cracks show up at corners and above door frames. We fill and sand those first, because fresh paint will not hide a crack for long.
Before any color goes on, we move or cover furniture, mask the floors and take off switch plates. Water marks from an old roof or radiator leak get a stain blocking primer so they do not bleed back. Glossy trim is dulled with a light sanding so the new coat grips. Walls then get two coats in most cases, cut in by brush at the edges and rolled across the field. Ceilings are done first, trim last, so every line ends up clean.
Most Detroit houses went up before 1978, which means the lower layers on trim, windows and doors may hold lead. We keep sanding and scraping to a minimum on those parts and control the dust when it cannot be avoided. Tell us if children or a pregnant person live in the home. You get a written quote that lists the rooms, the surfaces, the prep and the number of coats. When the work is done we walk each room with you and touch up anything you point to.
Interior painting in Detroit: common questions
Can you paint over the cracked plaster in my Detroit house?
Yes, once the cracks are repaired. Small cracks are opened, filled and sanded. Wider ones are taped so they are less likely to come back. Plaster that has come loose from the lath has to be secured or patched first, and we will show you where that is during the estimate.
Do I have to leave home while the rooms are painted?
No. Most families stay. We work room by room so you always have somewhere to sit and sleep, and we use low odor wall paints where they suit the job. Keep pets and small children out of the room being painted until it is dry.
Should the radiators and the trim be painted too?
That is your choice, and the quote lists each one apart so you can decide. Trim and doors change the look of a room more than most people expect. Radiators can be painted when they are cold, which makes summer the easy time for them.
How it works
- Free estimate: Call, text or book online. We walk the job and measure.
- Written quote: Prep, paint and price in writing.
- Prep & protect: We cover floors and furniture, repair and prime surfaces.
- Paint & walk-through: Two coats, clean lines, full clean-up and a final walk-through.