Exterior House Painting
Merrymount's large Colonials and Foursquares carry a lot of trim and siding, so a full repaint is a planned, multi-week project.
DetailsColonial and Tudor exterior painting in Merrymount (02169)
Merrymount has some of Quincy's larger single-family houses, set on curving streets near Merrymount Park and Furnace Brook Parkway, and owners here usually want a crisp, long-lasting exterior that respects the original trim.
Quincy neighborhood
02169
- Houses
- Colonial Revival, Tudor Revival and Foursquare singles
- Built
- 1910s to 1940s
- Landmark
- Merrymount Park and Furnace Brook Parkway
- Phone
- (617) 576-8235, any hour
Painting and paperhanging in Merrymount, Quincy
Merrymount was laid out as a residential neighborhood in the early 1900s, and it still reads that way: curving streets, generous lots, big trees and a park at its center. Merrymount Park and Furnace Brook Parkway give the area its green edge, with Black's Creek and the shore not far off. The houses are mostly singles: center-entrance Colonial Revivals, Dutch Colonials with gambrel roofs, Foursquares with hipped roofs and wide porches, and a fair number of Tudor Revivals with stucco and dark half-timbering.
These houses were built with more trim than most of Quincy. Dentil cornices, returns at the gable ends, pilasters at the front door, multi-light windows and leaded glass all take time to prep and paint well. Owners here tend to keep a house for decades and repaint on a schedule, so they care less about the cheapest coat and more about how long the finish holds and how the colors suit the street.
Housing era1910s to 1940s
Common housesColonial Revival, Tudor Revival and Foursquare singles
LandmarkMerrymount Park and Furnace Brook Parkway
What fails firstFailing paint on deep cornices, half-timber boards and divided-light windows
Access and stagingMature trees and sloped front lawns that complicate ladder footing
What makes a Merrymount Colonial or Tudor slow to paint well?
Detail is the slow part. A Merrymount Colonial cornice can have crown, frieze, dentils and soffit, each with its own peeling pattern, and the shutters, window muntins and door surrounds add hours on every wall. We hand-scrape and sand those pieces, fill and caulk the joints that move, spot-prime bare wood and brush the finish coats so profiles stay crisp. Pre-1978 paint is presumed to contain lead, so our crews contain and mist every scraped area and HEPA-vacuum the cleanup.
Tudor Revivals add stucco and half-timber boards. Stucco cracks at the corners and around windows, and the dark trim boards weather and check in the sun. We patch stucco cracks with a flexible masonry filler, then coat the stucco with a breathable masonry paint and the timbers with a solid exterior stain or enamel matched to the original brown or black.
Which interior finishes suit Merrymount's older singles?
Merrymount interiors usually have formal front halls, dining rooms with chair rail and original staircases with turned balusters. Those rooms suit wallpaper, and we hang traditional patterns, stripes and textured papers above the chair rail, with a lining paper underneath when the plaster is uneven. Dens and libraries often get grasscloth. Staircases get stripped or sanded handrails, painted balusters and fresh treads or risers, finished in durable enamels that stand up to daily use.
We also help with color. Many owners want an exterior scheme that fits a 1920s Colonial or Tudor without copying the neighbor, so we bring large samples, test them on the actual siding and trim, and look at them in morning and evening light before anyone commits.
How do mature trees and sloped lawns on Merrymount lots change our setup?
Big oaks and maples keep Merrymount shady and cool, but they also drop sap, pollen and leaves onto wet paint and keep the north walls damp long enough to grow mildew. We wash those walls with a mildewcide cleaner and rinse at low pressure before prep, and we watch the forecast for windy days in pollen season. Sloped front lawns mean ladder levelers, planks and sometimes pump-jack staging on the tall gable ends.
Exteriors here run best from late May through early October. We work the sunny walls in the morning and the shaded walls later, and we protect plantings and stone walkways with breathable drop cloths rather than plastic that cooks the shrubs.
The work we are called for most in Merrymount, Quincy
Historic Home Painting
Original cornices, leaded windows and Tudor half-timbering in Merrymount call for period-aware prep and finishes rather than shortcuts.
DetailsExterior Trim & Window Painting
Divided-light windows and door surrounds on Merrymount houses peel first and need hand scraping and brushed finish coats.
DetailsColor Consultation
Owners on Merrymount streets want schemes that suit a 1920s house and the neighbors, tested on the real siding in real light.
DetailsWallpaper Installation
Formal halls and dining rooms in Merrymount homes are well suited to traditional patterns, stripes and textured papers.
DetailsStaircase & Banister Refinishing
Original Merrymount staircases with turned balusters and worn treads benefit from careful sanding, priming and tough enamel finishes.
DetailsNeed something else? We do all 40 painting and wallpaper services here.
Questions from Merrymount homeowners
Do you paint the stucco and half-timber trim on Merrymount Tudors?
Yes. We repair stucco cracks with a flexible masonry filler, then finish the stucco with a breathable masonry paint so moisture can escape. The half-timber boards are scraped, primed where bare and finished with a solid stain or enamel matched to the original color on your Merrymount house.
How do you pick exterior colors for a Merrymount Colonial?
We start with the house itself: roof color, brick or stone, window sash and the style. Then we test large samples on the siding and trim and look at them morning and evening. Merrymount Colonials usually carry a body color, a trim white and an accent for doors or shutters.
Why does the north side of my Merrymount house grow mildew?
Shade from mature trees keeps north and east walls damp long after rain or dew, and mildew feeds on that moisture and on pollen film. We wash with a mildewcide cleaner, rinse at low pressure and let the wall dry before priming. A paint with mildewcide additives helps those Merrymount walls stay clean longer.
What does a full exterior repaint cost on a Merrymount single?
For a typical Merrymount Colonial or Foursquare, a planning range is $11,650 to $23,900. Trim detail, the number of windows, wood repair, lead-safe scraping and staging on tall gables move the number. The walk-through and written estimate set the real price for your house.
Nearby places we also cover
Painting or wallpaper in Merrymount?
Call (617) 576-8235. The line is answered 24/7 and we schedule walk-throughs across Merrymount with a written estimate after every visit.