Wallpaper Removal
Layered and painted-over paper is the most common problem we find inside South Quincy homes owned by the same family for decades.
DetailsWallpaper removal and house painting in South Quincy (02169)
South Quincy holds some of the city's oldest history, with the Adams birthplaces on Franklin Street, but most homes here are working-family two-families, Colonials and capes with decades of wallpaper and paint waiting under the surface.
Quincy neighborhood
02169
- Houses
- Two-families, small Colonials and postwar capes
- Built
- 1890s to 1960s
- Landmark
- Franklin Street and the John Adams birthplace
- Phone
- (617) 576-8235, any hour
Painting and paperhanging in South Quincy, Quincy
South Quincy runs from the edge of Quincy Center toward the Braintree line, with Quincy Avenue as its main road and Franklin Street carrying the two small farmhouses where John Adams and John Quincy Adams were born, now part of Adams National Historical Park. Around those landmarks is an ordinary, lived-in neighborhood. Two-families and small Colonials from around 1900 line the older streets, and postwar capes and ranches fill in the blocks closer to Braintree. Many families have owned the same house for two or three generations.
That long ownership shows up on the walls. Owners redecorated every twenty years, papering over paper, painting over that and adding borders along the way. When someone finally wants a clean wall in a South Quincy kitchen or bedroom, the real job is getting down to sound plaster or drywall. Our paperhangers and painters spend much of their time here on removal, wall repair and the finish that follows.
Housing era1890s to 1960s
Common housesTwo-families, small Colonials and postwar capes
LandmarkFranklin Street and the John Adams birthplace
What fails firstSeveral layers of painted-over wallpaper and failing kitchen paint
Access and stagingBusy Quincy Avenue and Franklin Street frontage with limited curbside staging
What is under the painted walls in a South Quincy house?
Often, two or three layers of paper and at least one coat of paint. Painted paper won't let water or steam through, so we score the surface and test a patch first. Some papers release with steam and a wide scraper. Others have been painted so many times that the paint is the only thing holding them up, and the plaster face comes away with them. In those rooms we take off what releases, seal the rest with an oil or shellac-based primer and skim the wall flat.
After stripping, we wash off every bit of paste, because leftover adhesive cracks and wrinkles any paint rolled over it. Then we fill gouges, tape cracks, prime and paint. In pre-1978 houses we treat scraping and sanding as lead-safe work, with containment, misting and HEPA cleanup.
Which exterior jobs come up most along Quincy Avenue and Franklin Street?
Houses on the busy roads collect road film and soot, and paint over a dirty surface doesn't hold. We wash first, then scrape, prime and paint. Two-families here usually need porch work and trim, and many older houses were wrapped in vinyl or aluminum decades ago with the wood window casings and porch railings still exposed. Those wooden parts get the full treatment: scraping, priming bare spots, caulking and two finish coats.
For houses near the Adams birthplaces, owners sometimes ask about historic rules. If a property sits in a local historic district, exterior changes may need review, so we tell owners to check with the city before choosing a new scheme.
How do we keep South Quincy jobs moving on busy streets?
Quincy Avenue and Franklin Street see steady traffic, and there's little room to stage at the curb. We park in the driveway or side yard, set ladders away from the sidewalk and time material drops for mid-morning, after the commuter rush. Front walls facing the street get done on weekdays when the sidewalk is quieter.
Wallpaper removal and interior painting run all year, so many South Quincy owners book the inside in winter and the outside for late spring or early fall. We work room by room so kitchens and bathrooms are out of service for as little time as possible.
The work we are called for most in South Quincy, Quincy
Skim Coating & Wall Prep
Walls damaged by stripping old paper in South Quincy houses often need a skim coat before paint or new paper looks right.
DetailsInterior Painting
Once old paper is gone, South Quincy kitchens, bedrooms and halls get a full repaint on sound, primed walls.
DetailsExterior House Painting
Road film from Quincy Avenue and Franklin Street traffic means South Quincy exteriors need a thorough wash before prep.
DetailsTrim & Door Painting
Original casings, baseboards and paneled doors in older South Quincy houses carry many coats and need careful prep.
DetailsWallpaper Installation
After removal, some South Quincy owners choose a fresh paper for dining rooms and halls instead of paint.
DetailsNeed something else? We do all 40 painting and wallpaper services here.
Questions from South Quincy homeowners
What if the wallpaper in my South Quincy house has been painted over?
It can still come off, but it takes more work. We score the paint, apply a remover or steam and test how it releases. Where the paper comes away cleanly, we strip and wash. Where it pulls up the plaster face, we seal the remaining paper with an oil or shellac-based primer and skim the wall.
How long does wallpaper removal take in a South Quincy kitchen?
A typical South Quincy kitchen takes one to two days to strip and clean, plus a day for repairs and priming before paint. Painted-over or multi-layer paper adds time. We keep the sink and stove usable where possible and tell you at the walk-through how long the room will be out of service.
Can you hang new wallpaper in a South Quincy house after stripping the old?
Yes. Once the wall is stripped, repaired and skimmed if needed, we prime it with a wallcovering primer and hang the new paper, often with a liner underneath on old plaster. A typical planning range is $3.15 to $6.40 per square foot of wall, and the walk-through sets the real number.
Do you paint homes near the Adams birthplaces on Franklin Street?
We do. If a South Quincy house sits in a local historic district, exterior changes may need review, so check with the city before picking a new scheme. We follow lead-safe practices on every pre-1978 house and work with owners on colors suited to the age of the home.
Nearby places we also cover
Painting or wallpaper in South Quincy?
Call (617) 576-8235. The line is answered 24/7 and we schedule walk-throughs across South Quincy with a written estimate after every visit.