There are so many beautiful, historic homes throughout Nashville. If yours is one of them, it will be important to take the steps necessary to ensure a successful and respectful transformation. Here are five ways to give your home a fresh coat of paint while preserving the home’s historic elegance and timeless charm.
Be Mindful of Local Rules and Regulations
Oftentimes, owners of historic homes must abide by local rules and regulations that have been set forth in order to protect the home’s integrity. Check with your local historic preservation board or code inspectors before embarking on your home painting project; you may need a permit or another form of approval before you begin painting. Consulting with these experts will equip you with the information you need regarding approved color palettes, appropriate paint types, and other essential preservation guidelines specific to historic properties.
Select Colors That Highlight Your Home’s Curbside Appeal
If you’re tempted to change the color of your historic home, we suggest gathering paint samples and applying them to inconspicuous areas on the home’s exterior. This will allow you to see how the colors will look under different lighting conditions. When you visit your favorite paint store, inquire if they sell historical color collections, which could help you pinpoint the color schemes you’d like to use. Want to turn back time and pay homage to the home’s original color scheme? If you’re up for doing some research, perhaps you can find old documents or photographs of your historic home that could provide insight into what color palettes you should explore.
Contact a Certified Risk Assessor or Inspector to Test for Lead Paint
According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), “The older your home, the more likely it contains lead-based paint. For example, 87% of homes built before 1940 have some lead-based paint, while 24% of homes built between 1960 and 1978 have some lead-based paint.” The EPA recommends that you take the simplest and safest approach: assume your historic home contains lead-based paint and hire a certified professional to test for it. Once it’s safe to move forward, the process of removing old paint and washing the home can begin.
Repair Areas of Damage and Decay
Your historic home has been standing for quite some time, so it’s possible that you’ll identify some damage and decay while you conduct an exterior inspection. These issues need to be addressed before the surface is ready for a home painting job. If, for instance, you encounter rotted trim, you’ll need to fix it before applying paint. Proper adhesion of the new coat of paint will increase the longevity of your home painting investment.
Hire Experienced Painting Professionals
Consider hiring a professional home painting company whose employees have experience working on historic properties. Do your research and place your trust in a reputable company that stands behind its home painting jobs and specializes in exterior painting and other related services that can make you feel confident that your historic property will remain eye-catching for decades to come.
Painting a historic home is a delicate task that requires expertise and precision. At Harpeth Painting, our friendly and knowledgeable professionals have the skills and experience necessary to handle your historic home painting project. In addition to our exterior painting services, we offer wood repair, trim/fascia painting, brick painting, brick limewashing, and staining.
We invite you to learn more about Harpeth Painting and how we can help you with all your residential and commercial painting needs. We’re proud to be Nashville’s trusted painting contractors—local experts passionate about handling each job with the utmost care and attention to detail.
Contact us today to get started.
