Most Detroit houses have plaster walls, tall baseboards and wood trim with many layers of old paint. That makes prep the main part of an interior job here: opening and filling cracks, sealing stains and sanding old gloss. In homes built before 1978, old paint is handled with lead-safe methods.
Interior painting in Detroit usually means painting plaster. Houses built here before the 1950s have plaster walls and ceilings, wide wood casings, tall baseboards and solid panel doors. Plaster takes paint beautifully, but it cracks along ceiling lines and over doorways as the house moves with the seasons. Those cracks are opened, filled and primed first, so they do not come back through the new finish a few months later.
A room is prepared before it is painted. Furniture is moved and covered and floors are protected. Nail holes and dents are filled, glossy trim is sanded dull, stains are sealed with a stain-blocking primer and bare patches are primed. Then two coats go on, cut in by brush at ceilings and trim. Most rooms take one to two days. The quote lists the walls, ceilings, trim and doors that are included.
Old paint needs care in this city. Almost every Detroit house was built before 1978, so the early layers on trim, windows and doors may contain lead. Sound paint can be painted over. Where it must be scraped or sanded, federal lead-safe work rules apply. Old trim is also often oil-based, and latex paint will peel from it unless a bonding primer goes on first. Ask us how both points apply to your home.
Interior painting in Detroit: common questions
How long does it take to paint a room in Detroit?
Most rooms take one to two days, including prep and two coats. Rooms with cracked plaster, wallpaper or heavy trim take longer, and the written quote says what to expect.
Can you paint over old plaster cracks?
Not without repair. Cracks painted over come straight back. They are opened, filled or taped, sanded and primed first. Wide or loose areas of plaster need a proper patch.
Do I have to move my furniture?
No. We move and cover furniture and protect the floors. We only ask you to put away small and fragile items before we start.
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.