Exterior Painting in Naperville, IL
Historic home painting in Naperville, planned around the Historic District guidelines
An older house with layers of paint, original siding and a porch worth keeping? We paint historic homes largely by hand, with the prep and color planning they need.
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Answering 24/7Naperville service office
Updated September 2026
This job
Historic Home Painting
Exterior Painting · answering 24/7
Quick answer
Historic home painting in Naperville, IL means hand scraping and priming original wood, lead-aware prep on paint that predates 1978, and color schemes planned around the city's historic district guidelines. It takes longer than a modern repaint because more of the work is done by hand.
The job
Old houses keep their history in the paint
An older house may carry many layers of paint, some of them lead-based, over siding, trim and porch parts worth keeping. Aggressive stripping can damage both the wood and the character of the house.
We scrape by hand to a sound edge, repair old wood rather than replace it where we can, prime every bare spot and repaint in two coats. Color planning starts early, especially for multi-color schemes.
What moves the price
What moves the price of painting a historic home
Historic work is priced by the prep more than the paint.
- 01Prep level
Scraping and spot priming costs far less than stripping to bare wood.
- 02Lead-aware work
Pre-1978 paint adds containment, cleanup and slower methods.
- 03Wood repair
Epoxy repairs and milled replacement boards are priced separately.
- 04Number of colors
Each extra accent color adds hand-cut brushwork.
- 05Height and access
Tall gables and wrap-around porches need more staging.
- 06Windows
Scraping and reglazing original sash takes time per window.
What this job covers
A
Multi-color Victorian schemes
Queen Anne and Italianate houses were often painted in three to five colors: a body color, a trim color and one or two accents picking out brackets, window sash and porch details. The balance matters more than the exact shades. We map the colors onto a photo of your house first, test the main colors on the wall and paint the accents last, by hand. A scheme like this takes longer than a two-color job, and it is priced that way.
B
Original wood siding and porches
Old-growth wood siding and turned porch parts are often sounder than they look once the loose paint is off. We scrape and sand by hand, consolidate soft spots with epoxy and replace only boards beyond saving, milled to match the profile. Rusted nail heads are set and spot-primed so they do not bleed. Every bare area is primed with a primer suited to old wood before two finish coats. Porch floors, columns and rails get extra attention at the joints, where water collects and rot starts.
C
Window sash and storm windows
Original double-hung windows and wood storms are one of the details that define an old house. We scrape and sand the sash, replace cracked glazing putty, prime the bare wood and paint so the sash still slides. Paint stops just short of the glass seal, and the sash is left free rather than painted shut. Wood storm windows are painted to match, and any sash that needs a carpenter is pointed out before we start. Sash work is scheduled for dry days so the putty and paint can set.
Compare the options
How much of the old paint comes off
Prep level is the biggest choice on an old house. It sets both the price and how long the job lasts.
| Item | Scrape and spot-prime | Partial strip | Full strip |
|---|---|---|---|
| What happens | Loose paint off, sound paint kept, bare spots primed | Worst walls or trim taken to bare wood | All paint removed from the surface |
| Best when | Most old paint is still bonded | Some areas have many failing layers | Paint is failing everywhere |
| Relative cost | Lowest | Middle | Highest by a wide margin |
What is included
What a historic repaint should include
- Photos of every side before work starts
- A paint-era check and lead-aware prep
- Hand scraping to a sound edge
- Epoxy repair where old wood can be saved
- Primer suited to old wood
- A color plan checked against district guidelines
- Two finish coats plus hand-cut accents
- Daily cleanup of paint chips
Around Naperville
Inside the Historic District, which covers 613 buildings from the town's founding and has been a local district since 1986, exterior improvements must be compatible in scale, style and exterior features under the city's design guidelines. We plan colors and repairs with that in mind. Homes on Center Street, Sleight Street and Loomis Street date to 1890 to 1900, with wrap-around porches and original woodwork that reward careful hand prep.
How the job runs
How a historic repaint runs
- Step 1
Walk-around
We photograph each side, check suspect paint and agree on prep level and colors.
- Step 2
Contain and protect
Ground covers go down and plantings are protected before scraping.
- Step 3
Hand prep
Loose paint is scraped and sanded by hand; soft wood is repaired.
- Step 4
Prime
Every bare area gets a primer suited to old wood.
- Step 5
Body, trim, accents
Two coats on body and trim, then accent colors by hand.
- Step 6
Cleanup and walk
Chips are collected daily, and we walk the house with you.
Exterior paints we use on older homes come from Benjamin Moore, Sherwin-Williams and PPG.
Benjamin Moore, Sherwin-Williams, JC Licht, Behr, PPG, Valspar, Cabot, Sikkens, Rust-Oleum, Zinsser, Purdy, Wooster
Yes. We plan colors and repairs around the city's design guidelines and keep original woodwork wherever it can be saved.
If the house was built before 1978, it may be. We treat old paint as lead-containing and use lead-safe work practices.
Longer than a modern house of the same size, often several weeks, because more of the prep is done by hand.
We can match existing colors from a sample, or help you choose a period scheme if you are changing them.
Usually not. Old-growth siding is often sound under the paint, and repairing it keeps the house's character.
Often booked together
Other jobs that usually come up alongside this one
Answering now
Plan a historic home repaint in Naperville
Call any hour. We walk the house, look at the old paint and wood and send a written estimate with the prep level spelled out.
