Painters for Capitol Hill (98112) homes near Volunteer Park
The 98112 side of Capitol Hill takes in the quieter north and east parts of the hill, around Volunteer Park, Lake View Cemetery and the blocks north of the Broadway business strip. Much of it was built from the 1900s through the 1920s, when the hill was a fashionable address. Along 14th Avenue East, the stretch long called Millionaires' Row, sit large homes in Colonial, Tudor and Classical styles. Nearby streets fill with Foursquares, Craftsman homes and older brick apartment buildings. Many big houses have been split into apartments or condos over the decades, while others remain single-family homes.
At a glance
- ZIP
- 98112
- County
- King County
- Part of
- Seattle, WA
- Best exterior window
- Late May to mid September
- Phone
- Answered 24/7
These are tall, detailed buildings with a lot of history in their walls. Exteriors carry many layers of paint, decorative cornices and wide porches. Interiors often have plaster walls, box beam ceilings, fir and mahogany trim, and wide staircases. Lead-safe prep is part of nearly every job. We do a lot of interior painting and staircase painting here, along with exterior work on the big Foursquares. For apartment buildings, our multifamily painting crews refresh hallways and common areas. We drive up I-5 for each scheduled project and plan around the hill's tight parking.
How do you paint a grand staircase in a Capitol Hill home?
Big staircases in these homes often have turned balusters, carved newel posts and long handrails, all with many layers of old paint or finish. We start by testing the existing finish, since it may contain lead. Loose paint is scraped and sanded with dust control, and rough spots on balusters are filled and smoothed. Handrails get extra care, because they take daily wear. We prime with a bonding primer, then brush on two coats of hard enamel that holds up to hands and scuffs.
Some owners want the stair rail stained while the balusters are painted, which is a classic look in these old homes. That means stripping or sanding the rail to bare wood, staining, and sealing with a clear finish. Treads can be refinished too, or painted with a durable floor paint on back stairways. We plan stair work so the house stays usable, often doing one side or one flight at a time. Call (253) 478-2745 to talk through your staircase.
What we watch for here
- Tall homes need scaffolding or lifts to reach upper gables and cornices.
- Nearly every surface on early-1900s homes may contain lead paint.
- Plaster walls, box beams and fir trim need careful prep and hand brushing.
- Buildings split into flats need work planned around many residents.
- Street parking is scarce, so staging and deliveries must be planned ahead.
Houses common in Capitol Hill and how we prep them
Grand homes on 14th Ave E
Large Colonial, Tudor and Classical houses with tall columns and cornices. We use scaffolding where needed and brush all trim details by hand.
Early-1900s Foursquares
Boxy two-and-a-half story homes with wide porches. We repaint siding and trim with lead-safe containment and check porch columns for rot.
Brick apartment buildings
Older masonry buildings with painted wood windows and trim. We paint common hallways, stairwells and doors while tenants stay in place.
Houses split into flats and condos
Converted homes with shared entries and stairways. We coordinate with owners or HOAs and work one shared area at a time.
Painting jobs we do most in Capitol Hill
Interior Painting
Interior painting in Tacoma covers moving and covering furniture, filling nail holes and dings, sanding, spot priming, cutting in edges by hand and rolling two finish coats on the walls, with ceilings and trim as add-ons.
See interior paintingStaircase & Railing Painting
Staircase painting in Tacoma covers risers, stringers, skirt boards, balusters, newel posts and handrails, and sometimes treads.
See staircase & railing paintingExterior House Painting
Exterior house painting in Tacoma means washing off mildew and dirt, checking that the siding reads about 15% moisture or less, scraping and sanding loose paint, fixing rot, caulking, priming bare wood, then applying two coats of exterior acrylic.
See exterior house paintingApartment & HOA Painting
Apartment and HOA painting in Tacoma covers exterior repaints of apartment buildings, condos and townhome communities, plus common-area interiors like halls and stairwells.
See apartment & hoa paintingTrim & Molding Painting
Trim painting covers door and window casings, crown molding, chair rail, picture rail and window stools.
See trim & molding paintingDrywall Repair
Drywall repair covers patching holes, retaping cracked seams, fixing nail pops and water-damaged spots, then matching the wall texture and priming so the repair disappears once painted.
See drywall repair
Painting questions from Capitol Hill
Can you paint hallways in a Capitol Hill apartment building with tenants living there?
Yes. We post notices, work in short sections and keep one path through each hallway open. Low-odor paint helps residents, and we clean up each day. Doors to units are painted early so they dry before evening. Typical hallway jobs in older buildings run about $2.85-$4.60 per sq ft of wall area, a typical range we confirm on site.
How do you reach the top of a tall Capitol Hill Foursquare?
Many of these homes rise two and a half stories with steep roofs, so we use scaffolding or a lift for the upper walls and gables. Ladders handle lower areas. We plan setup during the walk-through, including where equipment can sit on the lot or sidewalk, and include it in the price from the start.
Do you restore box beam ceilings in older Capitol Hill homes?
We can paint or refinish them. If the beams were painted, we clean, sand and repaint. If they're original wood under old varnish, we clean and reapply a clear or tinted finish. Ceiling panels between beams get painted separately. Our ceiling painting work covers both styles.
Neighboring areas we paint
Painting a home in Capitol Hill?
Call and tell us what you are painting. We answer 24/7 and set up a walk-through at a time that suits you.