Painting and wood finishing for Mercer Island (98040) homes
Mercer Island grew quickly after the first floating bridge opened in 1940, and many of its houses date from the 1950s and 1960s building boom that followed. A lot of those are Northwest contemporary homes: low rooflines, cedar siding, walls of glass facing the lake, and inside, tongue-and-groove ceilings, exposed beams and wood paneling. Since then, many lots have been rebuilt with larger modern houses. East and West Mercer Way wind around the island past waterfront homes and steep, wooded driveways, with Luther Burbank Park on the north end, Pioneer Park's forest in the south, and the Town Center near I-90.
At a glance
- ZIP
- 98040
- County
- King County
- Part of
- Mercer Island, WA
- Best exterior window
- Late May to mid September
- Phone
- Answered 24/7
That mix means wood finishing is a big part of our island work. Original beams and paneling often have a stain that has darkened to orange over 60 years, and owners want it lighter, refreshed, or painted in some rooms and kept natural in others. We handle that with interior staining and careful prep. Outside, cedar siding under the island's tall trees needs regular cedar siding staining to keep from graying. We cross I-90 for scheduled island projects, plan parking on narrow drives, and keep work on lakefront lots contained away from the water.
Should mid-century wood ceilings on Mercer Island be painted or refinished?
It depends on the room and the wood. Tongue-and-groove cedar or fir ceilings and beams are a big part of what makes a Northwest contemporary house feel the way it does, and many owners want to keep them. If the wood is sound and the finish has just yellowed or darkened, a careful clean, light sanding and a fresh clear or lightly tinted finish brings back the grain. If the ceiling has water stains, patching or mismatched boards from past work, painting may be the better choice.
We often split the difference: keep the living room ceiling and beams natural, and paint the paneling in a hallway or bedroom where the wood feels dark. Before committing, we test a small section to see how the old finish responds. Painting wood ceilings takes a stain-blocking primer so knots and tannins don't bleed through. A wood ceiling refinish in a main living area typically runs $2,780-$5,940, a typical range set after a walk-through. For an island visit, call (253) 478-2745.
What we watch for here
- Original wood ceilings and paneling from the 1950s and 1960s often carry finishes that have darkened unevenly with age.
- Cedar siding under tall firs and cedars grays and mildews if it's not restained on a regular cycle.
- Steep driveways off East and West Mercer Way limit where vehicles and equipment can park.
- Waterfront walls take wind and spray off Lake Washington, wearing stain and paint on the lake side first.
- Work near the shoreline has to keep wash water, chips and stain away from the lake.
Houses common in Mercer Island and how we prep them
1950s-60s Northwest contemporary homes
Cedar siding, wood ceilings and beams, big windows. We restain the cedar outside and clean, sand and refinish the wood inside without filling the room with dust.
Mid-century ramblers and daylight homes
Single-story or daylight-basement homes with painted wood siding. We scrape and spot-prime the wood, using lead-safe methods on pre-1978 paint.
Waterfront homes on the Mercer Ways
Lake-facing walls, docks and decks down steep slopes. We stage from the uphill side, contain debris and runoff, and schedule around calm weather.
Newer rebuilt modern homes
Fiber cement, stucco panels and stained wood accents. We repaint the painted surfaces and match the stained soffits and doors to the original tone.
Painting jobs we do most in Mercer Island
Interior Staining
Interior staining covers wood that should show its grain: fir trim and doors, ceiling beams, built-ins, mantels and handrails.
See interior stainingCedar Siding Staining
Cedar siding staining in Tacoma involves soft washing off mildew and gray fibers, brightening the wood, letting it dry to about 15% moisture, then applying one or two coats of penetrating semi-transparent or solid stain.
See cedar siding stainingInterior 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 paintingCabinet Refinishing
Cabinet refinishing keeps the wood visible.
See cabinet refinishingExterior 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 paintingDeck Staining
Deck staining in Tacoma means cleaning off moss and gray wood, sanding rough or failing areas, brightening, then applying a penetrating stain to the boards, rails and stairs once the wood reads about 15% moisture.
See deck staining
Painting questions from Mercer Island
Can you refinish the stained beams in my Mercer Island living room without sanding everything?
Often, yes. If the finish is sound, we clean the beams, scuff them lightly and apply a fresh coat that bonds to the old one. That refreshes the color and sheen without heavy sanding. If the finish is flaking or water stained, we sand those areas back and blend them in. We test a spot first so you can see the result before we do the whole room.
How do you protect my Lake Washington shoreline when you stain the deck and dock area?
We lay tarps and containment below the work, use brushes rather than spray near the water, and collect wash water before it reaches the lake. Mixing and brush cleanup happen up by the driveway, well back from the shore. We pick calm days to avoid drift. We'll walk the shoreline with you before the job to plan where everything stays.
Do you paint the island's newer modern homes with stucco and metal trim?
Yes. Stucco or cement panels get cleaned, cracks get filled with an elastomeric patch, and we apply a breathable masonry paint. Metal fascia and trim are degreased and primed for metal before the topcoat. Stained wood accents are restained in a matching tone. Each material needs its own prep, so we price these homes after seeing them.
Neighboring areas we paint
Painting a home in Mercer Island?
Call and tell us what you are painting. We answer 24/7 and set up a walk-through at a time that suits you.