Painters for Montlake (98112) homes near the Cut and the Arboretum
Montlake sits between Capitol Hill and the University of Washington, bounded by Portage Bay, Union Bay, the Montlake Cut and the Washington Park Arboretum. It's a compact neighborhood of tree-lined streets, with most homes built from about 1905 through the 1930s: Tudor Revival houses with brick and stucco, Craftsman bungalows, Colonial Revival two-stories and brick homes with leaded glass windows. The Montlake Bridge and the Cut carry boat traffic between Lake Union and Lake Washington, and SR 520 runs along the north edge. Small lots and close houses give the streets a tight, settled feel.
At a glance
- ZIP
- 98112
- County
- King County
- Part of
- Seattle, WA
- Best exterior window
- Late May to mid September
- Phone
- Answered 24/7
Older homes near water and green space mean damp air, mature trees and lots of plaster inside. Exterior work often involves stucco repair, brick protection and careful wood trim prep, all with lead-safe methods. Inside, many Montlake homes still have original plaster walls, coved ceilings and wood trim, and owners want them refreshed without losing their character. Interior painting and wallpaper removal are a big part of our work here, since many rooms carry old paper layers under paint. We come up I-5 for scheduled projects and plan parking around the busy bridge traffic.
How do you handle old plaster and wallpaper in a Montlake home?
Many Montlake homes have plaster walls that were wallpapered at some point, then painted over. Before we can paint well, we need to know what's under the surface. We test a small area to see how the paper comes off, then score, soak and scrape it with care so we don't gouge the plaster. Old paste is washed off, since paint over leftover paste tends to crack. Where the plaster is loose or cracked, we reattach it and fill with setting compound before sanding smooth.
Once the walls are sound, we prime with a product made for plaster and patched areas, then paint two coats. Picture rails, crown molding and fir trim get cleaned and repainted, or refinished if you'd like to keep the wood look. Our drywall repair team handles plaster patches as part of the same job. The result is a room that keeps its old character but looks fresh, with crisp lines along every rail and casing. Call (253) 478-2745 and we'll test your walls on the first visit.
What we watch for here
- Plaster walls in early-1900s homes crack and often hide layers of old wallpaper.
- Leaded and stained glass windows need careful masking and hand brushing.
- Damp air from the Cut, bays and Arboretum feeds mildew on shaded walls.
- Most homes predate 1978, so lead-safe prep is standard inside and out.
- Traffic near the Montlake Bridge and SR 520 makes parking and staging a planning step.
Houses common in Montlake and how we prep them
1920s Tudor Revival homes
Brick, stucco and half-timber details with leaded glass windows. We patch stucco, use breathable paint and work carefully around old glass.
Early-1900s Craftsman bungalows
Porches, exposed rafters and lap or shingle siding. We hand-scrape with lead-safe containment and repair rafter ends and sills.
Colonial Revival two-stories
Clapboard and shutters on modest lots. We remove and paint shutters separately and recaulk every window.
Plaster-walled interiors
Original plaster, picture rails and fir trim. We patch cracks, remove old wallpaper and prime before painting.
Painting jobs we do most in Montlake
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 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 paintingWallpaper Removal
Wallpaper removal means scoring or peeling the face layer, soaking and scraping off the backing, washing every trace of adhesive from the wall, repairing torn drywall paper and priming with a sealer before paint.
See wallpaper removalDrywall 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 repairTrim & Molding Painting
Trim painting covers door and window casings, crown molding, chair rail, picture rail and window stools.
See trim & molding paintingStucco & Masonry Painting
Stucco and masonry painting in Tacoma covers stucco walls, concrete block, brick and chimneys.
See stucco & masonry painting
Painting questions from Montlake
Can you paint around leaded glass windows on my Montlake Tudor?
Yes. We mask the glass carefully and brush the wood frames by hand. If the putty around the leaded panes is failing, we'll point it out so you can plan for it. Our brushwork keeps paint off the glass and the metal caming. Frames get a primer and two thin topcoats.
How long does wallpaper removal take in a Montlake home?
A typical bedroom takes one to two days for removal, washing and plaster repair, then another day or two for priming and painting. Rooms with several paper layers or loose plaster take longer. Typical totals for a medium room run around $1,260-$2,790, a typical range we confirm after testing the walls.
Do you paint homes near the Montlake Cut with heavy boat and bridge traffic?
We do. Homes near the Cut and the bridge just need more planning for parking and noise. We confirm parking spots ahead, start early to beat traffic, and keep the site tidy each day. The noise doesn't affect the paint, though windy days near the water may shift spray work to brushing.
Neighboring areas we paint
Painting a home in Montlake?
Call and tell us what you are painting. We answer 24/7 and set up a walk-through at a time that suits you.