Painting historic homes and older apartments in the Stadium District (98403)
The Stadium District takes its name from Stadium High School, the chateau-style building that started life as a hotel and overlooks the bay from the bluff. Around it sit some of Tacoma's grandest houses: late-1800s Queen Annes, Colonial Revivals and Craftsman mansions along North Yakima and North Tacoma Avenue, with Wright Park and its glass conservatory a few blocks south. Mixed in are brick and wood apartment buildings from the 1910s and 1920s, which give this neighborhood a denser feel than the rest of the North End.
At a glance
- ZIP
- 98403
- County
- Pierce County
- Part of
- Tacoma, WA
- Best exterior window
- Late May to mid September
- Phone
- Answered 24/7
Houses this size are a different scale of job. Eaves run three stories up, trim details number in the hundreds, and the paint history is long. We plan these projects in phases, stage each side, and keep the most visible faces for the best weather. Indoors, tall ceilings and plaster crown molding call for steady ceiling painting and careful staircase and railing painting, since grand stairways are often the centerpiece of these homes. Plaster cracks around ceiling medallions and along crown joints get repaired with setting compound first, so the new paint does not crack along the same lines a year later.
How do you plan a repaint on a three-story Stadium District house?
We start with a full walk-around and a ladder look at the worst areas, usually the south and west faces and the top of the gables. From there we write a phased plan: wash, repair carpentry, scrape and prime, then paint, one wall at a time. That keeps scaffolding in one area at a time and lets us chase the best weather for the faces that matter most. A large house can take four to six weeks of good weather.
Color is a bigger decision on a house this size, so we often start with color consultation and paint large sample boards to hold up against the siding in daylight. We also check window sashes for loose glazing and rotten bottom rails, since those are common on original windows here. Any sash work happens before painting, so the finish goes on sound wood and seals properly. If a sash needs more than glazing and a new bottom rail, we tell you before painting so you can decide on repair or replacement with a window specialist.
What we watch for here
- Three-story eaves and tall gables that need staging rather than ladders.
- Many layers of old paint, including lead, on siding, trim and window sashes.
- Plaster crown molding, medallions and high ceilings inside that need repair and steady cutting.
- Apartment buildings where work has to fit around tenants and building managers.
- Street parking near the high school and Wright Park that tightens on school and event days.
Houses common in Stadium District and how we prep them
Queen Anne and Colonial Revival mansions
We document existing colors, scrape and prime with lead-safe methods, and brush every bracket and dentil. Large houses are staged one side at a time.
Large Craftsman homes
Wide eaves, exposed rafters and shingled upper stories get a stain or paint finish depending on condition. Bare cedar shingles are primed with oil before topcoat.
1910s-1920s apartment buildings
Hallways, units and stairwells are repainted around tenants, often a floor at a time. Wood exteriors are washed, scraped and painted in sections.
Converted older homes
Houses split into units or offices need flexible scheduling, durable washable paints in hallways, and clear unit-by-unit access plans.
Painting jobs we do most in Stadium District
Exterior 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 paintingTrim & Molding Painting
Trim painting covers door and window casings, crown molding, chair rail, picture rail and window stools.
See trim & molding paintingStaircase & Railing Painting
Staircase painting in Tacoma covers risers, stringers, skirt boards, balusters, newel posts and handrails, and sometimes treads.
See staircase & railing paintingCeiling Painting
Ceiling painting in Tacoma means protecting the room, washing or degreasing the surface, spot-priming water stains with a stain-blocking primer, patching cracks and nail pops, then rolling two coats of flat ceiling paint in one continuous wet edge.
See ceiling 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 paintingInterior 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 painting
Painting questions from Stadium District
Can you paint an occupied apartment building in the Stadium District?
Yes. We coordinate with the owner or manager on notices, work one hallway or floor at a time, and keep stairwells open and walkable. Low-odor waterborne paints let tenants stay home. For exteriors, we plan around windows and balconies and post a simple schedule so tenants know which side is being worked each week.
My house has original stained woodwork inside. Will you paint it?
Only if you want it painted. Many owners here want to keep clear fir or oak trim, so we clean, scuff and recoat with a clear finish instead. If the trim is already painted, we can repaint it, and we discuss whether stripping back to wood makes sense in key rooms.
How do you protect landscaping around a big older home?
We lay drop cloths and plastic over beds, tie back shrubs from the walls, and set staging so it does not crush plants. Paint chips from scraping are collected daily, which matters most around older homes where the paint can contain lead. We also protect walkways and porches so foot traffic does not track debris inside.
Neighboring areas we paint
Painting a home in Stadium District?
Call and tell us what you are painting. We answer 24/7 and set up a walk-through at a time that suits you.