An East Dallas painter for older Lakewood and White Rock homes

Older houses, more layers: why prep runs the job

East Dallas is a lot older than Rowlett, whose median build year is 1997. Census figures put the median build year at 1960 in 75218, 1967 in 75214 and 1969 in 75228, and 17.2% of the homes in 75214 went up in 1939 or earlier. Around Lakewood you’ll see Craftsman, Prairie four-square, Tudor, Spanish Eclectic and early Ranch houses, many of native Austin stone, next to bigger new houses built where older ones came down.

A house that age has been painted many times, by many different hands. Walls may be plaster or old drywall carrying decades of patches, and window and door trim can have so many coats that the profile has gone soft. The real risk is adhesion: one loose layer underneath can lift through a fresh coat, taking the new paint with it. So I scrape what’s loose, sand edges flush, fill, spot-prime, and only then start finish coats. With median build years in the 1960s, many of these houses predate 1978 and can have lead-based paint under the newer coats, so I’m EPA lead-safe (RRP) certified and follow lead-safe work practices whenever that old paint gets disturbed.

Historic districts: check before you pick a color

East Dallas has a number of historic and conservation districts, and their paint rules can reach further than people expect. Take Munger Place: its ordinance treats repainting an item the same color as routine maintenance, and that still needs a certificate of appropriateness. A new color within the district’s acceptable color range counts as a minor alteration. The city’s historic preservation staff decide on either within 10 days, and brick that has never been painted isn’t supposed to be painted unless specific conditions are met.

If you’re in Munger Place, Junius Heights, along Swiss Avenue or in any other historic or conservation district, check with the City of Dallas historic preservation office before you get attached to a color. Once you know what’s approved, I’ll paint to it, including any specific brand color you bring me. The color visualizer is a quick way to narrow things down first.

From Rowlett to Lakewood: who actually shows up

Rowlett is where I start from. With no traffic, East Dallas is about 22 to 26 minutes from my place, close enough that I’m glad to come out and give a free estimate myself.

What you get is one person. I cover your floors and furniture, do the prep and the painting, leave the rooms as tidy as I found them and walk through the finished work with you before I call it done. As I said on TikTok: “I show up on time, I don’t charge the maximum amount. I answer my phone. I have references and insurance.”