Bethlehem, Northampton and Lehigh Counties
Exterior painting in Bethlehem, PA.
North of the Lehigh, in the Central Bethlehem Historic District, paint colors and even their luster are reviewed before work starts. South of the river and in Mount Airy, a different commission applies, and the houses change with it.
Exterior painting for Bethlehem homes
Color is part of the review in the oldest part of the city. The local historic district north of the Lehigh dates from 1961, when the city created it along with its Historical and Architectural Review Board, and the board's guidelines say paint colors and luster should suit a building's style and are subject to its review. Repainting is among the work that brings a house before it.
That changes the order of an exterior job. Colors and sheen are settled with the board before anyone climbs a ladder, and the preparation follows the guidelines' preference for gentle methods: washing by hand with a mild detergent and scraping by hand, rather than heat guns, chemical strippers, flame or blasting.
Bethlehem
North of the river, color goes to the board
The district is mostly brick and stone, two and a half stories tall, built from the mid-1700s into the early 1900s. On walls like these the board discourages painting masonry or stucco that was never painted, along with clear water-repellent coatings, and it favors soft mortar for repointing, since a hard Portland-cement mix can make historic brick spall.
Porches carry a guideline of their own. On a painted historic house, natural or stained porch wood is generally considered inappropriate, and the board recommends regular repainting instead, over wood tongue-and-groove flooring. It also discourages vinyl or aluminum siding over wood, brick, stone or stucco, so keeping the original wood sound and painted is the approach its guidelines support.
Worth knowing
Sheen is reviewed too
The guidelines name luster alongside color, so a gloss door or a satin trim is chosen as deliberately as the colors themselves.
Five to eight years
The board's guidelines suggest repainting exterior surfaces every five to eight years, with touch-ups in between. Porches and the sunniest walls usually set the pace.
Mount Airy's larger houses
The houses of the Mount Airy Historic District, mostly built between 1910 and 1930, are large and ornate. Each side carries more height and more trim than a row home, and the staging is planned for it.
The work
How an exterior goes
The same care on every job, in every town. The full guide to exterior painting.
Every side, walked
Randy walks every side of the house with you, because the south wall and the north wall rarely need the same work. Both the walkthrough and the written estimate are complimentary.
Causes first
Where paint is peeling to bare wood, the source of the water is found and dealt with. Soft, rotted wood is repaired or replaced, because no paint holds on wet or decayed wood.
Washing
Dirt, mildew and chalk are washed off at a pressure that cleans without gouging the grain. The siding then dries completely before any primer or paint goes on.
Scraping and priming
Loose and flaking paint is scraped back to a firm edge. Bare wood is primed promptly, before the sun has time to weaken its surface.
Caulk where water gets in
Open joints where trim meets siding and around windows are caulked, and holes are filled. The bottom edges of lap siding are left open on purpose, so water can drain out and the boards can dry.
Paint in the right conditions
Finish coats go on when the temperature will hold for the paint, away from walls baking in full sun, and early enough to set before the evening dew. On most days that means following the shade around the house.
Questions
Exterior painting, Bethlehem.
Does the same review apply to a house on the South Side or in Mount Airy?
Not the same board. The South Bethlehem Historic Conservation District and Mount Airy go to the Historic Conservation Commission, which issues certificates for exterior changes visible from the street. Its ordinance says maintenance and repair do not need review, but it does not say plainly how it treats a color change alone, so ask the city before you choose.
Why does the board discourage power washing a historic house?
Because high pressure does damage that outlasts the paint. The guidelines note that it drives water into joints and raises the grain of wood, and they discourage cleaning masonry above 400 psi. A hand wash with a mild detergent gets a surface clean enough for paint to bond, without those side effects.
How do we choose colors the board is likely to accept?
Start from the house. The guidelines ask for colors and luster suited to the building's style that bring out its architectural features, and they warn that a paint maker's historic collection is not automatically right here. Randy can talk through options at the walkthrough; the board makes the decision.
More in Bethlehem
Other services here.
- Level 5 drywall finishA skim coat over the entire surface, for walls that hold up under raking light and dark paint.
- Skim coatingRough, patched or uneven walls resurfaced smooth, often after wallpaper comes down.
- Plaster repairCracked, loose and failing plaster in older homes, repaired and made sound.
- Interior paintingWalls, ceilings, trim, doors and millwork, prepared properly and finished clean.
- Drywall installation & repairNew drywall hung, taped and finished; cracks, holes and water damage repaired invisibly.
- Drywall texture matching & removalTexture matched so repairs disappear, applied where you want it, or taken off for a smooth wall.
- Popcorn ceiling removalOld acoustic texture taken down and the ceiling finished smooth.
- Wallpaper removalOld wallpaper and wall linings stripped without tearing up the wall beneath.
- Wood stainingDecks, porch floors, doors and trim, inside and out, stained by hand.
Consultation
Request a private consultation.
Private walkthrough & written estimate, complimentary. Tell us a little about the house and the rooms, and Randy will be in touch to arrange a time.
- Hours
- Monday – Friday8:30 AM – 5:30 PMSaturday10 AM – 3 PMSundayClosed
- Service area
- Easton, Bethlehem, Allentown and the greater Lehigh Valley; Bucks County, Pennsylvania.
Fully insured — proof on request. Residential and commercial.