Trim Painting in Mattapan, Boston MA

How this plays out in Mattapan

Most of what we paint in Mattapan is two- and three-families. Two- and three-families with front porches, some single-family bungalows and capes, and a band of larger Victorians near the Dorchester line. Front porches and exterior stairs take the weather and the traffic. They're the first thing to go and the first thing we check.

The way we work it

Brushwork with clean cut lines where trim meets wall. Semi-gloss enamel so it wipes down and holds up.

Trim gets filled, caulked at the wall line, sanded, then brushed with an enamel that levels out rather than holding brush marks. Waterborne alkyds flow better than straight latex on casing and give you a harder surface on a windowsill that actually gets used.

The mistake we get called to fix

Caulk applied after paint rather than before is the tell of a rushed job. It yellows, it cracks along the top edge, and it can't be fixed without redoing the line.

What the quote covers

• Line-by-line scope — prep, materials and labour costed separately
• A real start date and duration, held to
• Licence #193121 and certificate of insurance in writing
• Two-year workmanship warranty

Products are Benjamin Moore and Sherwin-Williams. Worth reading before you hire anyone: Benjamin Moore