Serving Clients Since 1977
Exterior Painting in New Britain, CT
Gagnon Painting & Decorating has been painting Connecticut exteriors since 1977. New Britain is a genuinely useful place to be a careful exterior painter, because it is one of the few Connecticut cities whose preservation commission publishes written guidance on paint and stain — and because 82.9% of its housing was built in 1979 or earlier.
In New England an exterior generally wants repainting every four to six years. On the city's late-Victorian wood, that interval is won or lost during preparation.
Our Exterior Painting Services Include:
Surfaces and substrates
- Exterior Repainting and Staining
- Aluminum Siding Painting
- Masonry Painting
- Concrete Sealing
- Deck Refinishing
- Fence Painting
Repair and project types
- Carpentry Repair
- Caulking
- New Construction or Repainting Work
- Condominium Painting
What does the West End historic district mean for an exterior job?
It means the surfaces are more complicated than they look from the street. The West End Historic District, listed on the National Register in 1998, wraps roughly 75 acres around the west and southwest edge of Walnut Hill Park and contains 156 buildings, 151 of them contributing, from a period of significance running 1870 to 1930. The nomination calls it a significant portion of the city's best-preserved late-Victorian and early twentieth century domestic architecture.
In practice that is Stick, Queen Anne, Shingle, Colonial Revival, Tudor Revival, Mission and Craftsman work — and the nomination is specific about the detail that makes those houses hard to paint well: mixed bevel-and-shingle siding on a single elevation, decorative shingle-work, gable half-timbering, tiled roof crestings, and turned porch columns. Each of those wants a different approach to prep and a different sequence of coats.
New Britain adopted a Historic Preservation Ordinance in September 2011, and its Historic Preservation Commission conducts historic review as part of the building-permit process. The Commission publishes preservation guideline sheets covering Siding, Porches, Entrances, Windows, Roofs, Masonry — and, unusually, one specifically on Paints and Stains. No other town in our service area publishes a paint-specific sheet.
New Britain exterior painting questions
Do I need approval from the city to repaint my house a new color?
For color alone, Connecticut law says no. CGS section 7-147d(c) states that local historic district rules shall not be construed to extend to the color of paint used on the exterior of any building or structure. What can require review is work on architectural features — siding, porches, entrances, windows, roofs and masonry — and New Britain's Historic Preservation Commission conducts its review as part of the building-permit process. If your project goes beyond a repaint, ask the Commission before you start, not after.
Will power washing strip the old paint first?
No. We do not strip paint with pressure washing. Washing removes dirt, grime and contaminants so the new coating can bond; failing paint comes off afterwards by hand and tool. On West End houses carrying decorative shingle-work and turned porch columns, high pressure aimed at loose paint removes the detail along with it, permanently.
How often should a New Britain exterior be repainted?
Generally every four to six years in New England, though exposure varies a great deal across one building — a south elevation and a shaded north wall do not age at the same rate. The bigger variable is the previous preparation. An exterior prepped properly will hold its interval; one coated over failing paint usually will not, whatever the paint cost.
Planning exterior work in New Britain?
Call for a free estimate and a written summary quote on your first visit.