Riverdale Painters — Riverdale, north of Dedham Village

In January 1652 Dedham Town Meeting voted to dig a 4,000-foot ditch linking the two ends of the Charles River's great loop. The river dropped only about three feet over seven or eight miles, which helps explain the flooding of the meadows; the ditch took nearly two years to finish and let water run straight from the high side to the low side. It also cut off a piece of land with river on every side, today the neighborhood of Riverdale.

We found no historic district or published architectural survey for Riverdale, so we lean on census numbers. Census Tract 4021.01 covers the area north of the village, including streets such as Needham Street and Kiely Road that are listed as Riverdale, and it reaches beyond the island. Of its 1,531 units, 71.3% are single-family detached and 91.6% were built before 1980; 30.0% date from 1939 or earlier and 31.5% from 1940 through 1959. Only 5.1% were built in 2000 or later, and 70.2% of occupied homes are owner-occupied.

Moisture from the river side

Walls facing the water or shaded by trees along the bank may dry more slowly after rain than the rest of the house. Mildew and peeling show up first on the sides that get the least sun, so an inspection should look at those walls, the lowest siding boards and the sills before anyone picks a color.

Nearly all pre-1980 housing

With 91.6% of the tract's units older than 1980, paint layers that contain lead are a real possibility on siding, trim, porches and window sash. Federal rules govern how that paint is scraped and cleaned up; read our lead-safe painting page before work starts.

Little new construction

Because so little housing here is from this century, most jobs are repaints over existing coatings rather than first coats on new siding. Adhesion of the old paint, not the new product, often decides how long the next coat lasts.

Decks and porches near the water

Outdoor wood in damp, shaded yards needs a finish chosen for that exposure and a dry spell before it goes on. Our Dedham deck staining and painting page covers stain types and prep.