Exterior Painting right here in Brighton, Massachusetts.

Brighton grew fast once electric streetcars arrived in 1889. The Brighton Allston Historical Society records Allston-Brighton's population rising from 6,000 in 1875 to 47,000 in 1925, and much of the housing standing today dates from that era or the decade after: in ZIP code 02135, 38.8% of housing units were built in 1939 or earlier.

Old wood siding repaints well when it is prepared properly. The questions specific to this neighborhood are whether your house sits in the Aberdeen Architectural Conservation District, how lead rules shape the scraping, and how to coordinate work on a building with more than one owner.

Inside the Aberdeen district

Aberdeen was designated by the City of Boston in 2002. Its study report counts 525 properties: 67 free-standing single-family houses, 95 two-families, 70 three-family residences and 125 apartment buildings. The single-family houses span Queen Anne, Shingle, Colonial Revival, Craftsman, Tudor and Mission styles; the report describes many of the early ones as clapboard or wood-shingle clad, while its Mission examples are stucco.

The city's page says all proposed exterior work visible from a public way goes to the district commission, which meets the second Thursday of each month, and that you should not start work or buy materials until approval is confirmed. The study report, however, lists routine maintenance including painting of wood as not subject to review, and says the commission does not review paint or stain colors on wood. The adopted standards may be worded differently, so confirm with the commission before scheduling. Points from the report that bear directly on a paint job:

• No propane or butane torches, sandblasting, water blasting or other abrasive paint removal on wood
• Stripping only where the paint surface has deteriorated, as part of a repainting program
• Masonry is not to be painted unless records show it was painted historically; repainting masonry goes to review
• New vinyl siding that covers or replaces original materials is not allowed

Scraping lead paint on old siding

Exterior surfaces on pre-1978 houses can carry lead under newer coats, and 74.1% of units in 02135 were built in 1979 or earlier. The EPA renovation rule treats exterior work that disturbs more than 20 square feet of paint as requiring lead-safe practices, which on a full repaint means ground sheeting, misting during scraping, HEPA-vacuum sanders and daily cleanup of chips. That lines up well with Aberdeen's ban on torches and blasting, since both rule out the methods that spread the most dust.

Details on containment and cleanup are on our lead-safe painting page. If the house needs actual abatement, Boston's Lead Safe Boston program offers forgivable loans for eligible owners.

Two-families, three-deckers and shared walls

In 02135, 15.2% of housing units are in two-unit buildings and 14.1% are in buildings of three or four units. When those buildings are condominiums, the exterior usually belongs to all owners, so the color, schedule and cost split need agreement before work begins. Stacked rear porches on wooden three-deckers add railing, ceiling and floor surfaces that can take more weather than the front facade and may need heavier scraping.

Tight side yards are another practical issue. Ladders and staging may need to stand on a neighbor's side, so it is worth talking with abutters before the crew arrives.

Timing the job

Exterior paint labels set a minimum application temperature, commonly somewhere between 35 and 50°F, and the work also needs dry siding and time to cure before dew sets in. In eastern Massachusetts that points to late spring through early fall. If you are in Aberdeen and need review for any part of the work, allow for the monthly meeting cycle. Our post on the best time of year to paint in Massachusetts goes through the season month by month.