Exterior Painting in Malden, MA.

Of the 27,876 housing units the census counts in this city, 12,572 were built in 1939 or earlier. On an exterior, that age shows up as layer on layer of past paint jobs, some of them oil, some latex, and the oldest very possibly lead. Paint fails where those layers lose their grip on each other or on the wood: peeling on the sunny side, blistering where moisture comes through from inside, and cracked, alligatored finishes on trim.

Good exterior work here is mostly decided by how much of that old film comes off and how it is removed.

Scraping, lead and the neighbors

Census data show 70.9% of units were built before 1980. For any pre-1978 house, the EPA's Renovation, Repair and Painting rule requires certified contractors to contain paint chips and dust when they disturb exterior paint. In practice that means ground sheeting under every wall being scraped, no open-flame burning or uncontrolled power sanding, and daily cleanup. On lots where houses sit close together, containment also protects the yard and driveway next door.

The details are on our lead-safe painting page. The city's Lead and Healthy Homes Program lists exterior repainting among the lead-hazard work it can fund for pre-1978 homes in households below 80% of Area Median Income, as a three-year forgivable loan.

• Hand and wet scraping, with chips collected on sheeting
• Spot-priming bare wood and sealing failed areas
• Caulking open joints at trim, corners and window casings
• Replacing rotted trim boards before paint, not after

Historic review: what applies and what doesn't

The city has no local historic district yet. A study committee is looking at Downtown and Corey Road, and its Corey Road report describes that area as what would be the first. The draft ordinance for Corey Road lists paint color among the things the commission would not review, but it is a proposal, not law.

What does exist is a Demolition and Alteration Delay Ordinance run by the Malden Historical Commission. Its application covers partial alterations, not only demolition. We could not confirm from the ordinance which exterior changes trigger a filing, so if your project replaces siding, trim or windows on an older building, ask the commission whether a Notice of Intent is needed before work begins.

Two-families and larger buildings

A third of the housing (33.6%) is in two- to four-unit buildings. Painting one of these involves more than the walls: shared porches and stairs, separate entry doors, and owners or tenants who each need notice about ladders under their windows. If the building is a condominium, the association, not one owner, usually decides on exterior color and timing; the condo painting page covers that process.

On any house that borders the Middlesex Fells or another wooded lot, expect the shaded walls to hold moisture longer and grow mildew. Those walls need washing and a mildewcide-treated primer before topcoats.

Season and timing

Exterior latex paints list minimum application temperatures on the label, often 35 to 50°F, and the surface must stay dry while the film sets. As fall goes on, colder mornings and dew that is slow to dry off shaded walls shorten the working day. Trim, doors or a single elevation may still fit into a run of mild, dry days, while a whole-house repaint started now risks running out of usable weather. Read whether November painting works in Massachusetts for the details.

Owners in Maplewood, Edgeworth, Bell Rock and the West End can book a walkaround now to get a written scope before spring.