Interior Painting serving Salem and Metro West MA.

The Census puts the city's median year built at 1938, and 51.0% of housing units date to 1939 or earlier. Houses from before the postwar drywall era were typically finished in plaster on wood lath, unless a later renovation replaced it, and their casings, baseboards and doors may carry many layers of paint. By contrast, 11.2% of units were built in 2000 or later.

Indoor work also escapes one layer of paperwork. The Salem Historical Commission's guidelines state that it has no jurisdiction over interior work that does not affect the exterior, so choosing colors for a front parlor in a historic district is entirely the owner's call.

Plaster first, paint second

Old plaster cracks as a house settles and as the seasons swing between dry heat and humid summers. Hairline cracks can be cut out, taped with mesh and skimmed; a ceiling that sags or sounds hollow when pressed has lost its grip on the lath and may need plaster washers or new material before anything else happens. Painting over a loose section only hides it until it drops.

Once repairs cure, a primer seals the patches so they don't flash through the finish, and the walls get two coats. Our guide to preparing a home for interior painting explains what to clear out of each room beforehand.

Woodwork from the lead era

Using the Census bins as a proxy, 76.4% of Salem's housing units were built before 1980, and lead was banned from residential paint in 1978. On trim, sashes, stair balusters and doors, the bottom layers in such a house can contain lead even when the top coat is modern latex. Friction surfaces such as window jambs and door edges are where dust is generated as they open and close.

Sanding that woodwork dry spreads dust through the house. Lead-safe interior work means plastic sheeting, misting and hand tools or HEPA-shrouded sanders, and a HEPA vacuum and wet wipe at the end of each day. Our lead-safe painting page lays out the steps, and families with young children may also want our notes on painting with kids and pets at home.

From Federal parlors to stacked apartments

The 2005 state heritage report on Salem describes Federal-era mansions in the Chestnut Street area and around the Common, and 19th-century worker housing near the waterfront. A large house can have tall ceilings, deep cornice moldings and paneled doors that take far longer to cut in than a flat modern wall. Rooms in smaller worker housing may have low ceilings, narrow stairs and tight halls where ladders and drop cloths need planning.

Shared buildings matter too: 38.0% of Salem's units sit in buildings with two to four units. Repainting one floor of a two-family means keeping the shared stairway and entry clear for the neighbors, and working out who handles the common hall.

• Walls and ceilings, including stairwells and high entry halls
• Baseboards, casings, crown and picture rail
• Interior doors, paneled or flat
• Window sash and stools, with lead-safe prep on older units
• Plaster crack repair and skim patches

Winter is a good season for it

Interior paint doesn't depend on outdoor weather, so the colder months are workable as long as the heat is on and some ventilation is possible. Our article on winter interior painting in Massachusetts covers drying times and fresh air. If the outside of the house also needs attention, see our Salem exterior painting page.