House Painters in Spartanburg, SC

Spartanburg homes: older than anywhere else nearby

Census survey data suggests about two-thirds of Spartanburg homes were built before 1980, and roughly one in eight before 1940. The 1960s were the single biggest decade for home building in the city.

That age shows up in the work. Older homes carry many layers of paint, often including oil-based and, in pre-1978 homes, lead-based coatings. Wood porches, columns, railings and window trim need sound wood and good primer before any topcoat. Mid-century ranches and split-levels in neighborhoods like Fernwood and Wadsworth Hills are usually in their third or fourth paint cycle.

Mill-village housing is part of Spartanburg too. Spartan Mills built 150 homes in a village called Montgomeryville, and the Beaumont Mill Village — 317 properties around Beaumont Mill — is still a lived-in neighborhood today.

Exterior painting on older Spartanburg homes

The Upstate is humid subtropical: GSP averages about 47 inches of rain a year, and July highs average about 90°F. That combination is hard on exterior paint. Moisture works into bare or poorly sealed wood, sun breaks down finishes on south and west walls first, and shaded sides stay damp longer. Good exterior work here starts with washing, scraping, spot-priming bare wood and caulking gaps before any topcoat.

Hampton Heights homes date mostly from the 1900s to the 1930s, in Queen Anne and Craftsman styles. Converse Heights adds Foursquare, Tudor, Colonial Revival and Spanish Mission homes from about 1900 to 1940. These houses have a lot of trim, porch and detail work, and that is where the time goes on an exterior — and where good prep pays off.