House painters in New Haven, Indiana
New Haven, Indiana, is a 1970s town by the numbers: its median house was built in 1975, so most repaints here are aluminum, wood and early vinyl siding that has had fifty years of weather.
What New Haven houses need from a painter
Census figures put 58% of New Haven's homes before 1980, and only 7% before 1940. So the typical job is a ranch or split-level from the 1960s or 70s, and that era has its own siding problems:
- Aluminum siding from those years has often gone chalky. Rub it and your hand comes away white. Every bit of that chalk has to be washed off, or new paint won't hold.
- Wood trim and fascia carry fifty-year-old paint, and a house built before 1978 may have lead under the top coats. Scraping more than 20 square feet outside takes an EPA Lead-Safe Certified firm.
- The newer streets are mostly vinyl. About 22% of New Haven's homes were built in 2000 or later. Vinyl can be painted, in a color no darker than the original or one the paint maker lists as safe for vinyl.
The steps and prices are on the exterior house painting page. For rooms, ceilings and trim, see interior painting.
Inside a 1970s house
Interiors from that decade bring their own list: dark paneling, sprayed ceiling texture and trim finished in oil-based enamel. Paneling can be primed and painted. Oil enamel needs a bonding primer before latex will stick to it. Sprayed ceiling texture put up before about 1980 may contain asbestos, so have it tested before anyone scrapes it. Painting over it leaves it undisturbed.
Permits and rules in New Haven
New Haven's city code hands building-code enforcement to the Allen County Building Department, the same office Fort Wayne uses. Painting isn't on the county's list of work that needs a permit. We found no local board that reviews paint colors in New Haven, so color is your call unless your subdivision has covenants. Check those before you pick a front-door red.
Getting rid of old paint
New Haven is in Allen County, so its residents can use the county's Tox Tuesday drop-off at 2260 Carroll Road in Fort Wayne, open Tuesdays from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Latex paint costs $2 a gallon to drop off, and the county sends it to be recycled. Other paints and stains are charged by weight, starting at $5. Bring cash or a check. A can of latex that has dried solid can go in the trash with its lid off.
New Haven painting questions
Do Fort Wayne painters charge extra to come to New Haven?
Distance is rarely an issue in New Haven, which borders Fort Wayne and is about 8 miles by road from downtown, mostly on State Road 930. Ask when the painter calls, and get the answer in the written quote.
Why do searches for New Haven painters show Connecticut?
Because New Haven, Connecticut, is far bigger. Add "Indiana" or "IN" to the search, or you will be reading about painters on the East Coast.
Can faded aluminum siding be painted instead of replaced?
Yes, if the panels are sound and not dented. It gets washed until no chalk comes off, then painted with exterior acrylic. Painting costs far less than new siding.
New Haven on the map
New Haven sits against Fort Wayne's east side in Allen County, where State Road 930 and US 30 head for Ohio. About 15,700 people live there.
Get a written painting quote
Three questions and no email address. Then:
- A local painter calls youMonday to Saturday, to ask about the house and the job.
- Photos or a walk-aroundSmall interior jobs can often be priced from pictures. Exteriors get walked.
- The price in writingWith the prep, the paint and the dates. You decide from there.
Get a New Haven painting quote
Outdoor painting weather in Fort Wayne runs from about mid-May to late September. Ask for a price over the winter and you can pick your dates.