Altadena Painting Contractor for Repaints and Fire Rebuilds

Smoke and soot damage in homes that survived

A house that made it through the fire can still carry smoke residue in the walls, ceilings, trim and cabinets, and the smell comes back through fresh paint if the surfaces are not handled first. The walls get cleaned of soot and residue, then sealed with a shellac-based or odor-blocking primer, and only then painted. Exteriors that took heat and ash get washed, checked for blistered or failed paint, and repaired before recoating.

Painting is usually one of the last trades in a smoke restoration, after cleaning and any repairs, so we coordinate with your restoration company or contractor on timing.

The full list of fire recovery work is on our Eaton Fire painting and restoration page.

Painting new construction rebuilds

On a rebuild we work to your general contractor's schedule. New drywall gets a primer made for new surfaces before any finish coats, and new stucco has to cure before it will take paint, so exterior painting is scheduled around the plaster work rather than rushed in behind it.

If you are choosing colors for a rebuild, we can put samples up on the new walls so you can see them in real light before the whole house is done.

Primers, timelines and what to ask a painter are covered in our guide to repainting Altadena after the fire.

Older Altadena homes

Most of Altadena's housing stock is Craftsman bungalows, Spanish Revival and mid-century homes, and a large share was built before 1978. Old paint layers on those homes should be treated as lead paint until tested, and federal rules require lead-safe work practices when that paint is disturbed, which changes how scraping, sanding and cleanup are done.

Sitting right against the mountains, these homes take strong sun and wind. Wood siding and trim peel and split first, so that wood gets scraped, sanded, repaired where boards have rotted, and primed before topcoats. Stucco gets its cracks patched and primed so they do not show back through.

The full exterior process is on our exterior painting page.

Commercial painting in Altadena

Commercial painting in Altadena covers storefronts and offices along Lake Avenue and Fair Oaks Avenue, apartment buildings, and businesses reopening after the fire. We schedule around open hours so the doors stay open, and on occupied apartment buildings we coordinate with residents unit by unit.

Scheduling and coatings for working buildings are on our office building painting page.

Permits and insurance paperwork

Altadena is unincorporated Los Angeles County, so permits go through the county rather than a city hall, and a standard repaint does not need one. On a rebuild, your general contractor pulls the permits and we work to that schedule.

If insurance is paying for the work, our written, itemized estimate lists the surfaces, the prep and repairs, the number of coats and the products, which is the level of detail adjusters ask for.

To set up a walkthrough, request a free written estimate or call (747) 888-8314.