Painting Services in Shaughnessy
Shaughnessy is Vancouver's premier heritage residential neighbourhood — originally developed by the Canadian Pacific Railway as an exclusive enclave, it contains some of the largest and most architecturally significant homes in the city. Tudor Revival mansions, Georgian Revival estates, and large Craftsman homes sit on generous, tree-lined lots. Painting these properties well requires experience with older materials, complex architectures, and a pace that respects the quality of what's already there.
Exterior Painting on Heritage Estates
Exterior painting on Shaughnessy homes starts with a thorough assessment. Homes a century old often have lead paint on exterior surfaces beneath successive paint layers — we follow WorkSafeBC safe work procedures for the disturbance of lead-containing coatings, which includes wet-scraping rather than dry-sanding and careful containment of debris. We check all cedar siding, wood trim, and masonry for moisture damage before priming, and we use flexible, high-quality exterior coatings appropriate for the substrate and exposure.
The complexity of a Shaughnessy exterior — multiple gables, corbels, bay windows, dormers, intricate fascia profiles, and extensive trim work — means these projects take longer and require more skilled labour than a standard residential exterior. We factor this into our estimates and never rush the masking and detailing phase.
Fine Interior Painting & Millwork
Shaughnessy interiors are defined by original architectural details: large plaster ceiling medallions, elaborate crown moulding, quarter-sawn oak wainscoting, built-in cabinetry, and formal room layouts with high ceilings. We use HVLP spray systems for applying enamel to detailed trim and millwork — this produces a smoother finish than brush application and avoids the buildup of paint in moulding profiles that obscures the detail. All masking is done carefully to protect original hardwood floors and antique furniture.
Plaster repairs in Shaughnessy homes are common — ceiling cracks from foundation movement, water staining around old chimneys, and deteriorating plaster medallions. We repair original plaster using setting-type compounds that are compatible with the original material and match the surrounding finish before painting.