Painters for Applewood.

Custom homes, not a subdivision

Applewood was not built out street by street in a single year. It grew as individual custom homes on generous lots, which means the housing varies genuinely from one address to the next: different builders, different eras, different trim detail, different substrates.

The practical consequence is that a price per square foot means very little here. Two neighboring houses of the same size can need noticeably different work, and an estimate should be measured on your actual building rather than extrapolated from the street.

The trees are the defining factor

Applewood's mature canopy is the thing people love about it and the thing that complicates exteriors. Shaded north and east walls stay damp long after a snow, and damp shaded walls grow mildew.

Those dark streaks are biological rather than dirt. They have to be treated chemically before any coating goes on, because painting over mildew simply hands it a fresh surface to colonize. Meanwhile the south and west walls on the same house are taking full Colorado sun and chalking.

One house, two opposite problems, and both need addressing in the same project.

Staging on a larger lot

More space makes access easier and the walk longer. Equipment placement, where the truck sits, and how far material has to be carried all factor into a realistic estimate, and we work that out before the first day rather than improvising.

Original detail worth keeping

A good number of Applewood homes still have their original trim profiles, real wood doors and in some cases exposed rafter tails or other mid-century signature details. Those are an asset, and the right approach is sanding back toward the profile rather than adding another thick layer that softens every edge. More on that on our mid-century page.