Interior painting in Brooklyn usually means old plaster, tall parlor ceilings and trim that carries a century of paint. The prep decides how the room looks: cracks repaired, surfaces sanded and old oil enamel primed before two finish coats. In co-ops and condos we work to the building's hours and insurance rules.
Most interior painting in Brooklyn happens on plaster. Brownstones and brick row houses have plaster on wood lath, tall parlor ceilings, ceiling medallions and door casings as wide as a hand. Prewar co-ops have plaster over masonry, with picture rails and rounded corners. Newer condos have flat drywall. We look at which of these you have before quoting, because old plaster needs crack repair and spot priming that drywall does not. The paint goes on last. Most of our hours on an old Brooklyn room are spent before a can is opened.
A room starts with moving and covering furniture, then floors and radiators. Cracks are opened, filled and sanded. Glossy old enamel on trim is dulled and given a bonding primer so the new coat grips. Stains from past leaks get a stain-blocking primer. Then come two finish coats on walls, a flat coat on ceilings and a harder finish on doors and trim. Nearly every home here was built before 1978, so where old paint is sanded or scraped we work with lead-safe methods and clean up with care.
Buildings shape the schedule as much as walls do. Many co-op and condo boards ask for a certificate of insurance, set work hours on weekdays and want the elevator booked and padded. Walk-ups mean carrying every ladder and bucket up the stairs. Street parking is tight, so we plan deliveries ahead. Tell us your building's rules when you call and we will build the quote around them. You get a written price, a start date, and a walk-through together at the end before the job is closed.
Interior painting in Brooklyn: common questions
Can you paint my co-op apartment if the board has rules for contractors?
Yes. Send us the building's alteration or contractor rules before we quote. Boards commonly ask for a certificate of insurance and limit work hours. We plan the job around those rules. The Brooklyn Painting Company is licensed and insured.
My plaster walls have cracks. Can they be painted over?
Not if you want them to stay hidden. Paint alone bridges a crack for a short time and then it shows again. We open the crack, fill it, tape it where it moves, sand it and prime the patch before painting.
Do I have to move out while you paint?
Usually not. We work room by room so you keep a place to sleep and cook. Water-based paints have a mild smell that clears with open windows. Tell us about children, pregnancy or pets so we can plan around them, above all in an older home.
How it works
- Free estimate: Call, text or book online. We walk the job and measure.
- Written quote: Prep, paint and price in writing.
- Prep & protect: We cover floors and furniture, repair and prime surfaces.
- Paint & walk-through: Two coats, clean lines, full clean-up and a final walk-through.