Exterior Painting
Wood and hardboard siding with older trim.
Washing, scraping, board replacement, caulk, primer and two coats.
Neighborhood · Mecklenburg County · 28226
House Painting in Arboretum, NC
The Arboretum area of south Charlotte, around Providence Road and N.C. 51, covers neighborhoods like Providence Plantation and Raintree in ZIP 28226. About 6 miles from our Matthews office.
Mature Neighborhoods, Older Trim
Mostly 1970s and 1980s two-story homes, many with wood and hardboard siding, brick fronts and mature trees. Mature trees and 1980s wood trim mean a lot of shade, mildew and rot repair before paint.
The median home in Arboretum was built in 1986, and 67.6% of occupied homes are owner-occupied, according to Census estimates. That shapes what most jobs here look like.
What we see most in Arboretum
- Wood and hardboard siding. 1970s and 1980s siding that swells where paint fails.
- Rot at sills and door frames. Original wood trim softening at the bottom edges.
- Shade and mildew. Mature trees keeping walls damp.
Quick answer
Arboretum has about 16,752 homes, and the median one was built in 1986; 31.7% were built before 1980. Published national benchmarks put a typical exterior repaint at $1,819-$4,551 (HomeAdvisor) and a single room at $300-$1,000 for walls (HomeGuide); a written quote after an on-site estimate sets the real price, and prep decides how long it lasts. How costs break down.
Arboretum Housing & Paint Data
How old the homes are, what kind of buildings they are, and the weather paint has to survive, compared with Mecklenburg County and North Carolina.
Arboretum ZIP 28226
Mecklenburg County
North Carolina
- Before 1940
- 1940 to 1979
- 1980 to 1999
- 2000 and later
| Measure | Arboretum ZIP 28226 | Mecklenburg County | NC |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 39,381 | 1,154,681 | 10,730,404 |
| Housing units | 16,752 | 503,071 | 4,895,668 |
| Median year built | 1986 | 1997 | 1991 |
| Built before 1980 (closest Census cut to the 1978 lead-paint line) | 31.7% | 24.8% | 33.9% |
| Built 1980 to 1999 | 50.4% | 29.9% | 30.9% |
| Built 2000 or later | 17.9% | 45.3% | 35.1% |
| Built 2010 or later | 6.9% | 23.2% | 16.5% |
| Single-family detached | 62.3% | 54.8% | 65.3% |
| Attached homes (townhouses, twins) | 10.8% | 8.8% | 4.8% |
| Apartments and condos (2+ units) | 26.6% | 34.9% | 18.9% |
| Owner-occupied | 67.6% | 55.1% | 66.6% |
| Median home value | $617,600 | $406,800 | $288,900 |
Painting weather (NOAA 1991-2020 normals, Charlotte Douglas Airport)
- Rain
- 43.6 in a year, on 112 days
- Wettest month: August, 4.35 in
- Temperature
- July average high 90.3°F, January average low 31.8°F
- 58 nights a year below freezing, most from December to February
What this means for painting in Arboretum
- 31.7% of homes here were built before 1980 (24.8% across Mecklenburg County). Paint in homes built before 1978 may contain lead, so scraping or sanding it is done by a North Carolina certified lead-safe firm using containment and cleanup.
- 50.4% of homes were built from 1980 to 1999. Houses of that age are on their second or third paint job, often with hardboard siding and finger-jointed trim that swell where water gets past the paint, so we probe sills, frames and siding edges before quoting.
- 37.4% of homes are townhouses, condos or apartments. Exterior paint on those buildings is usually an HOA or management decision, so owners there mostly call us for interiors, cabinets and drywall.
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, tables B01003, B25001, B25003, B25024, B25034, B25035 and B25077 (profile); NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991-2020, station USW00013881. ACS figures are survey estimates with margins of error, and small places have wider margins. The Census year-built table breaks at 1980, not 1978, so "built before 1980" slightly overstates homes covered by lead-paint rules.
Signs Arboretum Homes Need Paint
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Swollen siding edges
Hardboard siding swells and flakes at the bottom where water gets in.
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Soft door frames
The bottom of door frames and garage trim rot where water pools.
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Mildew on shaded walls
Green film on walls under big trees.
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Peeling window trim
Old wood windows and trim peel at the sills.
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Old oil-based trim
Yellowed, glossy trim inside needs a bonding primer before latex.
Older Siding Needs More Than Paint
Homes from the 1970s and 1980s often have wood or hardboard siding and wood trim, and by now most have had two or three paint jobs. Where paint has failed, water has soaked into cut ends and bottom edges, so we probe and replace soft boards before painting.
Inside, many of these homes still have oil-based trim under later coats. Latex over oil peels unless the trim is sanded and primed with a bonding primer.
Painting Services in Arboretum
In Arboretum, mostly 1970s and 1980s two-story homes, many with wood and hardboard siding, brick fronts and mature trees. These are the services most homes here start with.
Wood Rot & Trim Repair
Soft sills, frames and siding bottoms.
Rot replaced with primed wood or PVC, and water sources fixed.
Interior Painting
Older oil-based trim and walls.
Sanding and bonding primer on trim, then two coats.
Every service we offer is available in Arboretum.
How an Older-Home Repaint Comes Together
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Probe the wood
Siding bottoms, sills and frames checked for soft spots.
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Replace and seal
Rotted boards replaced, bottom edges sealed.
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Wash, scrape and prime
Mildew washed off, loose paint scraped, bare wood primed.
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Two coats
Body and trim painted, then a walkaround.
Mature Trees and Tight Driveways
Big trees mean ladders work around branches and roots, and leaves fall into wet paint in autumn; we watch the weather and cover what we can.
Homes from before 1978 in these neighborhoods get lead-safe prep wherever paint is disturbed.
Questions From Arboretum
Is hardboard siding worth painting?
Yes, if most boards are sound. Swollen boards are replaced and bottom edges sealed before painting.
How far is Arboretum from your office?
About 6 miles from our office in Matthews. Arboretum is a regular part of our service area.
Can latex paint go over oil-based trim?
Only after sanding and a bonding primer; otherwise it peels.
Why is my 1980s house peeling at the bottom?
Water gets into the lowest boards from splash-back and sprinklers. The fix is repair, sealing and keeping water off.
Are many homes in Arboretum old enough for lead-safe rules?
Census estimates put 31.7% of Arboretum homes as built before 1980. For any home built before 1978, scraping or sanding paint has to follow lead-safe rules.
More answers on our painting FAQ page.
On-Site Estimate Painting Help in Arboretum
Painting Help in Arboretum
Mecklenburg County, NC
Tell us what you are seeing on the outside or inside of your Arboretum home, and roughly when it was built. Each points to a different kind of prep. North Carolina rules for older homes apply.
Booking estimates Mon-Sat 7 AM-6 PM
✓ On-Site Estimate✓ Written Scope✓ Insured Crew✓ Based in Matthews, NC