Short answer
Older Denver houses need prep matched to their type: Victorians have layered trim and many edges, Denver Squares have deep eaves and big porches, and bungalows expose rafter tails and porch piers to the weather. All of them predate 1978, so lead-safe practices and Colorado’s seven-day pamphlet rule apply. Denver landmark review does not include paint color, but painting never-painted brick in a district should be checked first. Book in winter so scraping and priming start on the first good spring weeks.
The three house types we paint most
A lot of Denver’s older housing falls into a few familiar shapes. Each has its own weak spots, and the weak spots decide the prep.
- Victorians (roughly 1880s to 1900s). Queen Anne and related styles with wood siding or brick, decorative trim, turned porch posts and spindles, brackets and multiple roof planes. Lots of edges, lots of layers.
- Denver Squares. The local name for the Foursquare: two stories, square plan, hipped roof with a central dormer, wide eaves often with brackets, and a front porch with columns or square posts. History Colorado notes most Colorado Foursquares went up in the first three decades of the twentieth century. Many are brick with painted wood eaves, porches and windows.
- Bungalows (about 1900 to 1930). Low gabled roofs, deep overhanging eaves, often exposed rafter tails, and a broad front porch on tapered piers or thick columns. Brick or wood, with a lot of exposed wood at the roofline.
Where old Denver exteriors fail first
| Spot | Why it fails | What it takes |
|---|---|---|
| Porch floors, steps and column bases | Standing water, foot traffic, snow | Scrape to sound wood, repair rot, porch-rated coating |
| Window sills and wood sashes | Sun on the south and west, water sitting on flat surfaces | Scrape, glaze where needed, prime bare wood, two coats |
| Eaves, brackets and rafter tails | Ice and roof runoff at the edges, hard to reach | Ladder or lift access, hand scraping, priming every end grain |
| Victorian trim and spindles | Many layers, many edges for water to get under | Detail scraping and brushing, often more labor than the siding |
Under all of it is the layer problem. A new coat is only as attached as the oldest coat beneath it, so on a century-old house the prep is the job. For why paint fails on Colorado houses in general, see why exterior paint fails in Colorado.
Lead: assume it is there
Every house in this guide predates 1978. Colorado’s Regulation 19 requires the EPA Renovate Right pamphlet at least seven days before renovation that disturbs 2 square feet or more of painted surface, with a signed receipt, and federal lead-safe work practices apply: containment on the ground, wet scraping, no open-flame burning, and a cleaning check at the end. Details are in our lead-safe painting guide.
Historic districts: what review covers
Denver has 52 historic districts and nearly 350 individual landmarks, according to Historic Denver. The good news for painting: Historic Denver’s guide states plainly that design review does not include paint color. Review applies to exterior work that needs a permit, such as windows, siding or additions. The one painting question that does come up is masonry: Denver’s updated design guidelines advise against painting masonry that was never painted, so talk to Landmark Preservation before painting bare brick. Our brick guide covers the options.
Choosing colors that suit the house
Older houses look best when the color scheme follows the architecture. Victorians can carry three or more colors that pick out the trim; Denver Squares usually read best with a calm body, a contrasting trim on the eaves and porch, and a darker window sash; bungalows suit earthy bodies with the rafter tails and brackets highlighted. Our color selection page has swatches tested in Colorado light.
When to book
Book in winter, paint in spring. Some exterior products can go on in the cold: Sherwin-Williams lists Duration Exterior as applicable down to 35°F and Benjamin Moore lists Aura Exterior at 35°F to 100°F. But scraping and priming old wood wants dry, mild weeks, and the first of those fill fast. Booking now gets the walkthrough, the lead plan and the colors settled before the season starts. Our exterior painting page explains how we run a Denver exterior, and Painter Hotline’s lead-safe crews do the same work across the Front Range.
Sources
Every number in this guide comes from the source listed. Checked October 30, 2026.
- Foursquare, Colorado’s Historic Architecture & Engineering Guide, History Colorado
- Living in a Historic District or Home, Historic Denver
- Landmark Preservation Design Guidelines, City and County of Denver
- Lead-based paint and renovation (Regulation 19), CDPHE
- Duration Exterior Acrylic Latex, Sherwin-Williams
- Aura Exterior Paint, Benjamin Moore
Written by Denver Paint Contractors. Painting contractors serving Denver with over 20 years of experience, full insurance and a 5-year workmanship warranty. About us or call 720-208-5645.