Marietta is the oldest housing we work in regularly, and old houses are a different craft from new ones.
Much of Marietta survived the Civil War intact, and the neighbourhoods around the Square reflect that. The Church Street–Cherokee Street area was designated a historic district in 2016 and contains homes over a hundred years old sitting alongside newer infill.
A century-old house does not behave like a twenty-year-old one. Walls may be plaster rather than drywall. Trim profiles were milled to patterns nobody stocks now, so a damaged length is repaired rather than swapped. Surfaces have moved and settled, which means filling and sanding take longer and matter more. And there are usually several generations of previous paint underneath, which can react in ways a fresh drywall surface never would.
The work is also more about matching than choosing. In a new build you pick a colour. In an older Marietta home, half the job is making new work sit correctly beside original woodwork that is staying.
What changes on an older house
Preparation takes a larger share of the total time
Existing trim is usually repaired, not replaced
Plaster surfaces need different filling and priming
Colour and sheen chosen to sit with what stays
Test areas first, because old paint layers can surprise you
If your house is in or near a designated historic district, check whether exterior changes need approval before work is scheduled. That is a question for the city, and it is worth asking early.