Notes
Notes on painting houses
What actually fails, why it fails, and when to do the work. Written for homeowners comparing quotes.
August 21, 2026 · 6 min read
Exterior paint and salt air, and what Hampton Roads homes are up against
Salt does not blow off in the rain. It builds as a film, holds moisture against the wall, and bonds your new coat to itself instead of your house.
Read it
August 21, 2026 · 5 min read
How to read a painting estimate, and what a low bid leaves out
Three quotes, three numbers, and no way to compare them. Here is what a real scope names, and what is usually missing from the lowest one.
Read it
August 21, 2026 · 6 min read
What proper cabinet refinishing involves, start to finish
Ten steps, in order, and the three that decide whether the finish is still intact in five years. Most of them happen before any color goes on a door.
Read it
August 21, 2026 · 6 min read
What "two coats" actually means, and why most painters skip the second
Primer is not a coat. Two coats on the walls is not two coats. Here is what the phrase should mean on your estimate, and the reason it so often does not.
Read itAugust 18, 2026 · 3 min read
When to paint a house exterior in Virginia Beach
Two good windows a year and two bad ones. Pollen, dew point and wall temperature decide more about how long a coat lasts than the paint does.
Read it
August 4, 2026 · 3 min read
Are your kitchen cabinets worth refinishing?
Five things to check before you decide between refinishing and replacing. Two of them mean refinishing is the wrong answer.
Read it
July 14, 2026 · 4 min read
Why one coat of paint fails in Hampton Roads
One coat covers. It does not build a film. Here is what actually happens to a single-coat wall on this coast, and how long it takes.
Read it
Get an estimate from Nate
Pick a time that suits you, or tell him about the project and he will call you back. Either way he comes out, looks at what is actually there, writes down what he would do, and gives you a number.