NorthLine Field Notes
Painting field notes, written for Washington homes.
Honest, climate-specific guides from a working painter's perspective — what stuff costs, when to paint, what to ask, and how to make smart decisions before any crew shows up.
The Library
Every essay.
Best time of year to paint your home exterior in Washington
The painting industry pretends the season runs May through October. In Western Washington, the real window is shorter — and the cost of getting it wrong is paid in years, not weeks.
How to prepare your home for an interior paint job
A small amount of homeowner prep before the crew arrives shortens the job, protects the things you care about, and makes for a much better finished result.
Interior vs exterior paint — what is actually different?
It is not marketing. Exterior and interior paints are formulated to solve completely different problems. Using one where the other belongs is a slow-motion mistake.
Sherwin-Williams vs Benjamin Moore: which is better for your home?
Asking which brand is better is asking the wrong question. Asking which product, in which line, on which substrate, in which climate is the right question.
How long does interior paint last? When to repaint your home.
Interior paint does not just fade and die. It loses its battle with hands, sunlight, and time in a specific order. Once you know what to look for, you can plan ahead instead of reacting late.
How to choose paint colors for your home (without regret)
Most paint regret comes from the same five mistakes. Avoid them, sample seriously, and you will land on colors you still like two years from now.
How to choose a painting contractor: questions to ask
A great painter and a terrible painter often quote within 15% of each other. The difference is in twelve questions you can ask in twenty minutes — and the answers tell you everything.
How to paint kitchen cabinets like a professional
Painting cabinets is the most unforgiving paint work in a house. Get the prep wrong, the product wrong, or the sequence wrong and the finish tells on you within months.
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