The owner, Nick, visited personally to inspect the property and work up the estimate. He was very polite, friendly, and professional, and very knowledgeable about his craft. (He told me his family has, or had, had been in the paint business for years.) He did say it might be difficult to find the stain I had previously used on the deck, and preferred to use again; however, his crew did show up with the exact same brand and color of stain. The crew foreman, Nolan, was also very friendly and polite. The crew showed up early one morning and did all the power-washing, then were there early the next morning to do all the prep, sanding, and staining. Not once did I look out and see anybody taking a smoke or water break. Every time I glanced outside, all three men were working diligently. In fact, at one point I stepped outside while they were staining and tried to engage in small talk. The two guys working with Nolan looked up from their work and nodded politely, but I could tell they wanted me to leave them alone so they could continue working. After they had finished, cleaned up, and packed up, Nolan mentioned that they had put a single coat of stain on all surfaces. I pointed out that the contract provided for two coats on the deck, and the upper surfaces of the railings. Uncomplaining, the crew once again unpacked all their gear, and applied the second coat. I went out to do a couple of errands, and when I returned, they had finished the additional work, packed up, and left my property looking like they had never been there, with the exception of a beautifully clean and newly-stained deck area. Three days after they had first showed up, we were using the deck again. I have several other painting/staining projects upcoming, and Nick will be the first person I call for an estimate
Richard O.
