Newcastle Painting

We had used Keith before for a couple of small jobs, and when it came time to get the whole house painted (exterior), I knew that he was the one to call.  His estimate was very reasonable, and he identified all problems with the woodworking/trim that needed to be addressed before the painting began.  (He also did a light powerwash to prep the house.)  Keith did a good and thorough job.  If a minor problem or issue came up, he cheerfully fixed it without a moment's hesitation.  My only complaint (and it's a small one) is that I like to be kept very informed of what's going on, and I had asked Keith to touch base with me at the end of each day before he left, to give me an update and let me know the plan for the next day.  This rarely happened, but probably most customers don't ask for this kind of thing, so he wasn't used to doing it.  And, although he did call periodically to let me know where things stood with his schedule in the weeks leading up to the job (we had an extremely rainy June, which led to a big delay in the anticipated start-date of the work), one morning he was just here starting the job, completely to my surprise.  I work from home, and I arranged my schedule differently on the days that he was here, so it would have been helpful to know ahead of time when someone was going to be here hammering on my house!  But this is a minor quibble, and I would certainly hire Keith again, as the quality of his work -- and his friendly, helpful attitude -- can't be beat.  The house looks great, and I feel that the paint job will hold up for quite some time.

Keith was great. We would definitely use him again. His company's name would lead you to believe he is just a painter, but he is a very skilled carpenter as well. The crown molding, wainscoting, and updated FP surround all came out great. His pricing was less than the competition as well.  We showed him pictures of what we had for ideas on the FP surround and he was able to replicate almost perfectly, including framing the flat panel TV over the FP.  As soon as I figure out how to put up pictures, I will. The job hit a few snags, as any job does, but he rolled with it without any stress. He has a very easy going personality and is easy to work with. We had ideas as the job went on and he was able to accommodate them without problem.  We would highly recommend Keith to any family or friends.

We hired Keith and his professional crew to paint our entire house (four full floors of walls, ceilings, trim, and some windows), kitchen cabinets/island (removed doors and hardware) and epoxy fleck painted the garage floor, after receiving his bid (which was fair, considering good painters are not inexpensive and one's home is an investment) and after reading reviews on Angie's List.  The house looks great and we are very happy with the detailed work, repairs, sanding, and clean up.  Keith even helped me pick color sheen and gave advice on color matching - he is a true artist.  He noticed that some of the paint hadn't been mixed properly at the store and didn't quite match on the wall, so he painted that part over.  He has a lot of experience and takes great pride in his work.  We were most pleased with the kitchen cabinets - they look like new.  Others have commented that they even thought they were new.
We definitely recommend Keith and think a lot of him as a professional painter and businessman.  He is a great person to work with, too.  We will call him this spring for outside painting!!

Very well. he made it possible for us to move into a still unfinished but very livable and charming old house. We feel very very fortunate to have found him.
  I  contacted Kieth based on favorable Angie's List reviews and was impressed in initial phone conversations. I became fully confident in his skill and integrity during the first week . Over  three plus months he worked 4 to 5 days most week and I drove up for 3 or 4 days. Probably three quarters of what was accomplished was his doing. He is skillful and productive and has a good sense of design.
  Any problems that arose were promptly and fully resolved. We are very happy with our refinished floors after negotiating an extra coat for one room. There were occasional interruptions or delays due to home responsibilities (His wife was in school and they have two young boys). I'm sure I contributed more disruptions myself.
  In sum, I very, very highly recommend Kieth Rawcliffe and Newcastle Painting.

I contacted Keith in late Spring, and he said that he was completely booked 'till September, but he could finish everything for us before the wedding.  He came out, sized up the project, gave us a very fair estimate, and booked us for September.  True to his word, he showed up in mid-September and started working.  I have never seen a crew work so h****** prepping a house for painting.  They went over every inch, chipping off old, peeling paint, repairing holes, etc.  It was amazing to watch.  Then the carpentry began - we had several cedar boards that were broken off.  Keith is a very good carpenter, and handled them with no problem.  When he got to the front of the house, one board was broken, and when he removed it, he realized that one whole side of our front entrance was rotted away!  It was too much for him to handle.  He said that he would finish everything else, and when we had the repair done, he would come back and paint it, at no additional cost.  And that's just what he did!  Our contractor worked 2 days rebuilding the entryway, even pouring cement to anchor stuff.  It was alot of extra wood to paint.  Keith hurried out when I told him that we were ready to paint the repaired part, and he finished up everything a whole week before wedding guests started arriving. 
As an aside, poor Keith arrived for his first day of work on the morning that we had to put down our beloved 15 year-old Labrador retriever.  We were wrecks, crying all the way to the vet' and back at home.  He was so kind and sympathetic - it was very sweet. We have already recommended him to several friends.

.Keith did a wonderful job painting our old house, and it looks great--better than it's ever been done.  Keith is a real professional in his attitude and approach, and is a pleasure to work with.  He is an accomplished craftsman and the job reflects his abilities beyond what normally is provided by a painter. He was not the lowest bid, but the quality of the work and Keith's reliability is a good as they get.

I contacted Newcastle Painting by phone and the owner responded quickly, came by to see the job and called backwithin a few days to offer me a quote.  He scheduled the job for the following week, but  was not able to do itdue to weather.  One time I called to ask when he thought he might come and he returned the call within 15 minutes.When the day came, he was punctual and worked hard for the entire time he was here.  When there was a questionabout whether my windows were draining he came and checked it out with me and asked me to  adjust the screens.Even though Keith is obviously more talented than this job required, he showed pride in his work and an exceptionalwork ethic.  I had him take a quick look at some other work I would like done and plan to call him again.

details as above; estimate, work plan, work execution and agreed payment were all without difficulty;

Keith was wonderful!  I surely thought he would up charge me after seeing all the finish nail holes my contractor left for him to fill but he just moved right along on schedule.  I would highly recommend Newcastle Painting!

It went extremely  well.   This is the third project Keith has done for us, and we love his work.

Keith, owner and prime craftsman at Newcastle Painting, had just completed painting a large bedroom in our house.    One of the doors in question was the entry door to that bedroom.   I asked him what could be done to refinish the door, or maybe something else I could do that would make the door look really nice again. Keith examined the door for a few seconds and proceeded to tell me exactly what to do to restore the doors, including the names of the products to use (which are readily available and are not particularly expensive).  He also explained the rubbing techniques to use.

In my more adventuresome days I would have tackled the job myself, because Keith had just handed me precise instructions about how to do it.   But I didn't want to take a chance on messing up with the technique, so asked if he would be willing to do it; he was.  

The results are fantastic.   My wife is extremely pleased with the outcome, too.

The job went extremely well.

Keith, who owns and is the craftsman behind Newcastle Painting, is very experienced, careful and meticulous.   He did an excellent job.  He knows the characteristics of various high-quality paints and materials, and he suggests and selects the best for the circumstances involved, although he seems willing to go with whatever the customer wants that is reasonable.

One nice thing about using Keith for a job (he also had painted our house exterior a few years back - great job there, too) is that he not only is he an excellent and skilled painter, but he also does other work that might be necessary in connection with a job.  In this case that meant Sheetrock work and some carpentry.    I've discovered that when Keith says he can do something, then he can, and well, too.

In this case, Keith did all the work himself - no helper or crew.   He is the guy who sees customers and generates quotes for Newcastle Painting; but he is not a desk jockey or salesman.   We know that when we talk with Keith we are not only talking with the owner, but also the guy who is going to be on-site doing the work.  That really cuts down on the possibility for miscommunication and helps make for a smooth job and excellent results.

Although this has nothing to do with the quality of his work, it is a definite plus that Keith is, simply put, a very decent and nice guy, a pleasure to have around.

Keith dropped by and provided an estimate for painting the exterior of my home the day after I called. He was friendly and gave the impression he knows what he's talking about. I received quotes from two other companies, including another from Angie's List. Keith's quote was competitive, so I selected Newcastle Painting based on my first impression of the company's representative. 

From beginning to end, Keith and his 2-man crew acted professionally ? courteous, friendly, impeccable attention to detail, they cleaned up after themselves every day, took great pride in their work, and they seemed to love what they do. If I wanted something changed a little, their response was always sincerely positive and without hesitation (too bad not all contractors have such a great attitude). The mid-October weather was uncooperative, with lots of rainy days. But the crew never attempted to rush the job; instead waiting, as needed, for things to dry out before proceeding. During the spells of rainy days, Keith contacted me several times to assure me they intended to finish the job when the time was right. 

Upon job completion, I did a detailed walk-around with Keith. I found nothing wrong. In my mind, they?d done a perfect job. I would absolutely recommend Newcastle Painting to anyone.

Keith did a great job. He and his team were professional and pleasant. The work area was cleaned up at the end of each day and everything was spic and span upon completion. The quality of the work was fantastic.  My rooms look terrific! He finished in a timely manner. I would recommend him very highly. I had the 10% off coupon but did not ask him to deduct the 10% from the bill because upon completion of the job I was so pleased I felt he deserved the money.

I?d like to give a big thanks to Newcastle Painting for both a superb job and level of service.  I obtained about 4 quotes before deciding to go with Newcastle.  I requested a quote from them after reading many of the exemplary reviews on Angie?s List.  When Keith came out to meet with me and give me a quote, he was very professional and quickly put me at ease about my concerns, particularly after of the experience I had with another painting service that is highly recommended on this site (I'll withhold their name but it's one of the top choices on this site for the Hartford area).   When the owner of the competitor came out, he looked over my house and immediately described my house as being hopeless.  Paint was chipping in several areas and I had some rotted wood, especially after the harsh winter.  He said my house was too compromised and he couldn?t guarantee the work when he normally provides a 2 year warranty.  He also said that he wouldn?t bother with doing 2 coats but only 1.  In addition, he said he wouldn?t replace or fix any of the rotted wood.  The final insult was when he quoted me $9k which was far higher than the other 3 quotes.   As a professional painter, he should not be intimidated by chipping paint and other small fixes.  It?s not like it?s uncommon. Needless to say, they got a a big thumbs down.

In stark contrast, Keith from Newcastle looked over my house and provided me with a calm, rational assessment and not once did he shy away from the fact that some work had to be done.  Heck, he painted houses that were in far worse condition and looked at my house like it was no problem..  He was also gladly willing to replace and repair where necessary.  As for the work, my wife and I couldn?t be happier.  Keith and his partner went above and beyond, even providing 4 coats in some areas that are heavily exposed to the sun.  Our house which was built in 1986 looks like it?s almost new.  We have cedar clapboard and I don?t think I would ever consider vinyl siding after how it looks now.  I often find myself staring at my ?new? house in compete admiration.  Thanks again Newcastle!!!

Keith was very professional from start to finish. Overall, I was and am pleased with the quality of the work. Some things were better than others. For example, our home had popcorn ceilings and I asked Keith to smooth them out. He did an absolutely stellar job with that project - it could not be more perfect. The interior painting job was solid. It was pretty easy for his crew as our house was completely empty, so they were able to cover the floors and spray all the ceilings and trim without worrying about any personal belongings, furniture, etc. The sprayed ceilings and trim turned out beautifully.

The paint on the walls was overall quite good. There were a few rooms where the prep work had not been done well (sanding), but Keith redid entire walls and/or rooms that were not up to his standards. I did have to go through the house near the end to be sure that all drips and splatters were addressed, but when I pointed things out he fixed them. I would have preferred that he and his crew had taken care to make everything perfect (i.e. correct dark brown paint splatters on our white trim) themselves, but it wasn't a big deal that I had to intervene. It's been 9 months since he painted, and the interior paint still looks really good. There are a few areas that I now realize were missed - the inside of our bathroom door was never painted, the bathroom radiator was never painted, there's a splatter on our stairway ceiling, etc. - but all of these are relatively minor considering that he painted every surface of our house, most of it done perfectly.

The exterior painting is beautiful. The project was delayed by about a week due to rain. Keith had some challenges since our cedar siding is old and not in great shape. He did what he could to sand and make it look better, then applied several coats of Benjamin Moore Aura paint - which is shiny and long-lasting and really looks outstanding (better than all of our neighbors' homes that were also painted last year). His assistant painted portions of our home the wrong color at several points, but Keith corrected the mistakes immediately and the finished product is very good. Is it perfect? No. There are a few small things I would correct. But it's very, very good.

The one negative I would point out is that by the end of the job, I got the feeling that Keith and his assistant were in a hurry to finish up our job. In their defense, they dedicated probably 3 full weeks to our home (at a $15,000 price tag!) and we kept adding new things to the job (e.g. smoothing ceilings, painting all of our kitchen cabinets, painting our fence, etc.). - so they were probably ready to move on. On the last day, I was home and things were so hurried that I literally had to walk around the house pointing out and reminding them about the things I wanted done before they left (remove hardware, paint over the marks leftover from previous door numbers, etc.). They did it, but I didn't like having to keep reminding them and feeling so rushed.

All that said, I would recommend Keith without reservation. He's a very kind person, honest, hard-working, thorough, detail-oriented, uses high quality paints, etc. His assistants could use more training and I wish I could clone Keith, because the work that he did himself was outstanding.

The crew from Newcastle Painting Company did an excellent job. They were inexpensive. They cleaned up well. They were very accommodating. They power washed the house before they painted to get rid of the dirt and moss, so that the paint will stick better. I discussed on the type of paint to use with the owner, of the company. He had a lot of experience and suggested a good product. All I had to do was select two colors, one for the trim and another color for the body of the house. He was very knowledgeable about paints. I thought that he could be doing something lot more intellectual than painting but I guess he just enjoys it. We had a bad weather here however; he kept in touch with us and kept informing us about the weather and when it would be the right time for him to paint. He seemed to be really involved in the job. He brings in more people to help him when he needs it. Its people who know what they are doing because it reflects on him. They work really hard together. He just watches over them like a hawk and he is on the crew himself. I would use his services again in the future when required. I would recommend Newcastle Painting Company.

Keith promptly returned our call, set up a time for an estimate and showed up as arranged.  He sent in an estimate and gave an approximate start time a few weeks out.  He kept us informed as the time to start approached and made sure the colors were right.  He was delayed a few days to start due to his on-going job but let us know ahead of time. The work was done quickly and things look great.  All of the furniture was put back where it belonged and the house was cleaned up.  There were a few paint spatters but they cleaned up easily.  Leftover paint was left behind for touch up which was nice. Overall it was easy to work with Keith and I was very satisfied with the work.

Keith did a terrific job. Our home was a particular challenge for a few reasons. First, the exterior siding had been neglected for far too long and the cedar siding was extremely dry. Second, the previous owners had stained small portions of the siding with a solid stain, which hid the nice grain and knots of the wood, whereas the rest of the house still showed the texture of the wood, which we were hoping to preserve. Third, uneven sun and exposure to elements gave each side of the house a different look because of the different condition of the siding. So, Keith was challenged with the task of preserving the texture of the wood where possible, giving the entire exterior as uniform a look as possible, and minimizing the differences between the solid-stained regions and the adjacent sections, which we wanted in a semi-transparent stain. Despite these challenges, which required considerably more time and effort than a standard job, as well as much more stain than anticipated in some regions due to the dryness of the wood, Keith honored his original quote. He is extremely knowledgeable and was more than willing to work with us to make sure the job turned out to our satisfaction. Because of his knowledge of paints and his aesthetic sense, he was able to offer advice that most painters would not have been able to. We are very happy with the end result and would certainly hire Keith again for either exterior or interior (now in the planning stages) jobs.

Keith was professional from the first phone call. He was punctual, did what he said he would in the time he said he would, and charged a fair price. Very easy to work with.

They did a mediocre job on the cut in work, the rest of the work was fine.

Keith was a pleasure to work with

Overall, service went well.

We couldn't be happier with the results and the overall experience. I didn't know much about painting a house our flashing, I only knew I needed both. After walking the property, he pointed out what he thought needed to be done and we went from there. Keith, the owner, came back with a very competitive price which included more prep work than other painters that provided estimates. I was very impressed by Keith's expertise and professionalism; we consulted him in picking our colors and he was very patient as we made our final decision the day he showed up to prep the house. I felt very comfortable going to work and leaving the house open when he was there or coming. They worked long hours and got the job done ahead of schedule. The house looks great!

We purchased this house in 2006 as we felt it had tremendous potential to become a designer show piece. We performed extensive research and realized the look we wanted would require a sizable investment. Over the following next four years we saved the money to make our dream a reality. We vetted three top contractors and ultimately selected New Castle as we believed Keith would perform a first class job focusing on quality and old world craftsmanship. As a result, our focus was not on price but Keith was competitive with other contractors who would perform the same scope of work. The work performed exceeded our expectations and that does not happen often as we are very demanding with respect to quality. Keith and his crew were very professional, flexible and reasonable regarding contract add ons and took their time and exhibited tremendous patience hand painting cedar shakes and 62 true divided light windows. Keith immediately correct anything that I was not completely happy with and did it without any push back whatsoever. He embraced our vision of how the house should look as his own and I felt that the outcome would have been no different had he been painting his own house. I give New Castle A + marks and will definitely use them again in the future.