Tips
What Our Winter Prep Visit Covers
2 min read
Mini series
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Color, in Your Own Light
3 parts · Choosing paint color for the light you have
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Finishes, Explained
3 parts · Sheen, trim, plaster and what goes where
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Room by Room
3 parts · What goes on every surface, room by room
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The Home Hardening Series
3 parts · Wildfire mitigation in three parts
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The Remodel Series
3 parts · How we run a remodel, start to finish
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The Exterior Repaint Series
3 parts · How a whole-house repaint runs
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The Home Preservation Series
5 parts · From our job photos
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The Storm-Ready Series
10 parts · El Niño 2026 to 2027
The McDermaid Journal
Every Article
All 75
Painting 24
Tips 16
Restoration 14
Remodeling 10
Insurance 4
Regulatory 3
Fine Finish 2
Fine Paints of Europe 1
Wildfire Mitigation 1
All articles
75 articles
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Tips
What a Vulcan Vent Does That a Screen Can’t
9 min read
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Tips
Signs Your Attic Needs Work Before Winter
4 min read
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Tips
Why Crawlspaces and Basements Get Damp, and What Helps
3 min read
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Tips
How Rodents and Insects Get Into a House, and How the Gaps Get Sealed
4 min read
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Tips
Small Repairs That Prevent Big Ones
3 min read
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Tips
Getting Your House Ready for Winter
4 min read
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Tips
What a Roof Inspection Checks, and When to Get One
4 min read
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Painting
Color, in Your Own Light, Part 1: How Light Changes a Paint Color
4 min read Part 1 of 3
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Painting
Color, in Your Own Light, Part 2: Choosing a White
3 min read Part 2 of 3
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Painting
Color, in Your Own Light, Part 3: One Palette Through the House
4 min read Part 3 of 3
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Painting
Finishes, Explained, Part 1: Color Drenching and Sheen
4 min read Part 1 of 3
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Painting
Finishes, Explained, Part 2: Trim, Doors and Millwork
4 min read Part 2 of 3
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Painting
Finishes, Explained, Part 3: Venetian Plaster and Specialty Finishes
4 min read Part 3 of 3
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Painting
Room by Room, Part 1: What Goes on Every Surface of a Kitchen
4 min read Part 1 of 3
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Painting
Room by Room, Part 2: Paint in a Wet Room, Surface by Surface
4 min read Part 2 of 3
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Painting
Room by Room, Part 3: Living Spaces and the Stair Hall
4 min read Part 3 of 3
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Painting
The 2027 Colors of the Year, Read by a Painter
4 min read
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Painting
What a Finish Schedule Should Say, From the Painter’s Side
4 min read
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Tips
Home Hardening, Part 1: Embers and the First Five Feet
5 min read Part 1 of 3
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Remodeling
Home Hardening, Part 2: Fire-Resistant Siding and Decks
5 min read Part 2 of 3
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Painting
Home Hardening, Part 3: Fire-Retardant Coatings and Records
5 min read Part 3 of 3
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Remodeling
Remodel Series, Part 1: How We Run a Kitchen Redesign
5 min read Part 1 of 3
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Remodeling
Remodel Series, Part 2: Working With Architects and Designers
4 min read Part 2 of 3
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Remodeling
Remodel Series, Part 3: How We Work With Our Trade Partners
4 min read Part 3 of 3
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Insurance
How We Document Your Home for Insurance
4 min read
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Remodeling
How We Plan an Exterior Upgrade
4 min read
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Remodeling
How We Run a Bathroom Remodel
4 min read
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Restoration
How We Restore Weathered Wood and Exterior Surfaces
4 min read
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Remodeling
How Permits Work on a McDermaid Project
4 min read
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Painting
Exterior Repaint, Part 1: Inspection and the Written Scope
6 min read Part 1 of 3
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Painting
Exterior Repaint, Part 2: Prep, Wood Repair and Lead-Safe Work
6 min read Part 2 of 3
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Painting
Exterior Repaint, Part 3: Primer, Finish Coats and the Walkthrough
5 min read Part 3 of 3
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Tips
What Our Annual Maintenance Program Covers, Season by Season
7 min read
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Painting
How We Paint the Rooms You Live In
5 min read
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Remodeling
How We Build and Finish a Painted Built-In
4 min read
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Painting
How Our Color Consultation Works, From First Talk to Final Pick
4 min read
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Painting
What Good Exterior Prep Looks Like Before the First Coat
6 min read Part 1 of 5
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Restoration
Refinishing Wood Front Doors and Gates the Right Way
5 min read Part 2 of 5
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Painting
Re-Staining Cedar Shingle Siding: How We Bring the Color Back
5 min read Part 3 of 5
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Restoration
Wood Window Restoration: Saving Old Sashes and Sills
6 min read Part 4 of 5
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Restoration
Restoring a Victorian Shingle Exterior, One Shingle at a Time
6 min read Part 5 of 5
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Tips
El Niño Is Coming: A Storm Prep Guide for Residential Homeowners
7 min read Part 1 of 10
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Painting
Seal Your Home Before the Rain: Caulk, Primer and Paint
5 min read Part 2 of 10
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Restoration
Find and Fix Wood Rot Before the Storms
4 min read Part 3 of 10
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Restoration
Where Water Gets In: Flashing, Gutters and Downspouts
5 min read Part 4 of 10
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Restoration
Get Your Deck, Railings and Stairs Ready for Winter
4 min read Part 5 of 10
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Insurance
Photograph Your Home Before the Storms
3 min read Part 6 of 10
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Tips
Is Your Sump Pump Ready for El Niño?
5 min read Part 7 of 10
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Restoration
Small Gaps, Big Damage: How to Catch a Hidden Leak
6 min read Part 8 of 10
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Tips
Roof Cracks and Moss: What to Check Before the Rain
6 min read Part 9 of 10
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Tips
Are Gutter Guards Worth It Before El Niño?
6 min read Part 10 of 10
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Fine Finish
What Is Level 5 Drywall Finish?
4 min read
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Fine Finish
Paint Finish Guide: Matte to Gloss
3 min read
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Tips
Pre-Sale Painting: What Actually Adds Value
3 min read
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Tips
Why We Have a No-Photos Policy
3 min read
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Insurance
Wildfire Risk and Insurance in Atherton
3 min read
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Insurance
Fire Insurance Documentation Checklist
3 min read
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Regulatory
Lead Paint in Pre-1978 Homes
3 min read
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Regulatory
How to Read a CSLB Contractor License
3 min read
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Regulatory
EPA Lead Paint Rules: What Homeowners Need to Know
4 min read
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Restoration
Woodside Redwood Siding: Preservation vs. Replacement
4 min read
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Restoration
Spanish Colonial Stucco: Repair Without Losing Character
3 min read
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Restoration
Getting Historic District Approval: What Slows Projects Down
3 min read
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Restoration
Case Study: Restoring a 1930s Hillsborough Mediterranean
3 min read
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Restoration
Working Around Heritage Trees: Permits and Precautions
4 min read
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Remodeling
Kitchen Remodel Planning: A Contractor's Checklist
5 min read
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Remodeling
Cabinet Refinishing vs. Replacement: An Honest Breakdown
4 min read
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Wildfire Mitigation
Wildfire Mitigation Guide for Peninsula Homeowners
4 min read
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Fine Paints of Europe
Is Fine Paints of Europe Worth It?
4 min read
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Painting
Why West-Facing Walls Fail First
4 min read
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Painting
Painting an Eichler: Flat Roofs, Post-and-Beam, No Overhangs
4 min read
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Painting
Color Theory for Craftsman Homes
4 min read
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Restoration
When a New Roof Requires New Siding: A McDermaid and Los Gatos Roofing Project
6 min read
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Painting
How Long Does Exterior Paint Last?
3 min read
Questions about your house? Ask the crew.
