General Remodeling

Exterior Upgrades & Building Envelope

Water gets into a house around the windows and doors, and under the decks. We replace siding, install windows and doors, waterproof, and repair decks and rot.

B-2 Remodeling License · C-33 License #803672

Grey lap siding with crisp white window casings on a two-storey house, behind a magnolia tree

02The Building Envelope

The outside of the house keeps the weather out

Builders call the roof, walls, windows, doors and foundation the building envelope. It keeps the rain, the drafts and the summer heat outside. When it starts letting water in, look at the seams first.

Back to General Remodeling

Grey lap siding around a white-cased double-hung window with a lattice panel and a clipped boxwood in a planter below

03What We Do

Siding replacement, window and door installation, waterproofing, decks, and rot repair.

A long wooden porch with white railings, black lanterns and wicker chairs
  1. Siding Replacement

    Wood, engineered wood or Hardie fiber cement? We go through the cost, the upkeep and how each one behaves in a wildfire before you choose. Hardie fiber cement carries a Class A fire rating per the manufacturer, a common choice for homes in wildfire zones, backed by the manufacturer’s 30-year limited product warranty.

  2. Window & Door Installation

    Bad flashing around a window is one of the most common ways water gets into a wall, so every window we set gets flashed properly. We’ll also tell you when an old wood window is worth restoring instead, and what a new one does for your energy use.

  3. Deck Repair & Refinishing

    We repair and refinish existing decks. Rotted boards and trim get replaced, the surface is restored, and the area under the deck is waterproofed where it needs it. Composite, hardwood and fire-resistant boards each suit a different use. Problems in the deck framing go to an appropriately licensed contractor.

Blue-grey lap siding, white fascia and gable brackets, and red-framed windows under a grey shingle roof
  1. Waterproofing

    Deck coatings, window and door flashing, and sealing wherever a pipe or wire passes through the wall. Paint isn’t waterproofing. The membrane and the flashing under it are what keep the water out.

  2. Rot & Damage Repair

    We repair rot and termite damage in trim, siding and non-structural members. If the damage reaches anything load-bearing, we refer it to an appropriately licensed contractor. Our B-2 license sets that line.

  3. Coordination with Exterior Painting

    The same company does the siding, the trim and the finish work. Nobody has to argue over whose problem the gap at the corner board is.

04Upgrade Types

Every exterior job we take on

Three white divided-light windows in a row on cream lap siding, tree shadows across the wall
  1. Siding Replacement

    Wood, engineered wood, and Hardie fiber cement installation, with products checked against the WUI code

  2. Window Installation

    Energy-efficient windows, flashed and sealed

  3. Door Installation

    Entry and patio doors, chosen for security and energy use

  4. Deck Repair & Refinishing

    Existing decks, repaired and refinished

  5. Waterproofing

    Deck coatings, flashing, and sealing at every penetration

  6. Rot & Damage Repair

    Rot and termite damage in trim, siding and non-structural members

  7. Trim & Fascia

    Exterior trim and fascia, repaired or replaced

  8. Paint Integration

    Siding, trim and finish work by one team

On the Elevation

Where each upgrade lands on the house.

A generic front elevation, drawn to show which part of the envelope each upgrade touches. Choose a number to light it up.

A generic line drawing of a two-storey gable-front house: lap siding on the walls, double-hung windows and a front door, rake and corner trim boards at the roof edge and corners, and a railed deck to one side. Numbered callouts mark 01 the siding, 02 the windows and door, 03 the trim and fascia, 04 the deck and its waterproofing. 01 02 03 04

Illustrative, not to scale

  1. Wood, engineered wood, and Hardie fiber cement installation, with products checked against the WUI code.

  2. Energy-efficient windows, flashed and sealed. Entry and patio doors, chosen for security and energy use.

  3. Exterior trim and fascia, repaired or replaced.

  4. Existing decks, repaired and refinished. Deck coatings, flashing, and sealing at every penetration.

05Our Process

How an exterior job runs

A two-storey house wrapped in scaffolding while its new cladding goes on
  1. Envelope Assessment

    We look over the siding, windows, doors and decks and write up what we find.

  2. Engineering & Permits

    If the work needs an engineer, we refer one. Then we file for the permits.

  3. Demolition & Non-Structural Framing

    The old material comes off, and we repair rot in non-structural members as we find it.

  4. Cladding & Coating

    New siding, trim and waterproofing go on, then the finish coats.

06Why It Matters

What we pay attention to

Hardie Fiber Cement Installation

Siding with a Class A fire rating (manufacturer data), backed by the manufacturer’s 30-year limited product warranty.

Deck Waterproofing Systems

Water has to drain off the deck, and the membrane under the boards keeps it off the framing below.

Integrated Painting Coordination

Siding, trim and paint come from the same team.

A white clapboard gable with trimmed windows and eaves against a clear sky, a green shrub in front

Start with a walk around the house.

We’ll look at the siding, windows, doors and decks with you and write up a plan.

A white shingle wall with a six-light window between dark green louvred shutters, under a painted eave
M
McDermaid Assistant
Automated assistant
McDermaid · (650) 961-7415