01Surface Restoration

Preparation that makes the paint last

A house gets fresh paint, and before long the trim is peeling again. Why? The paint went over rot, open cracks and dried-out caulk. We fix those first.

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EPA Lead-Safe Certified · C-33 Licensed #803672

An old panelled wood door mid-restoration, its grey-blue paint sanded back and patched with pale filler

02What we fix first

The work under the paint

Every McDermaid Restoration & Remodeling paint job starts with surface restoration. It’s slow work, and it’s the part you can’t see once the paint is on. We’ve done it for 34 years under C-33 license #803672, with Level 5 preparation inside and out. Call (650) 961-7415.

FPE Master Certified C-33 Licensed #803672

See how we work

Horizontal wood siding with its white and green paint weathered and peeling

03Six steps

Six steps before the first coat

A man seen from behind with his hand along a white window frame and the wall beside it

Step 1 of 6: Surface Assessment

  1. We check the wood, stucco, old paint and caulk on every side of the house and write the plan from what we find.

  2. On pre-1978 homes and historic properties we test for lead first and work lead-safe from there.

  3. Our carpenters cut out the rotted wood and rebuild the trim and siding before anything gets painted. Rot in a load-bearing member is referred to an appropriately licensed contractor.

  4. Cracks and dings get patched, and the texture is blended so the patch is hard to pick out under the paint.

  5. Old caulk comes out of the joints and gaps, and new sealant goes in, around pipes and wires too.

  6. Window heads, sills and the other spots where water collects get extra moisture protection, to reduce the risk of damage later.

Where a Wall Fails

Where each step does its work.

Wood siding on the left, stucco on the right. Choose a number to see where each step lands.

A generic wall elevation: horizontal wood siding with a sash window on the left of a corner board, a stucco field on the right, and a foundation band below. Numbered callouts mark five places: 01 layered old paint on the siding, 02 the window sill and lower trim, 03 a crack and patch in the stucco, 04 the joints around the window and a pipe through the stucco, 05 the flashing over the window head. Wood siding Stucco 01 02 03 04 05

Illustrative elevation, not to scale

  1. On pre-1978 homes and historic properties, old coats are tested first, with lead-safe practices before any scraping or sanding.

  2. Water sits longest on the sill, so it rots first. We rebuild it before anything gets painted.

  3. Cracks and dings patched, with the texture blended to match under the new coat.

  4. Where the casing meets the siding, and around every pipe through the wall. The old caulk comes out and new sealant goes in.

  5. Water running down the wall collects on top of the window. Flashing here reduces the risk of rot in the head trim.

04Our Process

Before we paint

A hand sanding a horizontal wood board with a sanding block

  1. Surface Assessment

    We check every surface, inside and out.

  2. Remediation

    Rot comes out, stucco gets patched, and any other non-structural repairs get done.

  3. Sealing & Caulking

    Every joint, gap and penetration is sealed.

  4. Preparation

    A final sanding, then primer, so the paint has something sound to grip.

05At a glance

Surface restoration in numbers

Preparation
Level 5
Licensed #803672
C-33
Assessment
Pre-Paint
Lead-Safe Certified
EPA
“Outstanding job from initial consultation to the final walkthrough.”
Robert K. · Woodside

06Learn More

Further reading

Restore Before You Repaint

Call us before you repaint and we’ll look at what’s under the old paint.

Request an estimate (650) 961-7415
A white gable window bay with scalloped trim on dark green clapboard, a wood door behind its glass
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McDermaid · (650) 961-7415