San Rafael has more variety in its housing than almost anywhere else in Marin, and that variety shows up in how paint fails. Up in Terra Linda and Lucas Valley, the Eichlers have wide overhangs, exposed beams and walls of glass, and the beam ends that stick out past the roofline take the weather head-on. South of downtown in Gerstle Park and up around Dominican University, older wood homes carry decades of paint layers, and the oldest coats underneath are often oil-based. Closer to Highway 101, it's stucco and mid-century homes dealing with traffic grime. The weather shifts too: the north end of town runs warmer and sunnier, while neighborhoods near the bay pick up more wind and morning fog.
Free Estimate
We tailor each San Rafael job to what the house actually needs. That might be a full exterior repaint on an older home, a fresh look for a Terra Linda Eichler, or new color in the rooms inside before a house goes on the market. Reach out by phone or through the form to book a walkthrough at your place.
Painting an Eichler in Terra Linda or Lucas Valley
Eichlers need a different approach than most homes. The exterior is usually vertical-groove siding with posts and beams that are part of the structure and fully exposed. Those beam ends are where problems start. Rain and sun hit the cut end grain directly, so the wood soaks up water, cracks and eventually rots if the paint lets go. We check every beam end and post base, fill or flag damage, seal the end grain and then paint. Color matters on these homes too. Many owners want to keep the mid-century look, with warm earth tones on the siding and a bold accent on the front door. Inside, the plank ceilings and wood paneling are often left natural, so we mask and protect them carefully when painting nearby walls. If a past owner painted over the original look, we can help you choose colors that bring the mid-century character back, and we keep the lines crisp where the siding meets the glass. The same approach applies to the Eichler tracts in Marinwood, just up the road toward Novato.
Older Homes in Gerstle Park and Around Dominican
The older homes in these neighborhoods have a lot of wood trim: wide window casings, porch columns, decorative brackets and siding that has been painted many times over. Paint here often fails in layers. A newer latex coat peels off an older oil-based one, or the whole stack lifts at once where moisture has gotten behind it. On these houses, the prep takes longer than the painting. We scrape and sand down to a sound surface, prime bare wood and use a bonding primer where old oil paint remains. Window sills and porch floors usually need the most attention, since they hold water the longest. Porches and front steps take foot traffic as well as weather, so they get a floor-rated coating instead of regular trim paint. Color on these homes often follows the history of the street, and many owners pick two or three tones to bring out the trim details. Inside, many of these homes still have original built-ins and older kitchens, and painting built-ins and kitchen cabinets can bring them back without tearing anything out.