cutting-edge-painting

Inside a 1929 MacGregor Home Restoration: How We Matched Original Wood Stain on New Baseboards

Mon, 08 Jun 2026 15:37:00 GMT

By Chad Feagley | Cutting Edge Painting | Home Painting

When a general contractor reached out to us about an interior painting project earlier this year, we knew right away this wasn't going to be a typical job. The home — a 1929 build by legendary East Bay developer Charles MacGregor — carried nearly a century of character. Our task wasn't just to paint it. It was to honor it.

A Home Built by a Legend

Charles MacGregor built roughly 1,500 homes in the early 1920s and '30s, and if you've spent time in Albany, you've seen his work. He had a signature style: Mediterranean-texture exteriors, large picture windows — especially in living rooms — and a fondness for split-level floor plans, whether that meant a bedroom perched over a garage or a staircase that went halfway up and halfway down.

This particular MacGregor home was undergoing a near-complete remodel. By the time we arrived to estimate the job, contractors were still on-site putting the finishing touches together. New can lighting had been installed throughout, along with new baseboards, refinished floors, and all-new fixtures. The bones were original; nearly everything else was fresh.

The Challenge: Recreating Original Stained Wood

Here's where the project got interesting. The original windows — still in place, still wearing their coatings from the 1920s — gave the home an unmistakable warmth. The clients had fallen in love with that aged, stained-wood look. But the new pre-primed baseboards being installed throughout the home? Bright white. Factory-fresh. No character whatsoever.

The ask was clear: make the new baseboards look like they belong with the original windows. Recreate the appearance of old stained wood — without actually staining them.

That meant no shortcuts. I analyzed the original coatings closely, got together with my team and our paint reps, and we worked through the best method to achieve a convincing woodgrain effect on pre-primed surfaces. The results exceeded expectations.

The Reveal

In this video, you can see exactly what we were able to achieve. Look closely at the baseboards — they almost have the appearance of real woodgrain. The texture, the tone, the warmth. All created with paint and technique, not actual stain.

We carried this finish throughout the entryway, living room, dining room, and kitchen — and we freshened up the fireplace mantle to match the same aesthetic. Every inch of new trim now ties into the original windows, creating a cohesive look that feels authentic to the home's era.

The pre-primed baseboards were installed, and our pre-primed baseboards come out factory-coated. They’re cut and milled, and then they’re just bake-coated onto there, so they’re very much into there. It wouldn’t be worth it to sand that down and create a natural finish, and we were tasked with creating these to look like the old ones.

And it’s not easily replicated by any means. Some people said to try to do paint on them and create brush strokes of a different color, so that way they could tend to blend. We chose to go a different route. When we conferred with our paint reps about what could be a good finish, and talked to a guy who’s been in the business for 30 years, he gave us a plan of how to attack it. And it still took our work, our trials of colors, to get to the right point.

So we did test patterns, and we coated it with a base-coat stain, a full-body stain, to make the pre-primed base darker, because you’re working with a bright surface and need to convert it over into a darker surface. So we do a light sand on it to open the pores of the baseboards, and then we clean them and we go over it with a solid body stain. And then from that point, we have our base, so then we take another water-based stain. All these stains are actually water-based, which helped us to be able to create it, because oil won’t stick as well to these surfaces because they’re pre-primed. So being water-based, we were able to streak it and give it the perception of, you know, newly finished but 100-year-old, reflection-looking wood.

And then it’s very important to protect those with a top coat, because otherwise they’re just left vulnerable. Any kind of nicks or dings will chip it away, and then you’ll see that pre-primed underneath there, and nobody wants to see that. So doing a top coat on top of it, and doing two top coats, really creates the durability. So there’s cleaning happening — Swiffers, vacuums — and they are then protected and won’t chip away, so it’s not showing what they were when they first came out to be.

Why Wood Species and Stain Type Change Everything

I actually think that we can go into a little bit further depth just in regards to staining, because each wood species has a different characteristic to it — mahogany, redwood — and so being able to match and tie into that, it’s a delicate process. And it takes some trials to be able to find the right effect to create that.

And on top of not just which species, there’s also different types of stain, whether it’s transparent, semi-transparent, semi-solid, or solid. There’s oil-based stains. So all of that goes into effect to be able to create the outcome of what is desired. And so we methodically use each of those in preparation to treat the wood, and that’s just if it’s natural wood.

Test Patterns, Top Coats, and the Details Most People Never Notice

We have done numerous matchings on stains to have the same effect as 100-year-old wood, and like I said before, it’s a lot of trials and tribulations in order to be able to get there. A lot of times we want to sample a board of the same species, to create the test patterns and different colors, so that way we can get as close as we possibly can.

Not only that — then you have the top coating to contend with as well, to create uniformity, whether it’s a flat, a matte, a satin, or a semi-gloss. And all those can take into effect with the light reflectiveness, and how that looks with either the conjoining boards as far as old stain and new stain, or just on their own. We also use certain colored putties that are oil-based, in order to cover up nail holes, fastenings, and screws, so that they blend and look like the grain of the wood and don’t stand out in a negative way.

A Related Project: Blending New Mahogany With 100-Year-Old Wood in North Berkeley

This project was in Berkeley, North Berkeley, off of Virginia Street, a standard craftsman home. On this project, we also did a combination. Not only were we working with 100-year-old wood and new wood that was mahogany, getting the new wood to blend with the old wood, we also were trying to revamp the old wood without doing a full-scale sand-down all the way to bare, to try to get through all the layers to the naturalness of it. So there was another product that we used in order to freshen up the old, current, existing wood, and then pieced in effortlessly into the new wood that was installed on that job.

And so there’s all kinds of products that we’ve pored through in order to find the accurate ones for every single project that we do, because every single house, every single coating, every single piece of wood has a different characteristic. And so it can be a very time-consuming process.

Refreshing the Cedar Shingle Exterior

Not only did we create that effect for them on the inside — their exterior home has wood trim that has been painted, but then all cedar shingles that we treated and stained on the outside. And so with that process, we do a very thorough, tedious pressure washing in order to be able to clean the shingles, so that they can take on the stain that we’re going to apply to it. They wanted to give it an updated look, so we used a solid body stain on there that’s called Woodscapes Rain Refresh, and so when it builds up moisture, it cleans the shingles — it cleans itself over the course of time.

But so with that process, we clean them thoroughly using a biodegradable chemical to brighten the wood, clean the wood, and strip it a little bit, and then obviously biodegradable to help keep the plant life around the home safe. We then let it dry out. We looked for any shingles that needed to be replaced, or that were damaged and had kind of gone through their extent of life and needed to have newly installed ones.

And then we coat it, and we do two coats of stain, with a back roll involved, in order to truly soak it into the pores of the cedar shingles and protect those surfaces for years and years to come. So we two-coat that process, back roll it into it, and then you have what looks to be a newly renovated exterior shingle of the house that has been there for 100-plus years.

Knowledge That Bridges the Gap for Our Clients

It’s a bridge to the final goal. But having the knowledge of the different effects of each product really helps with being able to bridge that easier for us and for the clients, and give them confidence and comfortability with what we’re going to do and how we’re going to treat their homes.

From Prep to Final Coat: A Complete Look at Our Process on a Historic Albany Remodel

Mon, 08 Jun 2026 15:36:54 GMT

I want to dive into this restoration project that we got to be a part of. Since this house was essentially a complete remodel, we approached it much like new construction, which means no cutting corners on prep. We start by protecting any existing fixtures, hardware, and flooring to make sure they stay clean throughout the process. We have to make sure that all surfaces are clean and ready to accept material whether that be caulking or primer or even paint so starting with a clean area allows us to feel the walls, feel the trim to make sure that they are the level of smoothness that our clients are wanting to achieve, and when I say feel, I mean truly feel with our hands as they have so many receptors to signal to us what needs attention. When we go into a house that has new surfaces with drywall or trim, we clean them to make sure all the dust particles have been removed, along with masking off the surfaces that need to be protected, and then we apply our first primer coat. Now, primer is an integral part of the equation for creating a long-lasting, secure, and safe finish, and there are many different primers out there, so selecting the right product can make or break a project. Primer helps seal up the materials that are on the walls, whether it's drywall or wood trim and then what happens is when you prime the new surfaces, it raises the grain, creating a rough feel. So it is imperative to sand the surfaces again after priming to create the desired smooth finish. Obviously, sanding creates more dust, so we do another round of cleaning just to ensure that no particles are flying around in the environment and that the finished product is going to be beautiful throughout. Now, also with prepping there's multiple processes that we have to do to ensure that everything is gonna have a long, lasting durable and beautiful finish, and parts of that is caulking in the new seams so that way there's no gap showing filling any nail holes so that way there's no indentation showing and we come over every single part of the surface to make sure that the surfaces are smooth without blemishes and something that our clients are gonna appreciate for a long time to come once we have a wrap on the prep work within decide how to structure our Painting process. It will depend on the layout of the house, whether there's big tall peak ceilings or whether there's a lot of doors and baseboards, but on this one in particular, we started with the trim first since we want to spray the trim to give it a smooth finish that feels like glass when you touch it we thought it'd be most advantageous to do the trim first so we spray the trim with two coats and it looks incredible. We attacked the ceilings that have a texture to it, so we used the right naps to be able to soak into all the new grooves. Once we completed those, we then started our masking process to keep the trim safe when we started painting the walls so we mask-taped, coated, and touched up every single room; that way they were completed to perfection. A project like this doesn't happen alone I want to take a moment to introduce some of the team that made it happen here you can see Ricardo handled rolling the walls on the lower level. Jose over here was finishing out the hallway and Cesar was wrapping up the final touches in the downstairs living room. He's got the guys are the reason the work it's done right they care about what they do. They care about their clients reactions and ultimately want to create happy clients for every single project that we work on. You can see the crew at the end of this video.

Beyond the woodgrain trim, each room had its own personality. Upstairs, a kids room got a fun, yellow, bright, cheerful full of energy. You can see the tape peeled clean; the vertical doors stand still in place and the yellow walls complete. The upper bathroom went with one color throughout a clean, monotone approach that let the cabinetry, countertops and faucet finishes the talking. When you have great fixtures, sometimes the best thing you can do is get out of the way. The lower bathroom took a different direction. The accessories were more minimal. So they went with a pop of color: a fun, inviting greenish blue that drawes you in as you approach. Here are some of the final photos from the completed project, and they speak for themselves. This project is one of many that we take on, but each house is unique and requires its own set of attention and processes to create a finish that anyone can be proud of. This house was a delight for us to work on, to be a part of the process from the beginning to the end stages of painting, and to be able to create a façade using different techniques for those stained pieces; the clients were ecstatic and are still ecstatic, enjoying the beautiful home. One of the most rewarding parts of a project like this is seeing all the individual steps come together into one finished project. We worked alongside talented contractors, and every single person had a hand in establishing the end goal. From initial prep to the final coat touch-ups, every detail plays a role in the overall outcome and longevity of the finish. We take pride in knowing that the work we put in behind the scenes is what allows the final product to stand out. This is what Cutting Edge is about: taking on the challenge, doing the work right, and leaving something behind that the homeowner loves. We love a challenge, as it gets to showcase our skill set and accomplish something that lasts the test of time. We look forward to serving others in this way in the future.

Choosing Exterior Colors: First Impressions and the Right Palette

Thu, 07 May 2026 02:02:25 GMT

Choosing exterior colors is more than just a choice — it's a first impression, it's what greets you when approaching. Whether you're refreshing your home, preparing to sell, or designing from the ground up, selecting the right palette is created by a balance of aesthetics, environment, and viability.

The impact of color influences how a property is perceived by all who pass by. Lighter shades tend to make a home appear larger and more sophisticated, while darker colors can create richness in depth and refinement. These are personal choices, and color can express your attitude and emotion. Soft neutrals can feel timeless, while bold colors can express individuality.

Maintenance should also be considered when selecting exterior colors, as heat absorption can impact how long the color will retain — dependent on microclimate and the surrounding area. The type of material the property is made of can affect the color choice as well, whether it be stucco, wood, or Hardie board siding; all possess their own individual character and treat colors differently.

Selecting a color palette should work in harmony with its environment. Elements like landscaping, trees, and even neighboring homes will affect the choices. The architectural style of the property plays a major role in determining the correct colors. Victorians can carry a wide variety of colors on one property to accent all their characteristics. Craftsman styles call for simple but elegant palettes that enhance their designs. Modern homes with clean, crisp lines and less ornamentation can support bolder, experimental, or high-contrast palettes. Details like doors, windows, shutters, trim, and railing provide an opportunity to involve accent or dimensional colors that add pop without taking away from the main scheme.

There are vast home designs that scale all spectrums across the East Bay Area — whether it be a mid-century home in El Cerrito, CA, a shingle-style home in Rockridge, Oakland, a Victorian in Alameda, or a stucco ranch in Richmond, CA. Each style and neighborhood has its own character, and the right color palette brings it out.

Ready to explore your color options? At Cutting Edge Painting, we partner with a colorist and apply samples before any commitment — so you can feel confident in every choice. Contact us today to get started.

Choosing Interior Colors: How to Create a Story in Your Home

Thu, 30 Apr 2026 02:02:08 GMT

Choosing an interior color or colors is a perfect opportunity to shape the space you want to change. Now there are a plethora of colors to choose from, with each brand containing specified colors that are unique to their company. It can feel like an overwhelming process if not done delicately. Many factors influence the decision. The shape of the actual space plays a huge role in how deep or light a color should be. How much natural light comes in throughout the day can be a determining factor in the degree of shade that is chosen. Warm versus cool artificial light can influence or alter a color’s depth. North facing rooms south facing rooms east and west facing rooms all can determine the right shade. Floor, color, furniture, finishes, tile, design, hardware, appliances – All play a pivotal role in picking the right color and how it reflects your experience. A color is not viewed by itself; it is constantly interacting with everything around it. A gray that looks soft and neutral against white trim may suddenly appear blue next to a particular tile. A warm beige can look almost pink beside certain flooring. All indicate how a color is perceived.

The beauty of choosing colors, is the ability to link them consistently throughout a home or space. Connecting shades of colors to create a story in your own space from a calm blue that feels refreshing to wake up to, to a pop of bright orange in the kids room to stimulate the options are vast. Even going off the standard and painting your doors a dark, deep, rich, brown color or highlighting crown molding in gold speckled paint can truly create a world of your own vision. Now there are some basics to start with and going in through a certain process to help achieve this, it can sometimes even be a process of elimination, selecting a trim color that you want to be consistent throughout the home usually ends up also being your ceiling color, but in a flat version and that creates fluidity throughout the space and ties in each room as you walk in through it. Each color chosen carries its own identity, giving you far-reaching ability to cast your canvas, which is your space.

Colors are not limited just paint. Stain can give a lot of options if there are wood elements in the space addi ng another dimension to the overall look and feel. Stain can give a modern twist to an old classic being able to bring out the grain of wood, which is such a beautiful natural-occurring product. There are even different degrees, apparently, when it comes to stain and how much wood grain one would like to see or one would like not to see. Species of wood can dictate how that stain is absorbed and the color that shows, from mahogany to Douglas fir to redwood all have their own distinct characteristics so sampling pieces is the best way before choosing one without knowing the outcome. Even if there are not natural raw wood elements in a home, we have the ability to make a painted piece of wood look like trim. to find out more. This is detailed in our other blog "Inside a 1929 McGregor home restoration: how we matched original wood stain on new baseboards”.

Selecting colors can be a very personal choice, dependent on what you like or what you like to see. We recommend spending time in the space to see the movement of light and to feel what speaks to you. Sometimes that might even being seeing a color in a friend's home or an associate’s workspace that you bond to, and want to re-create in your own home. I often recommend to clients that some of the best way to see a color is to see it in person and that inspiration can come from any space that you walk into. Now moving into your own space it might not be that exact same shade that has landed on as being able to tweak to accommodate your own environment is necessary. Then the fine tuning happens, shuffling through options to find the range of color to settle in. One thing that we offer as a help and a benefit of hiring Cutting Edge Painting is a free hour color consultation with our Personal Color Consultant. We have done numerous projects together, her eyes. See colors and ears in ways that it's hard for others to see. Her understanding of each houses, unique structure, and look all player role in accenting or hiding parts of a space or home. She helps our clients find a path to help selecting colors and creating a world they want to live in.

Looking at colors online can give you a taste of what a color may be, but will never live up to expectations unless seen in person. The little sample pieces of paper that you can get from paint stores are only a small portion of what should be done. They give you a small idea of what the color is but not the full experience. There are multiple ways to put colors on walls. There are larger samples that can be ordered that are peel and stick samples so they can be placed in different locations of the home or space allowing you to feel it without committing to a color. Then we recommend actual samples to be placed in selected locations to help visualize the colors chosen for the spaces. This allows you to see the colors on the textured surfaces or smooth surfaces creating a realistic idea of the outcome. Whether you have a craftsman home in Albany, California, a bungalow in Berkeley, California or a Victorian in the Temescal Neighborhood of Oakland, there are the right options for every situation in every style.

In part three, will look at exterior color selection-how to balance aesthetics, environment, and the architectural character of your to make the right first impression.

Color and How It Shapes the Way We Experience a Space

Thu, 23 Apr 2026 02:01:45 GMT

We look at colors in nature and notice what we feel when soaking them in. Seeing lush green trees and feeling refreshed among them, looking into the ocean and experiencing peace, or watching a captivating sunset pierce the skies and viewing the gradient colors of pinks to orange. Colors fill our daily lives and how we perceive the world; they give us context as to where we are and what we do. Colors can make us feel a heightened sense of awareness, and they can also bring a tremendous feeling of warmth.

Color is an incredible tool that can shape emotion, communicate mood, and influence how a space is experienced. Choosing a color is an important step of the overall paint process — one that can be overlooked if not given the attention it deserves. But choosing a color can be a rewarding experience. Being able to create an emotional reaction that soothes you, or an energetic feel that can rejuvenate you.

Now there is an incredible amount of colors to choose from. It can be overwhelming to decide which shade of a certain color will be the best fit. That's why at Cutting Edge Painting, we partner with a colorist who will take the time to help with choosing colors. Their expertise will help guide you to the right fit and create your own narrative amongst the colors that are chosen. We also apply samples before commitment to a color to ensure satisfaction with all choices.

In Part 2, we'll dive into interior color selection — how light, space, and the details of your home come together to create a story that's entirely your own.

Paint, Finish, and Walk-Through: Completing a Waterfront Exterior Project

Thu, 16 Apr 2026 02:03:59 GMT

With the prep work complete and every surface primed and ready, it's time for the part most people think about first — the painting. But even here, there's a method behind every decision we make. The products we choose, the way of applying them, the number of coats used, and systems before the actual paint all play a role in how the finished project will look and how well it will perform over time.

Choosing the Right Paint System for a Waterfront Home

Before we start, we take into consideration the environment of the home and the specific painting system that should be used. This house is located in Point Richmond, California, and it sits on the water, so we want a product that can hold up well to a lot of weather and a lot of salt coming off the water.

Waterfront homes experience conditions that can be rather harder on exterior coatings than homes located farther inland. Moisture, wind, temperature changes, salt in the air, and dirt all contribute to how quickly an exterior coating can break down. Product selection is just as important in any of the steps being taken.

We talk to our paint representatives for their advice and give them all the information about the location of the home and the substrates we’re working with. This allows us to determine the best product and system for the specific conditions of the project. There isn’t always one paint product that is right for every house. The location, substrate, existing coating, color change, exposure, and desired appearance all need to be considered.

For this project, we recommended a low-sheen paint for the main body. That might go against the norm — typically you'd use flat for an exterior body and semi-gloss for trim — but for SF Bay Area waterfront homes like this one, weather protection is the priority.

In this environment, there's a lot of moisture, and having the weather fall off the exterior is critical to protecting the surfaces long-term. Applying a low sheen on the body allows the paint to fight off the buildup of weather and dirt so the finish can look great for years to come. With the decision to use a low-sheen paint for the body, it is imperative to have solid prep that creates a smooth surface, as the low sheen will highlight any imperfections not addressed on the house. The sun hits the house, reflects off the low sheen, and shows any glaring errors in the body.

This is one of those projects where the quality of the final paint job is determined long before the paint is ever applied. Having conversations and relationships with our paint stores gives us an edge, knowing that we’re providing the very best.

Applying the Paint

We used the low-sheen paint and applied two coats, since we were converting the color from a medium gray to a dark bluish-black. Applying two coats protects the exterior better and allows the true color to show.

Here's how we apply it:

First coat: We spray onto the surface. Using the correct tip to evenly coat the surface and make sure all areas are covered accurately.

Second coat: We spray, using the same process, but then back-roll into the surface. Back-rolling allows the paint to penetrate inside the surface, creating a seal on top and a more uniform look.

If you only applied a spray application, you'd end up with lap lines on the exterior body and an uneven finish. This two-step process gives the exterior colors a uniform and longer-lasting finish. Also allowing the surfaces to be touched up more easily now and in future moments. Only spraying means you can only touch up by spraying, but by back-rolling the surfaces, we ensure that we create an easy finish to touch up if needed. It’s an extra step but really pays off for any future work.

Trim, Garage Doors, and Details

Onto the trim — same color, but we step up the sheen level to create contrast between the body and the trim. We apply two coats to all the trim, garage doors, metal railing, and detail designs. We applied this by roller and brush. It was not necessary to spray since the trim color is the same as the body, with just a sheen jump. This way, we can make every line clean, giving the finish a crisp look.

Scaffolding Removal and Patching

There is a system to every part of a job, especially timing when dealing with scaffolding. While working on the house, we complete the scaffold sides first so we can let the scaffold company know it's ready to come down. When they come to remove the scaffolding, there are holes left behind from where it was drilled into the house for stability. We want to make sure we're on site when that happens.

As they drop the scaffolding level by level, we go up and patch the holes, prime them, and finish painting them — so everything is protected, and nothing is left undone. This is a crucial step, especially for a project with very limited access to certain sides of the house. Being able to be there at the time of removal ensures completion of every inch.

The Final Walk-Through

Once the site is cleaned up, we walk around with the homeowner. We check for any touch-ups or items that need attention. If anything comes up, we take care of it on the spot. Giving the clients peace of mind and confidence that their home has been looked over thoroughly and not accepting any hidden surprises. We love this part of the project, as showing our clients are attention to detail is one of the traits we hold extremely high.

That's a completed painting project — and a happy homeowner. This is just one project we've done at Cutting Edge Painting. We enjoy each project we face, as they all present unique challenges, but those turn into unique opportunities to demonstrate what we can accomplish with our knowledge amd skillset. We do many more like it, and we would love to do yours. Contact us today to get started .

The Prep Work That Makes Paint Last on a Waterfront Home

Fri, 10 Apr 2026 02:03:58 GMT

When most people think about painting a house, they picture brushes and rollers. But the truth is, the prep work is where a lasting paint job is won or lost — and on a waterfront home, that prep work matters even more. Each project presents its own set of challenges, and we may opt to do a different order of our system, but there are always the main staples to each project.

The goal is not simply to make the house look clean when we’re done; it is to ensure durability. Proper preparation creates the foundation for everything that follows. When working in an environment exposed to moisture, wind, and salt air, taking the time to prepare correctly helps ensure the coating system performs the way it was designed and executed to. Here's exactly what we do before a single drop of paint goes on.

Pressure Washing

The first step once the scaffolding is in place is pressure washing all the surfaces. Houses collect dirt and cobwebs over time, and on a waterfront home like this one in Point Richmond, California, there's a significant amount of salt sitting on the exterior from the SF Bay Area water. We want to pressure wash all of that off so we have a good working surface to begin with. Doing this allows the surfaces to be ready for our next steps but also may expose areas that need further attention. There is a delicate process to pressure washing, and tedious movements are made to make sure nothing is damaged.

Identifying Trouble Areas

From there, we go around and pinpoint all the trouble areas — whether it's rotted wood or areas that need more attention during prep. We make note of specific spots and what will be required to make them weather-tight. Having multiple sets of eyes on each side makes it a lot easier as well all catch different items of attention.

Sanding, Caulking, and Patchwork

We begin the prep process by doing a light sanding on a lot of the surfaces. This agitates the surface and opens the pores so that when we apply new products, they bond properly. We then clean the surfaces. Even though we sand a lot with our sanders attached to HEPA vacuums, there can still be small dust particles left on the surfaces, so constantly cleaning helps the products we use bond well. If there are areas we have touched that show bare surfaces, we then do a spot prime method; this is usually in a different color and signals to us that these areas most likely need patching.

Following up with the patching itself at this point to level the surfaces, allowing time to dry before sanding to the desired smoothness. We then do caulking to seal any gaps. Caulking is a vital step; it can be the difference maker of whether moisture is allowed inside the home or not. We use specific caulking products depending on what strength is needed and all the time use ones that have significant stretch to them; this way, the finished product has a solid weather barrier and is protected from any intrusion into the house.

Repairing Water-Damaged Wood

On this project, we found a couple of areas where water had intruded into

the wood, creating soft spots. Here's what we do:

We dig those areas out and let them dry. Crucial to let the surfaces dry so as not to seal in moisture. Once clean and dry, we apply a two-part epoxy liquid to penetrate the wood. The epoxy cuts off the rot from spreading further and strengthens the wood.

We let that dry over the course of about a day, allowing the liquid to penetrate deep and create a barrier. The epoxy liquid doubles as a primer to the bare surfaces of the wood.

We then apply a two-part epoxy filler to fill in the damaged surfaces and flush them out. There are a multitude of different epoxy fillers, but there are our go tos that we have incredible results with. A lot of them tend to be marine tested epxoies which give better results for a house in this location.

After letting that dry for about 24 hours, we sand it down to smooth the area. We add topping epoxy if needed and if imperfections are still showing. This is a different product than the previous one but within the same brand, which gives the bonding ability a strong result. We then sand smooth and clean of dust.

Priming

Priming is a key part of protecting the work that has been done. Priming encapsulates the area and creates a surface for the new coating system to bond. By using this method, the damaged areas will now last an incredible amount of time and hold strong to the surface. Priming holds multiple functions, as it also can seal in troubled areas, flash a different color, and one of the main reasons we love primer is we use the capability of tinting our primers to the colors of what the house will be finished in. This added benefit helps achieve a more even and uniform color throughout when the final coatings are applied.

Masking

Finally, we mask the windows, door hardware, and ground cover, and cover any plants — making sure those areas stay clean throughout the process. A lot of homes we work on have beautiful plant life that are clients are very proud of, so protecting these while making sure they are still breathing is something we circle as a must on the checklist of to-dos. This is not only limited to plants, but all of our clients also have items, decor, or something specific that they care for deeply, and we assure them that it is of just as much importance to us that they remain unharmed. Our clients’ participation is important for us to have a completed, successful project.

With everything prepped and protected, we're ready for the painting portion.

In Part 3, we'll cover the paint system we chose for a salt-air environment, the spray and back-roll technique that gives us a uniform finish, and how we handle the final walk-through with the homeowner.

From Quote to Kickoff: Exterior Painting a Point Richmond Waterfront Home

Fri, 03 Apr 2026 02:03:57 GMT

Hello, I'm Chad with Cutting Edge Painting. I run a painting company out of here in the Bay Area and have been painting for almost 20 years myself at this point. I grew up in the Bay Area and trained in a company based in the East Bay. Today I want to walk you through a project we recently completed in Point Richmond, California — and give you a look at exactly how we work from the very first conversation to the moment we break ground.

The first step is our conversation between our potential client and me. We want to make sure that we're the right fit for them, that we will provide them with what they are looking for, and even go beyond what they're looking for. After having a brief conversation to address what is needed, I then schedule a convenient time for the homeowner to have me come by so I can take a look at what their project needs are. This is an integral step and may be one of the most important, as my potential client and I see if we're a good match for their project. For me, this is where the project relationship begins. Being invited to someone’s home can be a personal experience, creating trust from the beginning; listening to concerns and showing attention to detail in all phases is so important to having a successful project. Homeowners are putting their trust in someone else’s hands, and I don’t take that responsibility lightly. It’s the start of a project relationship, and I value building trust between my clients and me as soon as I can.

Once at the property, I walk around the premises and assess the condition of the project is paramount. I need to see what the trouble areas may be and what all substrates involved are, from metal to concrete and all in between. Looking for damaged areas and engaging in talks on how we address them. Speaking with my clients through it all and making sure I am listening to their concerns and what they're looking for, along with recommendations to give the best outcome. I make all my notes, then sit down, take my time, and produce a quote. I pay attention to make sure I address their concerns, as each project is unique. I want our potential clients to have confidence in their estimate experience and know that they are going to get the very best from me.

After walking the property and discussing the project with the homeowner, I take all of my notes and sit down to produce the quote. I want the estimate to reflect what we have actually discussed. I want the property owner to have confidence that I understood their concerns and that the scope of work accurately represents what we are proposing to do. Attention to detail is important in this stage. I take photos of each side of the property and highlight areas that need more attention. All of those are included in the estimate I send. The photos are great, as they can be reliable notes on what is to be done in an area, as I am able to add captions to each photo.

Once the estimate is completed, I then send it over to the homeowner so they can review it, make sure everything is accounted for, and if agreeable, we continue on to schedule the work. For this particular blog series, I'm going to focus on a full exterior painting job of an East Bay Area waterfront home.

A House Above the Water

This house is located in Point Richmond, and it sits above water on three of its sides. Two of those sides have either a deck or a walkway, which gives us access to put up ladders and reach the taller parts of the house. But one side has no walkway, no deck, and no ground of any kind for us to stabilize a ladder. Bringing ladders simply won’t cut it, and as a contractor, I then go into safety mode, as our record carried no accidents for a reason, and plan to maintain that. The equipment needed needs to be able to work with the architecture and challenges of the home. This waterfront home introduces challenges that aren’t easily remedied, but luckily, we know the right people to call.

So I subcontracted a scaffolding company to come out and give us a quote for what it would cost to install scaffolding along that side. Having worked in the world of painting for about 20 years, I have made strong connections to professionals that aid us in what we do every day. The scaffolding company is the highlight; I have used them for all the projects that are necessary for, and they do each project without fail. Having that confidence, knowing the scaffold is done right and safe in every inch of it, is something we will never take for granted.

Erecting the Scaffolding

Once that was arranged, the scaffold company came in and erected the scaffolding. On this house, they had to trudge into the water and build it from the bottom all the way to the top. It was amazing to witness — and very clever how they built and balanced it for weight by attaching it to the back of the house. They engineered a way to gain access while maintaining safety, and this is the foundation of being able to begin our process. Now scaffolding typically bolts into sturdy parts of the house in order to stay stable as we work from it. This is extra security, giving us the ability to work without fear.

With the scaffolding complete, we were ready to begin our process. But getting access to the house is only the beginning. Before any painting happens, there is an extensive preparation process.

In Part 2, we'll walk through the prep work that goes into a waterfront exterior in the SF Bay Area — from pressure washing off salt buildup to repairing water-damaged wood before a single drop of paint is applied.