Insurance for Older Homes in California: A Mid-Century Owner's Guide
How to insure a 1950s or 1960s post-and-beam home in California: rebuild limits, code upgrade coverage, wildfire mitigation discounts, the FAIR Plan and nonrenewal notice rules.
Butterfly Roof Houses and Other Mid-Century Rooflines Explained
Butterfly, flat, shed and low gable roofs each tell you something about a mid-century house. Here is where each came from and what the roofline means for owners.
Flat Roof Solar on Mid-Century Homes: Placement, Batteries, Billing
Getting a low-slope roof ready for solar, placing panels to suit the architecture, where batteries can go, how PG&E and Palo Alto solar billing work now, and what to ask in a sale.
Flat Roof Drainage on Mid-Century Homes: Fascia, Gutters and Grading
How water leaves a low-slope post-and-beam roof, why the fascia needs care, how to choose open edges, scuppers or gutters, where water should go at grade, and what to check each season.
Insulating an Exposed Beam Ceiling: Above the Deck, Edges and Walls
How to insulate a post-and-beam house with no attic: above-deck and below-deck options, what the 2025 Energy Code requires at a reroof, the roof edge, and walls, glass and air sealing.
Eichler Skylights: Leaks, Replacement Options and Daylight Rules
Why skylights leak on flat and low-slope mid-century roofs, what California's codes require for replacement and new skylights, and how to place them without cutting into the architecture.
Eichler Roof Replacement: Foam, Membranes and Above-Deck Insulation
Roofing systems for flat and low-slope Eichler roofs, the 2025 Energy Code rules that apply when you reroof, how to keep a slim roof edge, and how to care for a foam roof.