Owning & Renovating a Mid-Century Modern Home

What California ADU law allows on a single-family lot, why a conversion often fits a mid-century house better, and how to design a detached unit that respects the original architecture.

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.

Where California wildfire rules stand as of November 4, 2026, which mid-century features need a closer look, a hardening checklist that respects the design, and seller disclosures.

Why slab post-and-beam homes differ from raised-floor houses, which California retrofit grants and insurance discounts fit, what an engineer may check, and the earthquake disclosures in a sale.

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.

Where the Eichler-era landscape approach came from, the principles worth keeping, how to swap a lawn for water-wise planting without losing the open look, and hardscape that suits the house.

Everyday atrium care starting with drainage, then the trade-offs of shading, roofing over with glass, or enclosing an Eichler atrium as interior space.

Why slab-on-grade post-and-beam houses hide leaks, how to tell a supply, drain or radiant leak apart, how leaks are found, and the trade-offs between repairing and rerouting.

What original Eichler and mid-century siding was made of, how to repair or match it in kind, which alternatives suit the style, and what to check while the walls are open.

How 1950s and 1960s baths were planned, a checklist for deciding what to keep, and the California fixture, fan and lighting rules that apply when you remodel over a radiant slab.

How to update a post-and-beam kitchen without losing the ceiling, sightlines or radiant slab, plus the lighting, plumbing fixture, lead and asbestos rules to check before demolition.

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.

What the Bay Area Air District's appliance rules require and when, heat pump options for houses without attics or ducts, heat pump water heaters, and panel planning.

How to read an older electrical panel, what federal and city agencies say about older breakers and aluminum wiring, two-slot outlets and GFCIs, and how to plan all-electric upgrades.

What original Eichler wall paneling is made of, how to identify its finish, how to refinish thin veneer without sanding through, the lead rules for old finishes, and how to match new panels.

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.

How to upgrade original mid-century windows: repair and retrofit options, where window film fits, the 2025 Energy Code rules for replacements, and how to keep slim frames.

How to evaluate an older mid-century slider, when glass counts as a repair, what California's 2025 Energy Code requires of replacements, and how to keep thin frames and full-height glass.

Where exposed beams on mid-century homes decay, how to inspect them with simple tools, the repair options preservation specialists use, and how to refinish beams without losing the look.

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.

How Eichler radiant floors work, how to tell copper tubing from steel, the warning signs of a slab leak, and the three paths owners take: repair, a new heat source, or a new system.