Remodeling in Dallas, TX

Homes in Dallas

Dallas housing covers a wide spread. Older neighborhoods such as Lakewood and the M Streets hold Tudor cottages and bungalows from the early and middle twentieth century, many of them on pier-and-beam foundations. Farther out you find long blocks of 1950s and 1960s ranch houses, then slab-on-grade homes from the 1970s onward, and new infill construction wherever an older house came down.

Each era brings its own surprises. In a prewar house, opening a bathroom wall can reveal old galvanized supply lines, cast-iron drains or framing that is out of square, and the floor under a tub may need leveling before tile goes down. Kitchens in these homes are often small and closed off, so layout is usually the first conversation.

Ranch and slab homes are simpler to open up, but the North Texas clay under them swells and shrinks with wet and dry seasons. That shows up as cracked grout, sticking doors and hairline drywall cracks. Before new tile or hardwood goes in, we check the floor for flatness and talk through whether any movement needs attention first. Older walls may also carry layers of oil-based paint that need a bonding primer.

What Dallas homeowners ask us for

In Dallas, the project that matters most depends on the age of the house. Owners of older homes often start with bathrooms, because original baths are small, have tired tile and rarely have a proper shower. A walk-in shower with a waterproofed tile base fits many of these footprints, and removing a tub can free up floor space. Bathroom work in an older house is also the time to replace old valves and supply lines while the wall is open.

In ranch homes, the kitchen is usually the bigger win. Removing or widening the wall between kitchen and living room, then adding an island, changes how the whole house works. Before any wall comes out, we confirm what it carries and what runs through it. Opening a wall also changes the lighting plan, since the kitchen and living area now share one ceiling.

• Prewar homes: bathroom updates and floor leveling
• Ranch homes: kitchen layout changes and hardwood flooring that runs through the open space
• Newer infill: finish upgrades, lighting and paint