Walkout Basements

Texas has a reputation for challenging soil conditions for basements. Texas is a big state and there are areas where the land is not only suitable, but ideal for walkout basements, where three sides are underground and one is open. We have experience in and know the proper way to design, build, and most importantly seal these spaces. Walkout basements add a lot of design interest and livable space. As part of our design process, we use only site specific soil reports. The soil report tells us and the engineer if the location is suitable and how to specifically design to conditions.

Framing

Residential framing in our homes is both art and science. Our home are inherently unique and difficult to produce. There is so much craftsmanship evident in vaulted and specialty ceilings with unique details. While many cities require minimum engineered framing plans, our standards exceed those of the National Uniform Building Codes. An architecturally significant home must be built to last with careful attention to structural detail.

Windows

The house as a system is extremely reliant on the quality of the windows and proper installation. We use only maintenance free exteriors, either metal clad wood with a baked on enamel finish, or vinyl. With our hot Texas summers, the key we look for is the Solar Heat gain Coefficient (SHGC) which measures how well a window blocks heat from sunlight. The lower the SHGC rating, the better the window is for blocking unwanted heat gain, and the lower your utility bill. Increasing the R value of the walls does little if you lose all the cooling out the windows!