Dallas Remodeling

Remodeling in the Oil State

montytx — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 03:20:05 +0000

If you have lived in Texas your entire life then you know oil. If, like me, your family is from West Texas then you have walked with cattle next to nodding donkeys, mesmerized by their sounds, smells, and constant pounding on the ground like a giant gavel.

If you need to locate drill pipe for sale then look here.

All in the name of oil and riches these small monuments to capitalism have transformed Texas from a slow backwoods to modern powerhouse of a state with tech giants, energy giants, airline giants, and many other giant tentacles of capitalism. This success has created a huge housing market and kept the state on an upward trajectory that continues today. Even as the rest of the country’s housing market nose dived, Texas’ remained stable and has since rebounded. But, with a depressed home market and banks unwilling to loan money for home improvement such as kitchen remodels and people are having to save longer and make compromises to get that dream kitchen. The result has been lower remodeling cost per project and few projects being chased by a larger pool of unskilled Remodelers. Make sure your Remodeler is experienced, qualified and not a fly by night remodel. We have been in business since 2000 and have completed hundreds of remodeling projects all over Dallas, from additions to kitchens. From Driveways to Pergolas and decks.

Locating Construction Equipment you Can Count On

montytx — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 14:11:39 +0000

Looking for heavy construction equipment such as bull dozers is always challenging, you can’t just go to the local car dealer and ask for earth moving machinery( you could, but they would sure look at you funny). You have to know where to look and what you need to buy. With the internet you can do all your searches quickly and easily. I prefer John Deere construction equipment and when considering a particular piece of equipment recently I looked on line and found several of these dozers. I can quickly compare age, usage and features from my desk while sitting in my chair and get a great idea of what my options are and how many are located near by. I also get a quick idea of what they cost versus my budget. Equipment is be located all over the USA and even Canada. Not sure I would go all the way to Canada to pick up a some heavy equipment, but then it would be tax deductible. So if you are considering heavy earth moving machines then I recommend you start on line.

Kitchen Knick Knack Shelving

montytx — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 21:37:38 +0000

I recently completed this kitchen shelving unit. The base is 9 1/2 deep and the shelving are made from 1×6. It went on a wall where there was no room for deep cabinet space making it a perfect spot for a unit like this.

Bathroom Remodel in Junius Heights

montytx — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 18:21:23 +0000

We recently completed a bathroom remodel on Tremont St in East Dallas. The client wanted a bathroom that looked period for his prairie style house, but on a budget. Our answer was to keep the existing tub, install new subway tile and hex tile on the floor. We installed a new toilet and re-installed his existing pedestal sink. The result was a vast improvement over his old vinyl flooring and fiberglass shower walls.

Uptown Yoga Studio Remodel

montytx — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 18:19:42 +0000

Uptown is growing and they needed more studio space. But, they didn’t have any more physical space to work with. They had to get creative and decided to enlarge their studio and shrink their lobby space. To do this we had to build out a 14 foot wall in a 100 year old building. They also wanted the studio to add 2 additional changing rooms and still maintain room for the retail area where mats, towels and clothing are sold. To topit off they wanted to maintain the look and feel of the old historic building, which was originally a neighborhood store. To do this we had to maintain the hardwood floors and patch where the old wall was. We also decided to hang the french doors on a set of barn door runners to save space and add to the old fashioned look of the place.

From inside the yoga studio. The larger space now open with barn doors.

Patio Remodel in Lake Highlands

montytx — Wed, 13 Apr 2011 18:28:36 +0000

We just finished this patio project in Lake Highlands. The client wanted a quaint patio with lots of space for planting and wanted a fountain as the center piece. The patio was constructed with a base of decomposed granite which was vibrated down, we then installed weed blocker fabric, a thin layer of sand and finally cobble stone pavers. We also stained the old concrete steps and foundation beams. The result is a great space to relax and enjoy the day.

Wood Siding Replacement on Prairie Style Home

montytx — Tue, 30 Nov 2010 22:04:33 +0000

We recently replaced the wood siding on this 10 year old home that was improperly installed by the original builder here in Dallas. When installing wood siding it is imperative that all 6 sides of the wood are primed. We also believe that there needs to be a small gap behind the wood for water to run down to the ground without becoming trapped behind the wood and rotting it out from the backside. This is what happened with this house.
The builder installed 117 siding straight on top of tar paper and then came back 6 years later and patched in tyvek without doing the proper overlapping or taping the seams. The result was every time it rained the home owner had a pitcher of water on his kitchen floor, which came in from the window. Not only that, the original wrapping did not go under any of the window trim or corner vertical trim creating all sorts of damage to the exterior sheathing.

We stripped off all the siding and installed tyvek to code and taped the seams. We also removed all the window trim and installed the house wrap under the trim to create an much tighter barrier. Additionally we foamed all the windows and installed window flashing to move water around the windows during heavy rain. We used hardie trim around the windows to prevent future rot from occurring, and we also used chloroplast to give us a 1/4″ gap which allows water to easily move off the back side of the siding if it penetrates. This system is far superior to any other system in place and should prevent rot from occurring on this home.

Shower Remodel in Old Home in Belmont Addition

montytx — Wed, 22 Sep 2010 18:53:20 +0000

Our client wanted a simple clean shower area to replace the old dated worn out looking shower that had been hastily installed in his bathroom probably 25 years ago. He also wanted it to have a look and feel of … Continue reading →

Installing Plasma/LCD Wall Mount TVs

montytx — Wed, 22 Sep 2010 12:19:32 +0000

Everyone wants to mount their new Flat Screen TV’s on the wall these days. The big problem is that when this is done all the cables dangle down to the dvd/cable/surround sound boxes. So that is where we come in. People usually want to run the cables in the wall. Sounds easy enough but there are several things you have to think about.

* Electric- you will have to run electricity to the new TV. That may involve going through several studs and really opening up the wall. You need use someone experienced in remodeling. I have seen too many jobs where installers give no thought to the amount of sheetrock they destroy and whether it is a clean installation. The result is a lot of extra time and money cleaning up their mess.
* Cables- The most frustrating aspect of these new TVs, HD cable boxes, and surround sound boxes is a lack of a standard. Some come with HDMI, some still use DVI, and others use composite and even RCA. The result is you usually have to run several cables through the wall to accommodate all the different standards. Often the cable box has to have its own cables running directly to the TV for video, especially if it is HDTV. As a buyer you really have to plan out everything to minimize time, expense and frustration. Otherwise you will end up with a set up that does not accomplish everything it should. Hopefully HDMI will be fully standard on all equipment within a year and remove a lot of frustration. It supports both video and audio and potentially eliminates the need for all other cables. Just remember that you need to ensure that you can run your cable box to your A/V box and your A/V box to your TV. Also keep in mind that you can get adapters to convert from HDMI to DVI…
* Pricing- A suckers bet is to buy cables in stores, The mark up is 500% plus for these items. What cost $150 for a 16 foot HDMI cable can be and online for $25. We have personally installed these cables and find that they work well. Also, store bought cables tend to over package and design the cables to justify the perceived value. What you end up with is ridiculously thick cables that can not possibly be fished though a wall without tearing out the entire wall.
* Wall mounts- There are so many different types of wall mounts available that it is simply insane. Make sure you get one that is width adjustable so you can screw into the wall studs. Otherwise that $ 4K TV may fall on its face. I would also recommend a lockable version to discourage thieves.

Installing Plasma or LCD TV

The first thing to do is to figure out where th place the TV. IT is not recommended that you install it over fireplaces, the heat can potentially damage the electronics of the unit. Once the spot is selected you will need to find the studs in the wall with a stud finder and mark them. Then you will need to install the wall mount for the TV and make sure it is level. They usually install with bolts so you should mark the holes, drill them, then install the unit. Once that is done you need to figure out where to place the double gang box for the electric and A/V cables. Usually centered under the mounting rails works fine. But check the TV to see where all the jacks are located. Hopefully they are all pointing down so you have plenty of room to install the cables. You will need to use a remodeling double gang box and trace the outline of it. Make sure there is no wood behind the box in the wall . Check with the stud finder. Once the hole is marked, cut it with a keyhole saw. Be careful not to cut too deep. You don’t want to cut any other cables or pipes in the wall. Now comes the hard part. If you are running the cables straight down then you likely will not have to deal with more wood. But if you have to go either left or right then you are likely going to have to cut more holes in the sheetrock to get access to the studs to drill holes in them. Studs are usually 16″ apart so you may have several holes to make( save the sheetrock for re-installation later).

Once holes are drilled in the studs you will have to run the cables through them and to their final destination using a fish tool to make open longer runs. Then it is time to connect the electric and close the walls back up. If you have saved the sheetrock and neatly cut it out you can install it using small cuts of wood. 1×4 stock is a good size to do this. Cut the wood 4-5″ longer than the holes and place screws on 2 sides of the hole to screw into the wood. Then reattach the sheetrock to the wood in the hole. Then all you need to do is tape and bed. I recommend you use 45 hot mud so that it dries quickly and you can float out the patches in a few hours. Lastly you will need to texture, prime and paint. Then the wall is ready for the TV.

This is not a simple project and I do not recommend a novice in remodeling try it. It requires many steps and a knowledge of both remodeling, and electronics. If you are interested in a quote our prices start at $600 for labor and go up depending on the complexity.

Modern Bathroom Remodel Hollywood Heights

montytx — Fri, 10 Sep 2010 22:54:08 +0000

The owner of this 50′s style Austin stone ranch style house wanted more from his dated tiled bathroom and shower. He wanted a modern bathroom with a sleek and colorful approach. What he got was a beautiful sleek modern bathroom with top of the line fixtures.

We installed a wall mounted gerberit toilet, a wall mounted sink and faucet. We also installed 1″ glass tiles in the shower area as well as the vanity wall. The floor is covered in beautiful soapstone and even has heated flooring installed under the tile. We replaced the window with glass blocks and installed an electric tankless hot water heater.

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