Stone Wall Renovation & Repair
In his Sermon on the Mount, Jesus told the story of a wise man who built his house upon a rock. Rain pelted against it. Rivers swelled around it. Winds blew into it. The forces of nature could not bring this house down because its foundation stood firmly on the rock beneath it. This stands in stark contrast to the other man in the story—the one who decided to save some time by building his house directly on the sand. No one—except the man—was surprised when the house fell apart.
If you’ve been following us for some time, you may recall seeing this article that we titled “Stone Wall Renovation project.” We’ve enjoyed working on this mid-century home and appreciate the history that comes with it. Our foremost focus is maintaining the structural integrity of the home, preserving it’s antique look while updating it with modern touches.
Firm Foundation – From The Ground Up
There’s a right way and wrong way to approach a construction project. At Advocate Construction, LLC, we believe that the right way is the only way. We work from the ground up, starting with a proper base that can support whatever we build on top of it. That’s why when our client contacted us for help with a unique renovation project, we brought in our foundation division to make sure we had the right foundation for the house in place.
This Home’s Interesting History
This house, originally built in 1945, has a storied history. It’s located down the road from a spot that Bonnie and Clyde used as a hideout on one of their crime sprees through Texas. More important, though, the house is a family homestead constructed immediately following World War II by the current owner’s grandfather. It’s a beautiful home that just needed some serious repair and a few modern touches to bring it into the twenty-first century.
Creating Our Game Plan
We broke the project down into three basic steps for our construction division:
- Step 1: Remove the existing roof.
- Step 2: Stabilize the exterior walls.
- Step 3: Lay a new foundation inside the house.
With a plan in place and a projected timeline, we started this summer job. Our goal was to complete everything by October 2018.
Part of our renovation process involves fixing the foundation and creating a whole new concrete slab for the base of the home Our crews are seen here framing our groundwork and pouring our concrete material. This is arduous work but paramount to the future health of the home.
Advocate Construction Project Guidelines
We take great pride in our work and view each client as more than a customer. The stone house project is an excellent example of how we follow a simple set of guidelines on each job we accept. These principles help us stay focused on the task at hand. Here’s how they work.
Focus Only on What Needs to Be Repaired or Renovated
During a home renovation, it’s sometimes tempting to demolish the property and start with a clean slate. However, in some cases that’s unnecessary and wasteful. That’s why we focus only on the work that actually needs to be done. For our recent Stone Wall renovation project, we wanted to preserve as much of the
original structure as possible.
This home’s most striking feature is exterior stone wall. Pieced together by hand, the masonry work is a testament to the power of quality construction. Although the walls did have very visible cracks, there was no reason to replace the stone. Instead, we constructed braces to place around the perimeter of the house. These braces supported the walls as we demolished the interior.
We did, however, need to remove & rebuild the roof. It was showing severe signs of its age and had deteriorated so much that it was dangerous to stand beneath it. We also spent time stabilizing and repairing the exterior walls with mortar and reinforced joints attached to the new foundation. Through all this work, the exterior walls stood strong.
In order to prep this home for our renovation, we needed to remove the aged roof. It was both unsafe for our crew and unable to protect the inside of the home from the outside elements. Therefore, we are constructing a new roof for this beautiful home.
Leave the Property in Better Condition Than We Found It
The goal of any renovation project is to improve the property so that it’s in better shape than it started. We take this one step further. On our first visit to every property, we spend time inspecting and evaluating so that we know exactly what caused the problem. Then we fix the source of the problem before moving on to the renovation. This ensures that you don’t end up with the same problem years later.
During our inspection of the stone wall house, we saw that the house’s foundation sustained damage. The soil is north central Texas is notoriously hard on foundations. As it expands and contracts with the moisture levels, the soil makes everything around it bow and flex. Over time, this weakens the concrete and damages the foundation. The cracks in the exterior walls along the floor were all the result of the house separating from the foundation.
We could have repaired the walls and the floor and walked away, but that’s not the Advocate way. Instead, we called in our Foundation Division that took the time to dig under the property and re-level the house’s foundation. Then we reinforced it to help prevent future slipping. This included installing new rebar and pouring a new foundation within the walls of the house. With the foundation firmly in place, we could move on to the more visible repairs.
Here you can see our crew pouring our concrete slab inside of this home. Wet cement is extremely heavy. Therefore, we station a crane to hold our applicator so we can carefully apply the wet cement to the interior of the home – creating a firm foundation for our client.
Back Up All Work Done at the Property
The true measure of a company’s work and work ethic is the guarantee it offers after the employees leave the job site. It’s not enough to collect a check and walk away. Our skilled employees are carefully trained. They know how to deal with each issue they encounter and take the time to complete each step exactly as it’s supposed to be done.
Using The Highest Quality Materials
We also partner with the top vendors and choose the industry’s best-rated materials so that our customers get the combination of quality and affordability they deserve. In fact, we believe so strongly in backing out work, that we include detailed information about these guarantees during consultations with clients. You always know what to expect when you work with us. That’s just part of the Advocate way.
Discover for yourself the Advocate difference. Whether you’re looking for someone to assist you with a new construction project or have some ideas about a renovation you want to complete, we have the skill and expertise to make it happen. Call us today to learn more about the services we offer in north central Texas or schedule an appointment for a free consultation and estimate. We want to be your construction partner and make sure you’re building on a solid rock.