The Walsh Building Company

Historic Restoration and Expansion 

In January 2013 we completed plans for the Restoration and Expansion of this 104 year old home near downtown New Braunfels. The goal of this project was to turn this 2 bedroom, 1 bath home into a 3 bedroom, 2 bath home, with an added utility room and living area.

The project required demolition of the existing porch, deck, and roof structure, and the addition of a 600 square foot concrete foundation. If you look closely at the pictures you'll see the deterioration that was present at the brick exterior walls, particularly at the arches above the doorways and windows. It was necessary to restore the brick walls of the entire house. The brick exterior wall seen in this picture is now an interior wall with "wall washer" can lights above it. We had hoped to remove more of the staining that was present on the brick, but soon realized the brick was very porous and that continued cleaning efforts would do more to damage the appearance than to improve it. We came to prefer the "patina"; it has developed a lot of character over the past 104 years, and the lights above it showcase that.  

Restoration of this house included complete removal and replacement of the HVAC (heating and air conditioning) system, electrical system upgrades, lots of new insulation, resurfacing of the claw foot tub in the master bath, and replacement of plumbing fixtures, including  toilets, kitchen sinks and bath basins, and faucets. Drywall throughout the home had stress cracks from years of settling that needed to be repaired.

Long leaf pine flooring was salvaged from the area that was to become the new master bath, and floor joists were doubled to support the new Travertine flooring. A 4' x 7' walk in shower with dual valve / shower dual heads was also added, as well as an expanded master bedroom closet. French interior doors, which were previously used as bedroom access doors, giving no privacy to those areas, were salvaged and re-installed at master closet and master bathroom areas where privacy was not an issue. This helped us to keep the look and feel of the original design.

The new addition to the home included a new Living Room, Bedroom, Utility Room, and covered Porch. A Butler's Pantry was added and the refrigerator was moved to that area, creating additional floor space in the Kitchen. The challenge in adding these areas was to make the new addition match the existing home as closely as possible. The drywall required a level 5 (smooth) finish, which is much more labor intensive, to match the existing surfaces. We maintained the 13' ceiling height at the living areas, installed a 10' crown molding and 6" red oak base boards with mahogany stain. We also cased and trimmed the new windows and doors in solid red oak. The windows were manufactured to duplicate the size and look of the original 104 year old units, and an 8' solid mahogany store type door with reeded glass was used. Solid red oak flooring was installed over a liquid moisture membrane, then sanded, stained, and finished to match the base and window trim.

The exterior trim was repainted in the historic colors selected by the owner; pale yellow, dark green, and a deep red. I think everyone was extremely satisfied when the project was complete. It would not have been possible without a talented designer and a team of very talented craftsmen.

This Old House was in Need of a Major Renovation.

The foundation of this 85 year old house had significant settling issues that needed correction. The metal roofing, electrical wiring, plumbing, and all fixtures needed a full replacement, and there was very little wall or attic insulation. The kitchen and bathroom areas needed updating, there was no central HVAC system, and the garage was inaccessible from the existing drive.  

Our plan was to take this from a 2 Bedroom, 1 Bath home to a 4 Bedroom, 2 Bath, with a much needed Utility Room. We demolished the porch and greenhouse at the rear of the home in order to provide space for a new Master Bedroom and Bath Suite, Bedroom 4, and Utility Room. It was necessary to relocate a utility pole at the street in order to make way for a new driveway. New cabinetry, granite countertops, sheetrock with a hand troweled texture, and new paint enhanced the appearance greatly. We salvaged as many elements of the original home as possible, including the long leaf pine flooring that had been buried under carpeting for years; they were beautiful when refinished. Renovation was completed in Late 2015.