Luxury Vinyl Plank in Weston Lakes, TX

Weston Lakes became a city on purpose. As Fulshear grew, some residents worried about being annexed, and on May 10, 2008 voters approved incorporation, 569 to 408. The first city election followed that November. Today it is a Type B city with a mayor and five aldermen, about 1,400 acres, and a 2020 population of 3,853, up from 2,482 in 2010.

Inside the gates, the city describes about 1,500 home sites, a golf course with its ponds, two waterways called Pecan Lake and Oxbow Lake, and roughly 35 miles of privately maintained roads. Membership in the Weston Lakes Country Club is part of the deed restrictions. New sections have been platted and accepted into the city, with lots under builder development, so the housing is a mix of established homes and brand-new construction.

What does that mean for a floor? A few things we pay attention to on a Weston Lakes visit.

Scale and continuity. Open floor plans are where a floor either pulls the house together or breaks it into pieces. We usually lay out one main floor through the living, dining and kitchen areas and run planks along the longest sightline. Engineered hardwood in a wide plank is a popular choice here, and it is the right kind of wood for a concrete slab, which is what nearly every home we work on in this part of Fort Bend County sits on. Solid nail-down wood is not the tool for that job.

Water, inside and out. The Brazos forms the city's southern boundary. In late May and early June of 2016 the river hit a record 54.37 feet at the Richmond gauge, and about 40 people had to be rescued from low-lying homes in neighboring Simonton. The river rose again with Harvey the next year. Whether or not your home has ever taken water, a river-and-lake setting is humid, and humidity is what makes solid wood gap in winter and cup in summer. We acclimate wood and laminate in the house before installing it, test the slab for moisture, and use a vapor barrier where the product needs one. In utility rooms, mudrooms and anywhere near a back door that sees wet shoes, waterproof luxury vinyl plank or porcelain tile is the practical answer.

The soil. Fort Bend clay expands when it is wet and shrinks when it dries, and slabs move with it. On tile jobs we install a crack isolation membrane under the tile. On wood and plank jobs we leave proper expansion space at walls and use transitions that let the floor move without buckling.

New construction. For a home in one of the newer sections, we can work with your builder's schedule or come in after closing to replace builder-grade carpet with something you actually picked. Flat, new slabs make for a fast, clean job.

Stairs and trim. Many homes have a staircase that sets the tone for the entry. We install treads, nosing, baseboard and quarter round so the stairs and the edges of the room are finished to the same standard as the floor.

We are an installation company. If your existing hardwood just needs to be resurfaced, we're not the right call, and we will say so. If you want new floors, we will bring the samples to your door, walk the house with you and measure for a free in-home estimate. No pushy salespeople, and no driving to stores on a Saturday.