Stairs & Trim in Pecan Grove, TX

Pecan Grove is our neighbor. It sits just northeast of downtown Richmond, about four miles from it, with Richmond's city limits running through its southern part and the Brazos River along its southwest edge. It is a census-designated place rather than a city, and it grew from 15,963 residents in 2010 to 22,782 in 2020.

The community started in 1978 as Pecan Grove Plantation. The Club at Pecan Grove, designed by Carlton Gipson, has 27 holes split into three nines named Pecan, Grove and Plantation. The housing is mostly traditional and ranch-style homes from the late 1970s through the 1990s, on lots larger than many newer Fort Bend subdivisions. New construction is limited because the community is built out. The Pecan Grove Property Owners Association handles common areas and deed restrictions, while the municipal utility district runs water, sewer and the levee system, which doubles as a network of walking trails.

Homes of that age have a pattern, and it is easiest to explain room by room.

The entry and living room. Homes of this era were often built with a tiled entry that turns to carpet in the family room and formal rooms. Owners now want one floor from the front door to the back patio. Engineered hardwood and luxury vinyl plank are the two we install most for this, because both work well on a slab. Solid nail-down hardwood is not a good fit on concrete in our humid climate.

The kitchen and breakfast area. In a house this age, the kitchen has often been redone once already, frequently with ceramic tile. Taking that tile up, along with its thinset, and getting the slab flat again is real work, and it is where a careful installer earns their keep. After that, porcelain tile, LVP or engineered wood can run straight through.

The bathrooms. Smaller ceramic tile and dated colors are common. Porcelain tile with a crack isolation membrane underneath is the long-term answer here, because the clay soils common around Houston shrink and swell and the slab moves with them. The membrane keeps that movement from cracking the new grout lines.

The bedrooms. Carpet is still a good choice in bedrooms, and a better carpet and pad is one of the most noticeable upgrades you can make for the money. Some families go hard surface everywhere; others like carpet where feet are bare. We bring both to your house so you can decide in the actual room.

The trim. Older homes nearly always need attention at the baseboards. A new floor often sits at a slightly different height than the old one, so we plan quarter round, baseboards and transitions as part of the job instead of leaving gaps to caulk.

The river. Pecan Grove's location on the Brazos comes with history. The river set a record at Richmond in 2016 and topped it during Harvey in 2017, when Pecan Grove was among the Fort Bend neighborhoods placed under evacuation orders as the river rose. If your home is on one of the lower streets near the levee, waterproof LVP or porcelain tile on the ground floor is the sensible pick, and if water has ever come in, we will make sure the slab is dry before we install.

Because our office is in Richmond, Pecan Grove is about as close to home as it gets for us. We don't run a showroom; we bring samples to your kitchen table and measure while we are there. The estimate is free, booked Monday through Saturday. For larger projects, our current offer is $500 off flooring jobs over 1,000 square feet. Call (346) 396-6398.