How To Build a Forever Home That Stands Up to Crazy Texas Weather

By Steve Chambers, AIA

Eighteen months ago, we were approached by two geophysicists to create their forever home in East Texas. We often hear this term from both our young and senior clients. They desire homes that can change with their family’s growth, a decline in health, and withstand severe weather swings and changes in supplies and resources. They want cost-efficient homes, to conserve energy, and provide safety and comfort through all of the stages of their lives, forever homes.

We were thrilled when these clients selected our firm as their architect because they wanted to do all the things we recommend for a forever home and more. They considered all of the many options we provide and employed our best practices. This was particularly relevant during our recent power grid failure.

It’s weather updates like these that get our attention:

“Temperatures could be dropping into the single digits and bring the potential for ice and snow across Central Texas …”

”The Weather Channel is predicting 101 days of over-90 degree temperatures this year …”

”The weather service has confirmed that three tornados touched down in North Texas, estimated to have had 140 mph maximum winds, consistent with an EF-3 tornado.”

“The suspected cause of multiple building fires is lightning from overnight storms…”

“The Texas power grid may be minutes from failing…”

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We want our clients to be able to find safety and comfort in their forever homes.

When a recent 100-year event occurred in Texas, hundreds of thousands of homes experienced broken pipes and a near-complete failure of the grid. Many of our current and past clients began to adjust their thinking. They called our offices in the weeks after the weather disaster to add or retrofit new technologies to their home designs.

Here are some of the things we did for our geophysicists East Texas home to ensure it lasted forever:

• Back-up generator or generator-ready electrical system
• Zero VOC products (Volatile Organic Compounds found in paint, glue, carpeting/fabrics, floor finishes, etc.)
• Universal Design in the entire home: link Highland Park home below*
• Wood-burning fireplaces
• Geothermal (ground source) Heat Pumps
• Manifold Water Systems with Area Cutoffs and Pex Water Piping
• Foam Insulation
• Accessible Main Water Cutoffs
• Surge Protection & Lightning Protection
• Garage Power Venting
• Water Filter System for the entire home
• Tankless Water Heaters with Drain Down System
• Solar Panels and/or Solar Ready Construction
• Hose Bibs Placed Below Grade (not in exterior walls)
• No Water Pipes in Exterior Walls
• All-In-One Smart Home Energy Centers — computer panels, where all of the power to the home can be monitored in one convenient place
• High-efficiency doors and windows and household equipment
• Deep covered porches to control sun and provide outdoor living spaces
• Using the embodied energy of existing structures as a sustainable practice
• FEMA safe rooms
• In rural areas, we recommend a system of water catchment devices for potable and non-potable water usage.

There are many reasons to live in Texas:

• It is home to one of the healthiest economies in the U.S.
• Housing is relatively affordable.
• There’s no state income tax.
• The culture is unique and diverse.
• There is no shortage of things to see and do.

Just know that you have to prepare for its quick and enormous weather swings, and your forever home is the first place to begin a safety and comfort check. As we say here in Texas, “if you don’t like the weather, just wait until tomorrow.”

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Steve Chambers is a Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas-based architect and President of Stephen B. Chambers Architects Inc., specializing in ranches, homes, and historic preservation. Steve Chambers is a licensed architect and licensed interior designer in Texas and Oklahoma with over 40 years of experience. His distinctive designs have won many awards and have been seen in many national publications.