What We Found Inside Two Braes Heights Homes

Introduction

Hello! My name is Curtis Lawson. I'm a builder. Last year, my team was called in to repair two homes in Braes Heights — both built by the same company, both showing the same kind of damage.

I'm documenting this here because both homeowners had seen warning signs for months. They just didn't know what they were looking at.

If you've noticed any of the following, keep scrolling:

Cracks or gaps in the brick or stucco
Water stains on interior walls or ceilings
Soft spots in patio or porch floors
A slope or instability when walking on a porch

House One: Brick Failure

The Challenge

The first call came from a homeowner who found their car crushed in their driveway from loose brick. By the time we arrived, a few more bricks had already fallen.

This doesn’t happen overnight - it’s the result of years of moisture getting behind the surface.

The Discovery

This crack along the brick shows brick separating from the house.

Fence was also damaged due to falling brick

When we opened the wall, this was behind it.

Inspectors were unable to determine if there were enough brick ties during construction

We removed the brick, installed steel lintel and added new water resistive barriers before replacing the brick

House Two: Porch Failure

The Challenge

The second homeowner called because their front and back porch felt soft when they walking on it.

When we checked the space, we found the structure underneath had been rotting for years — covered in black mold and completely saturated.

We entered the crawlspace and discovered black mold

We stripped the porch down to the studs. The beams are also rotten.

We also removed the steps and checked the foundation

We replaced the wood and installed a new water proofing system

What Both Homes Had in Common

Neither homeowner knew there was a serious problem until it was already expensive.

Both had seen small signs — a crack here, a soft spot there — but without knowing what to look for, those signs didn't register as urgent. In both cases, catching it earlier would have meant a smaller repair and a lot less stress.

That's the only reason I'm reaching out to neighbors in this area. If your home was built by the same company during the same period, it's worth a careful look — not because something is definitely wrong, but because if something is there, you're better off knowing now.

If you’d like us to take a look:

We'll come out, walk the areas of concern, and tell you honestly what we find. If everything is sound, you'll have real peace of mind. If something needs attention, you'll understand it fully — and you'll have time to plan, not react.

There's no obligation to hire us for anything.

Call us at 713-899-3588 to set up a time.