Family Room Remodeling for the Room That Gets Used Hardest
The family room is where the TV, the kids, the dog and the Saturday game all end up. A remodel here makes the room work harder, with built-ins where furniture used to crowd, a media wall with no cords hanging, and floors that can take a dog.
Veteran BuiltCypress, Texas
Family room remodels change what’s built into the room. Built-in cabinets and shelves on either side of a fireplace, a window seat, or a full wall of storage replace freestanding furniture, and they need framing, power for lights inside them and a level wall to attach to. A TV wall gets planned around viewing distance and height, with a recessed box behind the screen for power and cables, conduit to the equipment cabinet, and solid backing for the mount. Getting cords out of sight means running them in the wall before drywall, which is easy during a remodel and a nuisance afterward.
Fireplaces in Houston family rooms are often prefab units with a dated tile or brick surround. Changing the surround, mantel or hearth means working inside the manufacturer’s clearances to combustibles, which the label on the unit spells out. Converting a wood-burning unit to gas logs, or removing a fireplace you never light to gain wall space, are both real options. Removal involves the chimney chase and the roof, so we look at both before quoting. Vaulted ceilings with the fireplace on the tall wall are common here and make the TV-over-the-mantel debate unavoidable.
Sound comes next. A family room open to the kitchen echoes, and rugs, upholstered seating and acoustic panels help, while insulating the walls shared with bedrooms helps more. Floors should be durable: porcelain tile or a good luxury vinyl plank stands up to pets, spills and humidity better than laminate or carpet. If the family room is part of an open kitchen, we coordinate the job with the kitchen so the flooring and lighting run as one.
Houston houses have their own habits. Slab foundations that move a little with the clay, plumbing under that slab, attics that hit 140 degrees in August, and humidity that punishes anything not sealed right. A good remodel plans around those, and many neighborhoods add an HOA review to the schedule.
If the room only needs paint and new carpet, a renovation handles that in days without a design phase.
When family room remodeling makes sense
How we decide, written down so you can hold us to it.
- The family room is crowded with furniture that a wall of built-ins could replace.
- You want the TV mounted with the wiring hidden and a cabinet for the equipment.
- The fireplace surround is dated, or the fireplace itself takes up wall space you’d rather use.
And when it does not
- If the fireplace is drafty or smells of smoke, have a chimney professional inspect it before we build anything around it.
- If the TV is going above a wood-burning fireplace, check the heat at mantel height first, because electronics don’t like it.
How we run it
- I
Plan the wall
We measure for built-ins and the TV, mark the viewing distance and heights, and read the fireplace clearances.
- II
Rough-in behind the wall
Framing, backing, power, low-voltage cable and conduit go in before any cabinet or drywall.
- III
Built-ins and fireplace
Cabinets and shelving are built or installed, and the surround, mantel and hearth are rebuilt within the unit’s clearances.
- IV
Finish the room
Flooring, trim, paint and lighting finish the room, and we test every outlet, switch and TV connection with you.
What we ask before we price it
- Which rooms are involved, and do you want any walls or fixtures moved?
- How old is the house, and has it had water or foundation trouble?
- Will you be living in the house during the work?
- Does the HOA review interior or exterior changes?
- Is anyone in the house sensitive to dust or noise during the day?
Can you hide the TV wires inside the wall?
Yes. A recessed box behind the TV holds power and cables, and conduit runs to the equipment cabinet so you can add or change cables later.
Is it safe to mount a TV over a fireplace?
It depends on the fireplace and the heat at that height. Gas units often allow it with the right mantel. We check the unit’s clearances and the temperature before recommending it.
What’s the best flooring for a family room with pets?
Porcelain tile or a good luxury vinyl plank. Both handle claws, spills and humidity. Carpet holds odors, and laminate swells when water sits on it.
Can you remove a fireplace we never use?
Usually. A prefab unit comes out along with the chimney chase, and the roof opening gets patched. We look at the roof and the attic before quoting.
How do I cut the echo in an open family room?
Rugs, upholstered furniture and a few acoustic panels do most of it. Insulating the walls to the bedrooms keeps the noise from traveling.
Can built-ins be added without remodeling the whole room?
Yes. A pair of cabinets beside a fireplace is a contained job. It still needs a level wall, backing and power for any lights.
Who you are hiring
Google reviewers have given us 5.0 across 19 reviews, and the word that keeps coming up is honest. We would rather talk you out of a job than sell you one you do not need.
Military families and first responders take 10% off, and financing is available through Acorn Finance with a no-obligation prequalification. Ask about either when you call.
Leland Cannon spent 21 years in the Army and retired as a First Sergeant. Geoff Schardien served in Air Force Security Forces and has more than twenty years in residential construction. One of them walks every job before it starts, and you keep one phone number from the first visit to the last day.