The Spine

A custom two story townhouse in McAllen, drawn by us and built by us. We are finishing it now. Here it is drawn and built, then how we built it from the slab up.

The back of The Spine as built: the same brick columns, a glass balcony and a large window over a new lawn — **Built.** The same view today: brick columns, a glass balcony and the big window.

Home: Custom townhouse, two stories
City: McAllen
Living area: 2,009 sq ft, two car garage
Now: Finishing

The kitchen

The render showed white cabinets. The built kitchen went to warm wood tones, with a waterfall island under a steel hood.

The built kitchen: warm wood and gray cabinets, a white waterfall island, a steel range hood and wall ovens — **Built.** Warm wood, a waterfall island and wall ovens.

The stair

Oak treads float off the wall, the way the render showed them. A glass railing on black posts runs along the opening above.

Render of the floating stair with wood treads, seen from below with the living room beyond — **Render.** The floating stair from the living room.

Floating oak stair treads below black posts that hold glass panels, against white walls — **Built.** The oak treads and the glass on its black posts.

More rooms

The pantry sits behind a glass frame beside the kitchen. The powder bath has a vessel sink on a black counter under a wavy mirror.

Side view of the kitchen with a glass framed pantry, the white island and the island hood — **The pantry** behind its glass frame.

The powder bath vanity seen through the door, with a vessel sink, a black counter and a wavy mirror — The powder bath.

Render of the living room with the floating stair along the wall and a large window — **Render.** The living room as drawn, the stair along the wall.

Black posts holding glass panels along the edge of the stair opening — Glass panels on black posts at the stair opening.

The slab

The lot is graded and the forms staked. The grade beams are dug with the drain line down the middle, then the concrete goes in over the steel.

Grade beam trenches dug with a white PVC drain line running down the middle — Grade beam trenches and the drain line.

The finished concrete slab between the form boards beside the neighboring white wall — **Slab.** The finished slab between its forms.

Framing

Treated plates go down on the slab, the walls are framed and raised, and open web floor trusses carry the second floor.

The front of the two story wood frame with sheathing starting on the first floor — **Framed.** Two stories up, sheathing started.

A tall side wall framed in treated lumber with diagonal braces holding it plumb — A tall side wall, braced plumb.

Looking up a framed staircase with steel brackets along a stud wall — The stair framed, steel brackets along the wall.

Inside the walls

Licensed trades run the ducts, conduit, wiring and pipes through the trusses before the walls close. Then spray foam goes on the walls and under the roof deck.

Air ducts, conduit and pipes run through the roof trusses above the framed rooms — Ducts and pipes through the trusses.

A small framed room with spray foam filling every stud bay and a shower pan in the corner — **Foam** in every stud bay.

Roof and drywall

A standing seam metal roof goes on behind the parapet. Inside, drywall closes the rooms and the stair treads go in.

A drywalled room with large picture windows and a bare concrete floor — **Drywall** around the big window.

Black standing seam metal roof panels meeting the underlayment along a parapet — The standing seam metal roof.

Floating stair treads rising beside a drywalled upstairs hallway — The treads going in.

The Spine today

The house is in its finishes: the yard is in, the glass is up and the kitchen is set.

Home: Custom townhouse, two stories
City: McAllen
Living area: 2,009 sq ft on two levels
Garage: Two cars
Outside: White stucco and brick

The back of The Spine from the side yard, with a wood fence, a young tree and the lawn — **Built.** The back yard, its young tree and the new lawn.

More built by Sisu

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We draw the house with you room by room and show it to you in 3D before we build it. Pick a time on Daniel's calendar, or call or text (956) 414 8777.

Book a 20 minute call or call (956) 414 8777

Daniel Estrada, founder and general contractor