So you’ve spent years paying a mortgage on the home you love and are now free and clear with full ownership. The downside could be that the home has aged and so have you. The surfaces and materials have worn and it may no longer meet your safety or mobility needs. It’s time for updates.
If it’s time for remodeling, consider making changes necessary for safety and mobility. Defined in simple terms, aging in place remodeling focuses on safety and easing tasks like walking, reaching, standing, lifting, moving around, or using a wheelchair. This is how a persona can stay in the home they love and still be independent.
Christie’s Design Build Remodeling is a Denver remodeling company. We regularly incorporate aging-in-place remodeling solutions for those who want to stay in their homes.
Here are some of the most common solutions to consider for this type of remodeling.
Slip Resistant Flooring
Slip resistant flooring can be installed throughout the home or just when remodeling the kitchen and bathrooms. Incorporate this into the remodeling design plan. There are various floor types that offer a non-skid, non-slip surface:
- Concrete floor coatings: These are applied over decorative concrete floors.
- Textured porcelain tiles: The textured varieties that simulate natural stone like slate
- Non-Slip & anti-slip coatings: Applied to many floor types including wood, ceramic, porcelain, quarry tile, marble, granite, & more.
- Non-Slip vinyl flooring: Generally used for commercial floors, can be used for residential. Embedded with grit particles for safety.
Walk-In Tubs Or Shower Conversions
A walk-in tub is easy to access and use. Those with back problems, arthritis, chronic pain, bad knees or hips, and stiff joints find it impossible to get in and out of a bathtub. Even standing in a shower can be extremely difficult or impossible.
A shower conversion is great for those who need a shower but don’t have one. The bathtub is removed and a shower installed in its place.
Additional Lighting Installation
It gets harder to see as we age. It’s important to have good lighting to see better. Key areas to install lighting for aging in place remodeling include:
- Above food prep areas in the kitchen
- Near doorways and entryways
- To cover the entire bathroom space
- Above steps or stairways
- Hallways
- Above any hobby area, gardening area, or work area
- Key outdoor area and landscape lights
Grab Bars & Safety Bars
Whether it’s in the shower, walk-in tub, by the toilet, or anywhere else, a grab bar makes it possible to get up and down. Safety bars and grab bars, are important even if you feel like you don’t quite need them yet. So many injuries happen to young and old people because they thought they would be fine. Safety bars should be installed at least along stairways or steps.
About Aging In Place Remodeling
There are hundreds of solutions for aging in place remodeling. We have mentioned some basics, but the needs vary from person to person.
- Widening doorways
- Enlarging the shower
- Enlarging the bathroom for wheelchair access
- Lowering cabinets & countertops
- Lowering sinks
- Home automation modifications -lights, motorized drapes, smart thermostats, irrigation system, etc.
- Ramp building on interior & exterior
