Millions of Americans are living longer and have more active lives.  While this group is embracing newly found and changing lifestyles, a need to revitalize their home environments through elder living solutions has come about.  Identifying this major opportunity while developing the skills to interact with those needful homeowners has created a new type of remodeling.  A certified aging in place specialist or CAPS home remodeler has completed the coursework and training in how to help keep existing homeowners in their homes longer. They will be listed in a national directory compiled by the NAHB in Washington.

     Everyone ages differently and has different needs and wants.  The factors that constitute the aging in place market for all individuals are based on a persons genetic makeup, their lifestyle including the choices they have made while living their life, and their environment.  These factors have brought about the need for universal design and handicap remodeling contractors.  This is the design of products, services, and environments that are usable by as many people as possible regardless of age, ability, or situation without the need for adaptation or specialized alterations.  It provides for the greatest safety and access for any home guests or occupants and is undetectable when done well.  Since so very few homes share the accessibility offered by universal design, to satisfy the needs of a particular household member brought about by an accident, an illness, or simply the aging process there will always be a need for customized accessibility features.  This will be accomplished by a CAPS accredited remodeling professional producing a truly functional design.   This same competent design/build home remodeling company who understands and practices aging in place home modifications in Austin should carry out the work to fit the design and insure your safety and accessibility.  A certified aging in place specialist will be listed in Washington on the NAHB CAPS listing.

     There are three segments that are served within the aging in place marketplace.  The first segment includes those clients without urgent needs.  They have no immediate health issues and simply have a preference for universal design techniques.  The second segment focuses on a group of homeowners with progressive health condition needs.  These people have a chronic or progressive conditions like MS requiring special modifications to their home allowing them to age in place.  This group of people will face a time of urgency at some point in their lives as their mobility needs evolve.  The third sector involves those people who have undergone traumatic health changes that necessitates immediate modifications to their home in order to age in place.  Only aging in place home remodeling in Austin can accomplish the home modifications for all three sector's needs mentioned above.  As our society evolves away from institutionalized care,  making a home more comfortable for both older adults and their visitors can have an immediate benefit on the comfort and lifestyle of the adult child.

     Some of our societal statistics that weigh into aging in place situations include reports stating that 19% of the population between the ages of 16 and 64 and 42% of those of us 65 and over have a physical disability affecting the activities of their daily lives.  For a progressive condition,  aging in place home remodeling in Austin definitely comes into play.  This is the only way to insure both the safety and mobility for the homeowner or family member requiring the home modifications for elder construction.  The two main groups driving this aging in place market are those people who are 65 and over and the baby boomers.  The first group is projected to reach 55 million in 2020.  The baby boomer generation born between 1946 and 1965 today make up 28% of the U.S.  population and are made up of some 77 million people.  Modifications of existing homes is important because people of age 50 and older want to remain in their current home for as long as possible.  Aging in place home modifications in Austin should only be done by a CAPS certified remodeling company.  This is the only way that you can be assured that the home modifications are the right choices to satisfy your needs.  There is no need to waste money only to find out that the wrong alterations were done by an inexperienced and nonqualified remodeling company.  Always check their creditials to verify that they hold a CAPS certification.

Typical Aging In Place Home Modifications

     A revolution in building design standards is long overdue.  Our current building design standards do not address the needs of more than one third of our existing population.  Many more people can greatly benefit from accessible design versus conventional design.  Our rapidly aging population is experiencing the limitations of our personal living environments and elder living solutions are becoming a problem.  Any evolution in building practically always begins in the common areas of the commercial building sector.  The American Disabilities Act of 1990 increased the attention needed for those people having the right to equally access their work place and any recreational or leisure facilities.  These rules at least offer minimal solutions for those needing the most help with any building access.  In Austin, we now must  provide access to one bathroom on the first floor in new homes as deemed by our newly adopted building regulations.  This basic right to an accessible bathroom is finally being enforced by the city's building inspectors.  What a tremendous needed and basic design improvement!

    Aging in place design, construction, and remodeling has become synonymous with handicap accessible home design and modification during our lifetime.   Home modifications using aging in place design techniques can be used to accommodate anyone from people with mobility impairments to those with vision loss, hearing loss, or even cognitive or developmental disabilities.  Accessibility home modifications or wheelchair accessible kitchen and bathroom remodeling in Austin will allow anyone with limited mobility within your home to feel more empowered and independent.  The extent of a customized accessibility design is dependent upon the activity level of the person requiring the modifications.

      If you have been paying attention to the medical news concerning our society you are well aware we are living longer than just a few decades ago.  As a result, our senior populations requiring elder construction and remodeling are expanding and most people will experience health issues that are most common among the elderly.  Most seniors will reach a point in their lives when they require specialized home environments to safely retain their independence.  No longer are the labels of "abled"  and "disabled"  so defined once the issue of aging is brought to light in our society.  Physical conditions, activities, and architectural barriers culminate in what is known as disabilities.  Each contribute their part in forming this complex phenomenon.  Disability is now a cultural milestone and certainly not viewed as just a personal problem within our society.

     Physical limitations affect many more people than the daily users of walkers and wheelchairs.  Many members of our life experienced or elder society have significant problems in dealing with their home environment.  Todays conventional building standards conflict with most people's accessibility when you consider our created architectural barriers concerning cabinetry and door opening widths, individual strength, range of motion, movement,  manual dexterity, balance, and coordination .  Once the demands of our built environment exceed their capacities we become excluded from a room or even the entire home.  The building world must work in unison to be sure the entire living environment meets basic needs in addition to affordability and structural integrity for the consumer and home owner.  This includes both the home and the components within the home being accessible to all inhabitants.  Privacy, sense of belonging, sense of control, and the sense of safety and security make up the quality of life for any home and should be considered for any design.

     We now need a new vision of a home that works for everyone and this attitude is becomming the new reality stemming from the revolution.  The new building revolution of universal design.  The new accessible homes are being created along with ways to make the older homes more accessible through the use of CAPS certified remodeling.  This new way of thinking is enabling aging in place to become a reality for our new older majority of homeowners, a group where disability is a fact of life.

 Accessible Home Designs In Austin, Texas

     Living with a dysfunctional bathroom layout reduces the total feeling of relaxation your master bath is capable of providing.   Bathroom transformations which are carefully designed can help overcome any issues.  During those much deserved private moments you long for your bathroom's surroundings to provide both luxury and function.  There isn't adequate lighting for the many daily personal duties like applying makeup.   There needs to be adequate ventilation so you don't always feel as though you are housed in a "sweat box" while getting dressed. The outdated plate mirror extending from your vanity top's splash upward toward the drywall furrdown above has never been a design you thank the world of. You have always disliked that box above housing the poorly illuminating fluorescent tube lamps that are concealed by the yellowing plastic diffusing panel.  You are sick and tired of the poor storage facilities inherited when you purchased your home.  The height of the vanity is out of line according to your needs and it is also inadequate for your storage needs.  The existing cabinet layout contains unusable drawers beginning to come off their tracks and the cabinet doors have their own particular issues.  Your cabinets are either too deep to access what they contain or their storage capabilities have been limited by their total improper design.  What were those guys thinking?  What's more the out of fashion ceramic tiles are either partly missing or they are totally the wrong color for the day along with the colors within the rest of the room.  Having improperly working plumbing fixtures that are now also antiquated with their own set of problems is yet another matter within itself.  The fixtures themselves can also be finished in a color that is long out of style.  So what do you do?

     It is well past time to undergo a fine bathroom upgrade and makeover.  Bathroom remodeling can either be a pain or a pleasant experience according to the participants involved.  Bathroom remodeling in Austin, Texas like most other cities includes many of the same aspects.  Be sure to choose a qualified residential construction contractor whose personality and qualifications are agreeable with you personally.  You are about to undertake a very important short term relationship in your life with someone you may know by reputation only.  The relationship needs to be comfortable and free flowing thus enabling the contractor's creativity level to be at it's highest during your remodeling project. Look at it as a partnership between your needs and the remodeling contractor's abilities.  His professional remodeling experience will include his capacity to identify many construction limitations and hazards.   These variables underlie the major pitfalls that can be avoided while making a bathroom remodeling design come into reality.  His experience can also aid you in accomplishing bathroom upgrades that include disability issues.  Accessibility is what the project is about anyway.  The job needs to flow between the various trades involved to produce a better final outcome.  This too is a reflection on his bathroom remodeling experience for which there is no substitute.

     So now how about the bathroom remodeling project?  You must consider everything that is involved in obtaining the luxury and comfort you desire.  Now is the time to change the bathroom's dislikes noted above and increase the overall function of the room.  The fine bathroom makeover must be a reflection of your needs.  It is probably time to consult with one of the many qualified bathroom remodeling contractors Austin whom you can trust.

     Proper lighting is always an important aspect to be installed during a bathroom remodel.  It can be broken down by task.  Recessed cylindrical can lighting is used today to provide the overall luminescence for the room.  Trims with lenses can be installed above baths and showers by code to brighten darker areas.  Light strips or single wall fixtures can be designed around the new framed beveled mirror that you have chosen.  The choice of bulbs utilized is yours for now at least.  Try using dimmers to control your new lighting creating mood. 

     Ventilation is so important when planning a bathroom upgrade because of the humidity involved.  Too many times a single exhaust fan is installed above the toilet, or what is much worse, in the center of the room.   Heat and humidity naturally rise and will overtake the entire room if given a chance. Today's quiet bathroom exhaust fans should be sized according to the room's air volume.  They should be located above any bathing or showering facility and above the toilet.  Conditioned air along with adequately sized duct work supplied by your central unit will further accentuate a pleasant feeling within the bath.

     Fine cabinetry is a must for any bathroom makeover.  As for the vanity, you can work your way down from the upgraded cabinet top that has been installed at the correct height for you.  The vanity should have adequately accessible storage satisfying your needs.  Incorporating  easy operating and properly sized drawers and pull out shelves within the design can be very beneficial.  Linen, medicine, and "over the potty" wall cabinets need to be well thought out. The correct species of wood used for the construction of your fine cabinetry and the style of you cabinet doors are two very important factors to consider.  Remember, you do have a choice and you are going to be looking at these new cabinets for a while.

     Bathroom plumbing fixture choices are numerous to say the least.  Select reputable companies offering the best warranties especially when considering finishes used on control valve trims and the fixtures installed in the project.  Custom tub shower conversions and larger custom walk in shower designs should have seamless fiberglass liners to avoid leaks if the house ever shifts.  Using natural stone or glass tiles while additionally designing in glass blocks will certainly be an upgrade. 

     Colors for bathrooms today are natural and earthy creating a calming effect.  Accents of color reflected from the tiles, paint, fixtures, and woodwork are used to make things a little more interesting compared to the room's overall vanilla tones within your design.  Help is just a phone call away but be sure the one who answers has the qualified experience you need for completing your new bathroom transformation.

     T-Square Company is a bathroom remodeling contractor in Austin, Texas.

Travertine, Glass Blocks, and Glass Tiles are Used in this Tub To Shower Bathroom Remodel

    Life happens and your present way of going about it includes newly discovered physical barriers which were never an issue before.  You've lost your mobility and are now forced to rely on a wheelchair for assistance at least for the present time.  The maneuvering of familiar areas within your home you'd always taken for granted are now presenting barriers that are limiting your new means of mobility.  Clear openings of 32" or greater, elevation changes steeper than 1:12, and being able to have access to all your home's facilities have been affected springing forth handicap remodeling.  The removal of these home grown barriers that now disrupt your accessible route for handicap bathrooms in Austin, Texas needs to be done by a qualified building professional holding a CAPS certificate.  Any ADA remodeling should comply with both ADA and local building code standards along with the TDLR guidelines.

     Problems encountered while accessing your home when you are wheelchair bound generally begin before or at the front door.  Given that you can reach the front porch approach without obstruction is a great start.  The stairs leading onto the front porch are yet another matter all together.  A correctly designed ramp having the correct slope can adequately solve this problem.  The use of grab bars and any railings will be dictated by the ramp's design and the regulations involved.   Once your safely upon the porch, your home's front door width can become an issue.  Any entry door less than three feet in width will cause a problem in maintaining a required 32 inch clear entry way that starts the new accessible route within your home.  Once inside the structure a new set of problems concerning your accessibility will be discovered.

     An accessible bathroom for your convenience becomes the first issue.  The disability access bathroom will be located within the accessible route.  Any barriers encountered while approaching the bathroom entrance will need to be removed.  The minimum clear widths have to be observed.  This will include the bathroom door itself.  Twenty four to twenty eight inch wide doors are commonly used during the construction of American homes for accessing the bathroom and must be widened during a bathroom transformation.  Anything below three feet does not meet the clear 32 inch requirement mentioned above and will need to be altered for clearance of your wheelchair. This work may involve moving light switches.  These alterations should be done by a licensed electrician assuring your safety.

     Once inside the accessible bathroom you should try to maintain a five foot turning radius for your wheelchair if at all possible. You will need to have your plumbing facilities brought into compliance to enable your freedom and safety.  Bathroom modifications for the disabled involve the use of grab bars within the tub or shower and around the toilet which can be very helpful insuring your safety for maneuverability.  These should be installed at 34 inches above the finished floor to safeguard your use of them.  Having roll under capability for the new 34" high ADA compliant vanity can be very helpful while you are in the wheelchair.  Exact clearances should be complied with underneath the vanity.  The proper safety equipment should be installed on the plumbing pipes that don't allow scalding of your legs. The toilet may need to be replaced providing a comfort level height for easier access.  The handicap bath or roll in shower may need to be altered to become only a shower with roll in or possibly transfer capabilities. Roll in showers are always easier to deal with than handicap baths having walk in ability. However, these tubs are not for everyone especially those with dementia so do your homework before buying such an expensive addition to your bathroom.   All of these changes must be done along the  ADA guidelines for your safety.

     The referenced door situation above will be true for any room in the house if you are to enter them barrier free.  The kitchen, your bedroom, and any other rooms you require accessibility to enter could be affected.  Even the closet door within your bedroom will need to be wide enough so that you can manage getting your clothes to dress.  Any other bedrooms that you may need to enter with your wheelchair will need alterations.

     The accessible kitchen is another story altogether.  You will at least need the roll under capability as mentioned above at the sink.  Upper kitchen cabinet heights may become an issue if you still plan to do meal preparations.  No matter what you end up doing, make sure to hire an experienced building professional who understand the ADA guidelines for your well being.

     Aging in place home modifications are available through T-Square Company in the Austin area. We have an A plus rating with the local BBB and have over 30 years of remodeling experience. We are additionally a certified aging in place specialist offering complete aging in place services.  Each design/build situation will be customized to fit your personal needs increasing your accessibility. Call 512-444-0097 today to begin the accessible second chapter of your life while remaining safe and secure in your existing home. CAPS #1636580

     What makes a bathroom remodel more Austintaceous in a laid back Central Texas city like ours?  What propels a bathroom upgrade to stand alone in Austin like the proud lone star representing our beloved state?  What enhanced characteristics are shared but also contribute to all completed bathroom transformation projects making them exclusive and individual?  Personality with pride is the only way to sum up all the major characteristics adding up to create a great Austin bathroom remodel.  There is a feeling within the new bath that only the great wide open spaces of Texas suggest denying the discomfort of confinement. We all express our individuality living here in Austin.  We meld together our backgrounds and cultural differences to form a diverse but unique city with style.  Certainly style is what is needed to compliment that pride that Texans feel so strongly. 

     Just look at the different types of housing represented throughout this city and it's surrounding areas.  Smaller homes, cottages, sprawling historical townhomes surrounded by architecturally pleasing fences, rustic ranch homes, Macmansions, and sleek high rise condominiums are just a few examples of the structures that define Austin's diverse housing landscape. Economic situations along with personal preference formulates where we choose to live in a town with such diversity.

     Committing to a bathroom remodel means taking many factors into account in the planning stages.  No matter which type of the structures listed above you're dealing with,  you must lean toward making the new bathroom upgrade blend with your existing home's design existing in harmony with it's surroundings.  All efforts must be made to prevent it from appearing as a "dirt dobber" design.  Putting an ultra modern updated bath into a dated urban cottage really doesn't blend well.  The types of architecture dealt with will clash and one will override the other taking away the prospect of a blending project to your home.

     Certainly there are many bathroom upgrades available when planning a bathroom transformation.  The replacement of the tub with a new walk in shower from a custom tub to shower conversion can create a bold  look but will run you around $11,000.  There are no spending limits for bathroom remodels.   You can plan on spending around $12,000 to $15,000 for a hall bath remodel.   The price tag can approach or exceed $35,000 for a complete master suite remodel.  The type of fixtures and building components chosen along with the labor will compose the overall cost of the remodeling project. The price for a custom walk in shower will begin at around $13,000 by itself depending on the size.

     Updated Austin, Texas bathroom remodels consist of a blending of hardwoods used to create fine cabinetry, granite tops, oil rubbed bronze fixtures, faucets, and hardware accessories just to name a few.  Simply changing the bathroom cabinets can create the look of a new space. They come with matching light fixtures.  They have walk in showers with elegant frameless door enclosures and artfully framed beveled mirrors.  These bathrooms can be accented using glass blocks, glass and travertine tiles, pebbled backsplashes, and seats within the walk in shower design where shampoo niches can often be found.  Colors remain natural and vanilla but are accentuated using a light to dark contrast between the richly stained woods and the natural stone tiles. 

    Young Austin homeowners are always looking for ways to bring their existing older home's bathrooms up to date.  They can't afford a major remodel while providing for a new family.  Bathroom remodels for these smaller baths can incorporate a number of the items listed above in moderation to fit any budget.  Using beautiful ceramic tiles in an interesting design, updating plumbing fixtures, and the use of neutral colors can create a small bathroom with a "wow" factor. It is quite possible to produce a small but charmingly remodeled bath on a budget.  A project that is affordable plus the fact that it will add resale value to your home cannot be denied.  Check out all the options before committing to a plan and then stick to it.  Always hire a local and professional builder.  Remember that producing change orders because no one thought of "that" can be expensive. Create the style for your Austin bathroom remodel that best gives you that feeling of pride!

     Finding the right contractor with ADA knowledge and experience can be as much of a challenge as maintaining your independence throughout an accessible wheelchair design in Austin.  You should be looking for a contractor who understands life changes.  A contractor who offers specialty products and services standing out from the rest of the pack.  A contractor who has the ability, through experience,  to help clear the murky water impeding your accessible route and how it can be accomplished.  One who takes ADA remodeling to another level promoting safety.  A well versed construction professional can take on and solve any residential ADA challenge creating an accessible design.  These can include widening doorways, ADA compliant kitchen cabinets, or ADA compatible baths. 

     Door widening is a common problem especially where wheelchair access is a must.  All doors should be 36" wide with the correct locking hardware installed.  The rule is 32" clear within the accessible route but 32" doors don't give enough clearance because of their stops.  You also need to pay attention to which side the lockset is installed on to not limit any wheelchair access or operation of the door's locking hardware.

     ADA compliant kitchen cabinets give you the ability to freely roll under the correct depth sink with covered or insulated water and drain lines.  The sink should be equipped with a proper automatic or wrist handle faucet.  A finished cabinet top height of 34" will also be observed.  Wall cabinets should be mounted around 4" lower than usual for reachability from a sitting position.  An unobstructed five feet turning radius on the floor should also be maintained.

     Bathroom transformations complying with ADA revisions also require the same turning radius noted in the kitchen along with a correct bathing facility.  If a tub is useful, correctly placed grab bars must be installed for safety reasons.  Showers can be either the roll in or transfer type dictated by the individual user's physical abilities.  The comfort height toilet should have grab bars installed at 34" on the side wall as well as at the rear at a minimum.  The flush handle should be oriented toward the middle of the room away from the side wall.  The bathroom sink should be accessible as in the kitchen mentioned above.

A Correct Kitchen Sink With Adequate Knee Clearance in The Accessible Route

     Traditional home builders and remodelers don't really consider the needs of the disabled or elderly like ADA vanities or roll in showers which are universal in nature.  It takes a special breed of contractor to realize special needs for special people. 

     A revolution in building design standards is long overdue.  Our current building design standards do not address the needs of more than one third of our existing population.  Many more people can greatly benefit from accessible design versus conventional design.  Our rapidly aging population is experiencing the limitations of our personal living environments.  Any evolution in building practically always begins in the common areas of the commercial building sector.  The American Disabilities Act of 1990 increased the attention needed for those people having the right to equally access their work place and any recreational or leisure facilities.  These rules at least offer minimal solutions for those needing the most help with any building access.  In Austin, we now must  provide access to one bathroom on the first floor in new homes as deemed by our newly adopted building regulations.  This basic right to a handicap accessible bathroom is finally being enforced by the city's building inspectors.  What a tremendous needed and basic design improvement!

    Aging in place construction and Austin ADA remodeling has become synonymous with handicap accessible home design and modification during our lifetime.   Home modifications can be used to accommodate anyone from people with mobility impairments to those with vision loss, hearing loss, or even cognitive or developmental disabilities. Accessibility home modifications or wheelchair accessible kitchen and bathroom remodeling in Austin will allow anyone with limited mobility within your home to feel more empowered and independent.  The extent of a customized accessibility design is dependent upon the activity level of the person requiring the modifications.

     Aging in place home modifications are available through T-Square Company in the Austin area. We have an A plus rating with the local BBB and have over 30 years of remodeling experience. We are additionally a certified aging in place specialist offering complete aging in place services.  Each design/build situation will be customized to fit your personal needs increasing your accessibility. Call 512-444-0097 today to begin the accessible second chapter of your life while remaining safe and secure in your existing home. CAPS #1636580