Barrier Free Architecturals
June 30, 2010

Resources for Home Safety and Accessibility

Since our work revolves around making the home a safer, more usable place for all its occupants, we thought a roundup of folks working toward those same goals would be appropriate. Here are some sites you might want to visit when looking for ideas on how to achieve the most user-friendly spaces possible:

The Home Safety Council. The Home Safety Council, based in Washington DC, is an organization dedicated to making the home a safer place. They target, senior safety, fire safety, and safety for babies and kids. Their site is packed with resources on all these topics. It’s a go-to resource if you’re wondering what the best way to tackle some of these issues is. Also, June being home safety month is one of their programs. One of the coolest things on their site is this checklist generator that asks you a few questions and then points you to the things you need to double-check in your home.

Easter Seals. Easter Seals does a lot of work with disability-related issues. Their “easy access housing for easier living” program offers a succinct yet comprehensive checklist of things to look into when updating your house for accessibility. Check out their link roundup for go-to resources. Very handy.

Fall Prevention Center of Excellence. These folks offer complete courses and a certificate in upgrading homes for the needs of the disabled. They also offer a great FAQ resource, although it is largely US-specific.

The University of Iowa offers this tremendous booklet on evaluating home needs. It’s here in a PDF form.

For lots of reading on the state of the art, check out the University of North Carolina’s Center for Universal Design.

The National Association of Home Builders (Washington, DC) offers specialized education and certifications for those working in the industry.

Access Guide Canada. This is a tremendous list of resources for accessible places in Canada. Sign in to get full access to the directory.

And of course, we’re here to help with any home modifications or adaptations that you might require. Call any time for a consultation!

Filed under Health and Mobility Tips, Home Safety Tips, Home safety tips for the elderly, Mobility Issues and News
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June 25, 2010

Bathroom Accessibility: Shower Pans

In our last entry we discussed the merits of properly installing grab bars. We would like to continue along the theme of a well equipped handicapped shower and now turn our attention towards shower pans.

At Barrie Free Architecturals, we offer several types of quality shower pans and bases. Each offers its own advantages and features.

Barrier Free Shower Pans

Shower Pan Remodeler – If you are remodelling an existing bathroom, we would like to suggest our shower pan remodeler. This single piece model will is easily installed in your existing shower with a traditional threshold of 4” to 6” and allows for easily installation of shower doors.

Corner Shower Pan – Our corner shower pan is made of a high quality polyester gelcoat and does not require a mud setting.

Barrier Free Shower Pan – This fibreglass pan is available with center, right and left drainage, replaces existing bathtubs, and features a low threshold.

ADA Shower Pan – ADA Shower Pans are made of fibreglass, available as ADA transfer pans, and also available as roll in shower pans.

We also happen to be having a sale on many of our shower pan models so make sure to check out the shower pan section of our website for a complete descriptive list along with our featured sale items.

Of course, if you have read the above shower pan descriptions and are still unaware of which exact shower pan to choose then we welcome you to contact us. We will be happy to answer any questions you may have.

Filed under bathroom safety tips and products
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Installing a grab bar in a Handicap Shower

In our earlier post this week we discussed the importance of shower seats to improve accessibility in the shower. We would like to stay on the theme of handicap showers and now turn our attention towards grab bars.

Since the point of having a grab bar is to help people stay upright and potentially avoid falls, they really need to be installed correctly and not fail when they are needed most. A proper installation is essential. Ordinary towel bars will not do because they are simply not strong enough to support the weight and torque that may be placed upon a grab bar.

Anything that needs to stay on the wall and not come off–especially grab bars–needs to be screwed into the studs. And we want our grab bar screwed into 2 studs, not just one. Studs are typically located 16 inches apart, measured from center to center. You can locate them by using a stud sensor or by using a nail (if you don’t mind patching up). But make sure you’re certain you have got them located. Then, mark your tile or other bath surround effectively using some colored tape or a dry erase marker. Determine how you want to place your bar. For example, often a grab bar is placed at an angle between two studs on the tub’s longest wall. The bottom of the bar is typically about 6 to 10 inches above the top of the tub.

Drill a 1/8 inch hole to confirm the stud location. Obviously you’ll be going through the tub surround now, so make sure you have the appropriate bit, be it for plastic (for acrylic surrounds) or glass and tile, or stone (for slate tiles). If you find the stud, keep going and drill the remaining holes. If not, locate the stud and try again. If you’ve hit the wrong place, don’t worry, the hole should get covered up by the mounting plate. If you need to enlarge the holes with a larger bit to accomodate the screws, do that at this point.

Now you’ll want to put caulking on the back of the flange and screw the bar to the wall with stainless steel pan head screws. The screws should go in to a depth of at least one inch. Two inch screws are a good rule.

Finish off the details that come with the kit, and test your bar’s strength by yanking on it. If you can feel any kind of give, you need to figure out what went wrong and rectify that. You don’t want a grab bar to fail when you need it.

Check out our great selection of grab bars, and feel free to contact us for advice or recommendations.

Filed under bathroom safety tips and products
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June 23, 2010

Accessibility in the Bathroom: Shower Seats

One of Barrier Free’s specialties is shower seats. Shower seats are a great help to the elderly and other people who have mobility issues. It is easier to maintain one’s independence when using an assistive device such as this. The seats are designed to fit in many different configurations, so it’s good to have an idea of the options that exist.

ADA Phenolic Shower Seats

Our ADA phenolic shower seats offer many benefits. Phenolic sounds a little odd, but it is simply a very resistant plastic resin, designed to take extreme conditions (such as those in a shower) and last a long time. Not only is it durable, but it is attractive as well. These seats come in either white or woodgrain finishes, and if your project requires different finish, we can do a custom colour or finish for you. Another of phenolic’s attributes is that it is easy to clean, and it resists mildew and other microbes.

The phenolic seats are offered in two styles–this shower seat is mounted like a shelf would be, using brackets. The seat can be lowered up and down, and because it’s mounted to the wall instead of the floor, it has a lower profile and is a good choice in a shower that has multiple users. Simply fold it away when not in use. This model, on the other hand, more like a typical stool would have. Because it is not mounted to the wall, it is easier to install, and it has a more portable aspect.

ADA Padded Shower Seats

If comfort is your thing, you might consider a padded shower seat, which offer the option of a bit more luxury in the bathroom. They’re also easy to take care of. The seats are composed of a padded vinyl cushion, with 1 1/2″ high-density, high-resilient foam. It’s coated in fire- and mildew-resistant, UV-inhibited marine-grade naugahyde. They do not have piping, so they are easy to wipe down and easy to use.

Like the original phenolic seats, the padded seats come in a bracket version and a version with legs.

Filed under bathroom safety tips and products
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June 21, 2010

June is Home Safety Month: Home Safety Tips

Since June is Home Safety Month (observed by the Home Safety Council and others), there’s a lot of news coverage on ways to improve safety in the home. In particular, there seem to be quite a few articles discussing tips on senior safety. This article, printed in the McAlester, Oklahoma newspaper, discusses ways to improve safety. It contains some reminders of things we might tend to forget; these are good ideas for anyone to follow, although seniors stand to get injured worse from running afoul of these issues.

  • “Falls are the leading cause of accidental injury in the home. Stuff on the floor can make it easy to trip.” Moral of the story: make sure your floors are free of extraneous stuff. The author of the piece, LaDell Emmons, compares piles of newspapers to a slip ‘n’ slide.
  • Similarly, overcrowding should be avoiding. You shouldn’t have to weave a path around various belongings. For example, “A good rule of thumb to keep in mind is to have a 32-inch clearance to enter a seating area and an 18-inch clearance between the seating area and coffee table.”
  • “An extension cord stretched across a traffic lane is just asking for trouble.  Always use extension cords properly so they don’t become a tripping or fire hazard.”
  • Another interesting point is to not wear baggy clothing while cooking. She says that loose sleeves or so forth can get too close to the source of heat.

Similar safety tips are cited here, in a piece in an Arizona newspaper. Interestingly, this piece mentions clutter again (“stuff on the floor”) but in a different context. Fire inspector Kristi Gagnon says that in 90% of the fires her department investigates, “there is a problem with clutter in the home.” So there you have it. A messy house can get you in a couple of different ways!

You might want to check out the Home Safety Council’s website. They have quite a few checklists, resources and ideas for making your home as safe as it can be. Additionally, please contact us for assistance with safety in the bathroom, kitchen, and lots more.

Filed under Home Safety Tips
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June 14, 2010

Mobility Issues: Getting in the Door

If you’re not set up for it, the last few steps to getting into your home can be quite difficult if you have reduced mobility. It doesn’t take much to imagine using a wheelchair, walker or scooter and then having to get up even a few steps and over a threshold into a building. And this is an easy case. A wheelchair user might be rendered totally dependent in this case, while the user of a walker or scooter might try to do something unsafe for the sake of expediency.

Fortunately, there are tools to help make these barriers go away, and to make life safer and easier for everyone. You should definitely use a wheelchair ramp outside your home if you need it; but steps are dangerous territory even with walkers and scooters. Then, ramps over thresholds are critical to being able to easily glide up and over that final barrier to accessing your home. We offer a range of threshold ramps to help get you in your house. Family members or friends you visit frequently may want to look at installing ramps to make life easier. These easy to install ramps come in handy for getting things in and out of the home–and even in garages to make getting lawnmowers safely put away.

But getting over the threshold is only part of the problem. If you’re alone and need to get into your home, you may well not have an extra hand for unlocking and opening the door. We offer solutions to help you get your door open. Our basic door opener can automatically open and close any residential swing door up to 100 lbs and 42 inches wide. Some other features it offers are:

  • Can be installed on most doors, including wood and metal doors.
  • “Hit and Stop” feature ensures safety operation.
  • Fail safe operation – Door can be open/close freely during power outage.
  • Built-in mechanical clutch to prevent motor from damaging when external force is applied to the motor.
  • Audio warning as an indication when the swing door opener is operating.
  • Auto learn door travel limits.
  • 3 different operating modes:
  • 1) Toggle Operation,
  • 2) Open / Close Operation,
  • 3) Timer Operation, closes door automatically after a specific period of time. (user programmable)
  • Can learn up to 16 remote controls.

If you need a door opener for a different purpose, or if you need one to do something differently, check out our full listing of door openers. Let us help you set things up so getting in your door is as easy as pushing a button. We’d love to hear from you!

Filed under Health and Mobility Tips
June 9, 2010

Top Handicap Bathroom Solutions: Wheelchair Accessible Bathrooms

To many, the ability to take a shower unassisted, even when in a wheelchair, is an important part of being able to live independently and in a dignified way. The handicap-accessible shower solutions here at Barrier Free Architecturals make taking a shower independently as easy as possible. We will work with you to assure you have the solution that fits your physical needs, your physical space, and your budget.

We have several solutions available. We have one-piece and multi-piece units with a low threshold that permits easy access to the shower unit. These shower units are ideal for retrofitting your existing bathroom, with the ability to replace an existing bathtub setup. One of these showers can be installed on your existing subfloor, and they do not require extensive renovation, saving you time and expense. In addition, these showers are backed fully with plywood, allowing for installation of grab bars and seats at any point.

Another multi-piece option is the corner shower, which is a good choice for a small bathroom. These corner units share the same benefits as above, including the ability to be installed on your existing sub floor and the plywood backing for safety accessories. All of these units are pre-assembled and arrive ready for installation in your bathroom.

We also offer various solutions for those customers who require a higher-end, recessed shower. The benefit of this is of course that the wheelchair simply rolls right in to the shower without having to cross over a threshold. This can be a great option if you’re considering a more extensive overhaul of your bathroom.

Please get in touch with us if you’re wondering about which handicap bathroom solution might be best for your case. We’d be more than happy to assist.

Filed under bathroom safety tips and products
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