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Any suggestions for remodeling the bathroom for aging parents?

Posted by Hammer Time
at March 12, 2009
 Neo emailed us and asked a very common question about doing saftey type work in his elderly parents bathroom.
We all have to deal with this at some point in our lives. I to have a older mom & we are all afraid of falling. She has had several surgeries and another one would not be good.

“Some months ago my mother fell while out of the bathtub. This has worried Neo. She gets around with nothing  except a cane to walk. My dad is in good health and has no problems moving around. They place on vacation and I want to make changes to the bathroom for my mom ’s security take place while on vacation. It has a standard tub, a toilet and a standard pedestal sink. I don ‘t want to change it too drastically because I am sure my dad would be really mad. Any ideas on retouching bathroom for the elderly?”

I would say add hand rails in the tub area and any place she walks. When you install the hand rails make sure that you use 3 or more 3 inch screws on each end. The railings or hand holds need to be 1.5 in diameter. They also need to be at the appropriate height for the person the installation is for. They should also be rated for weight bearing use.

As for the pedestal sink. It would be costly to swap out for a vanity, but it would be money well spent. If a person were to fall on a pedestal sink with all their weight? Imagine what could happen. A upgrade in the sink area would make your parents feel more secure while standing. Chose a vanity top with rounded corners and edges.

I would say you could make these changes for under $500.00

Q & A
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Were To Find the Best Instruction About Home Remodeling and Preparing Estimates For Bids?

Posted by Hammer Time
at August 16, 2008
So a kid who use to live on my street is going into business. Tom is his name. He’s around 24?. Tom sends me this Email today. 
I have to learn that ASAP everything I can about retouching and improvements to a house. Especially the Sun rooms, construction, design, build, prepare estimates. Can you can go out and take a digital image, and then somehow the transfer to your computer, the house is up and you can design the right sun room there ?
I thought I would post a little of our email conversation to help others. So the first thing that stands out is Tom’s terminology. Can’t understand what he’s talking about, but I get the jist of it.
Retouching what the heck is that ? Term is “Remodel”
First of all Tom you need to learn about sun rooms a glass glazing. Glazing is a very specialized field for patio, glass room, greenhouse or conservatory construction. Most sun room manufacturers have installation crews that have many years experience with installations. Since you have no experience with this I suggest calling some local installers and get estimates for the work before you go any further. Simply open the phone book. Get three detailed estimates and don’t say anything about awarding work to anyone. They don’t need to know you may attempt the work on your own.
The estimates should include the process used to determine the issues and what needs to be done.
Can you use your computer to design a sun room ? The answer is yes. It’s called CAD  (Computer aided design ). CAD is not easy to use. With glazing designs the architect is a trained professional. Sun rooms need to be designed to exact specifications. People lives are on the line. Imagine a glass ceiling falling on a person. The person who designs a patio, glass room, greenhouse or conservatory is ultimately responsible for the safety of the people using the space.
If the estimates that you get only require caulking or re glazing the glass to stop leaks then you can proceed if your local bylaws say it’s OK.
If there needs to be any structural work done you will need a permit. Most towns or counties require a builders license to pull permits. You can get around the licensing if it’s your property, but you still need a permit. The inspector needs to sign off on the work.
If the work is for a customer the best thing to do is get the estimates and add the cost of your time and sub contract the work to a professional that will guarantee the work for at least 5 years. You can watch some Sun Room DIY Video’s too.
Hope this help you out with patio, glass room, greenhouse or conservatory a little Tom. Let me know how it turns out.
Home Remodeling Tip & Tricks
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The Beginning Of A Home Improvement Blog By Skilled Contractor

Posted by Hammer Time
at May 25, 2008

Welcome to what we hope to be your source for home improvement and remodeling authority. Please return often we have 25 years of experience in the fields of home building, remodeling and overall home improvement.

I was a builder in New England since I was 16 years old. At age 40 I was injured real bad. Not being able to be on site anymore I have decided to share what I know on the Internet. As time progress’s I will be adding extensive content. Over the years I have collected enough knowledge to help with just about any project that can be done. Though the last thing contractors think during a work day is to take pitcures I actually did. I would bring photo albums to potential customers to show my work. Worked every time, I always left with a check. I will be presenting older and newer projects as time go’s on. I know you can run over to HDTV dot com but you will have a more personal experience here.

Thank and please check back soon

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