Age in place ideas for a bath remodel
We want to give you a few considerations when remodeling your bathroom if you are planning on aging in place, which is the kind way of saying “we are getting old and need to make sure we don’t fall or hurt ourselves 😉”
Blocking for grab bars: During our framing stage of our bathroom projects we like to install blocking at key locations for a tub or shower area even if we are not planning on installing grab bars during the remodel, they will be there for future installation. We give our clients pictures allowing them to see where the blocking is located for future install.
Zero entry shower pan: A more popular option for showers is where we recess the shower pan into the floor so that shower pan is the same height as the bathroom floor. This eliminates anything to possibly step over while trying to enter or exit the shower. Takes some effort to achieve and often requires us to waterproof our entire floor, but allows really easy access to your shower.
Humidity sensor bath fan: Bath fans now come equipped with a humidity sensor that automatically turns it on when it senses humidity and shuts it off when non exists. This can be achieved also by installing a humidity sensing switch for your fan. This is common code now for us in most counties here in CA, but makes like a little easier when showering and trying to remember to turn the bath fan on or off.
Bench built into your shower: This is a really great idea and there are a few ways to achieve a bench. For some showers we build them directly into the walls and tile them so they are a full part of the shower. These end up being larger, take up more space, but often times are more comfortable. If you’re limited on space there are a few options that have a trendy teak fold down bench that gets mounted to the wall. When you want it you can simply fold it down and when you’re done it folds away.
The real challenge often times we find with our clients is remodeling a bathroom that looks ascetically pleasing and yet still serves to keep them safe as they age and grow in their homes. With forthought and intentionality this can be achieved so your bathroom doesn’t look like a public restroom full of giant ugly grab bars.