Tag: handicap ramp installation - page 4

Home Renovations Without Disturbing The Peace

Posted on by Creative Programs and Systems

Making any home improvement is exciting.  When you fix, replace or freshen-up the spaces in your home it takes the space from dull and lived in to clean and new.  If you take on a home renovation without the right tools or incorrect information, this exhilarating time into a stressful situation for everyone involved.  In the article below you will find a variety of tips that can help turn all of your household projects into successful ones.

When you are first considering a home improvement project be sure to think about where to start.  Not every renovation needs to be taken on at one time.  Instead start with one room at a time.  Plan ahead so that you can keep your eyes open for deals.  If a kitchen contractor or flooring specialist is running a summer special then it may be time to make adjustments to your time line. Take advantage of low prices on both materials and labor when you can.  Don’t however start on one project and jump to another mid renovation just because you are looking to get a deal.  The disturbance of two home renovations at one time is a lot for your family to handle.

When you are looking to do any home improvement project that involves electricity, plumbing or your homes structure you will need to secure permits.  Many times renovations requiring a permit are better managed using a licensed contractor.  Hiring a professional often ends up saving homeowners money and time in the end.  The discount contractors receive on materials as well as the ability to do the work right the first time adds up to savings on the homeowners end.

When you are taking on something simple like a fresh coat of paint try to schedule the update over a long weekend.  This will give you additional time encase everything does not goes as planned.  If you are looking to paint rooms as quickly as possible try and stick to painting during the day when you are able to use the natural light.  Artificial light gives off shadows and can cause you to miss areas.  When painting a ceiling work from the outside in.  Start around the edges and finish in the center.  Walls should be painted from top to bottom.  If you are going to hire a painter ask to see examples of their work in person especially when looking to hire them to paint more than one room.  Technique is crucial when it comes to painting to prevent an uneven paint job.

When tackling complete room renovations such as bathroom or kitchen remodels plan your renovation out from start to finish. This is important whether you are working with a contractor or attempting it on your own.  Having a plan in place of when specific progress points are helps to prevent delays common in home improvement projects.

Another tip when remodeling is to take the clutter out of the process.  Simplify the space and don’t go overboard with too many patterns, colors or materials.  Stick with a theme and work on complimenting it in a manner that improves the space.

There is a lot to think about when it comes to sprucing up your home.  Working on one room at a time will allow you to wrap your head completely around one project.  This focus will help prevent time delays as well as improve each renovation.  When you can devote time, energy and finances on one space it allows you to take into consideration each and every detail so that the space is truly something unique and useful to your home and family.

The Home Doctor, based in Livingston County including Brighton and Howell Michigan, offers a variety of home renovations to clients ranging from bathroom remodeling to age in place home modifications.  Contact http://glenmillerthehomedoctor.com/ today all of your home renovating needs.

Glen Miller The Home Doctor

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Choosing Between Permanent and Temporary Wheelchair Ramps

Posted on by Creative Programs and Systems

There comes a time in all of our lives where we have to make tough decisions about the care of a relative.  Often times this window of care is relatively short but difficult.  There are a million decisions to consider when bringing a loved one into your home to be cared for.  One of the choices that may need to be consider has to do with access the home.  When a wheelchair is needed to ease movement not only throughout the house but granting access into and out of the house handicap ramps are considered.

When it comes to installing a wheelchair ramp this alone brings a myriad of decisions to consider; the first of many is whether you want to install a temporary or permanent ramp.  More often than not a temporary handicap ramp will suffice.  The need for a handicap ramp in most of our homes is just that, temporary. Most situations that require the use of a wheelchair are temporary, a child breaks a leg, or a parent comes to live out their final time.  The ramp is only needed to provide ease of movement for a short period of time and therefore doesn’t require become a permanent fixture.

There are situations in which it is necessary to install a permanent handicap ramp to a home.  This is the case when there is a long term diagnosis that will make moving in and out of the house more difficult as time progresses.  When certain illnesses or accidents occur it can leave us limited in mobility.  Permanent handicap ramps allow us to easily maneuver in and out of our home while keeping the aesthetics of the home intact.  Permanent wheelchair ramps are created to blend in to the home’s exterior creating a seamless transition between the interior and exterior of the home.

It is up to individual homeowners, dependent on their unique situation whether to install a permanent or temporary ramp.  Once this is decided upon there are several other considerations that need to be solidified before construction can be started.  One decision that needs to be made is what material to build the ramp from.  Ramps are most commonly aluminum or wooden.  Another consideration is the length of the ramp.  Think about the slope of your entrance when considering the length of a ramp.  Although shorter ramps are easier to move from one spot to another, in the case of multiple entry and exit points, they also increase the steepness of the ramp.  Longer ramps are easier to manipulate for users.  The drawback occur if the ramp needs to be moved and the expense.  Longer ramps are naturally more expensive than shorter ones.  More material is needed to make them and the installation process takes more time.

No matter what you decide; temporary or permanent, long or short, aluminum or wood the same end result is desired. Easing the mobility of entry and exit to the home for loved ones who are having an increasingly difficult time maneuvering stairways.  Handicap ramps are great not only for wheelchair users but for people needing canes and walkers to assist in walking as well as those that suffer from knee, back or hip issues.

The Home Doctor, based in Livingston County including Brighton and Howell Michigan, offers a variety of home renovations to clients ranging from bathroom remodeling to age in place home modifications.  Contact http://glenmillerthehomedoctor.com/ today all of your home renovating needs.

Glen Miller The Home Doctor

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Straightforward Tips In Home Remodeling To Age In Place

Posted on by Creative Programs and Systems

There is an increase in the number of seniors choosing to stay in their homes rather than moving into assisted living facilities.  With the rise of our older generation staying within their homes it is important that we as caregivers know how to provide an environment free of obstacles that may hinder the homes accessibility.

Many age in place home renovations can be done by do it yourselfers but others such as the installation of wheelchair ramps require hiring an outside contractor.  The list below will provide you with some easy tips on renovating the home to provide a safe living environment to grow old.

One easy tip is removing loose rugs and carpets.  This may not sound like a big deal but this easy and inexpensive tip makes a large impact.  If it is impractical to remove the rugs secure them with the use of double sided sticky tape.  Loose rugs and carpets increase the risk that comes along with falling as one ages.  A fall in your twenties is totally different than a fall in your sixties.  Bones are brittle and are at an increased risk of breaking.  The healing process is also not the same.  All rugs and carpets should either be removed or secured to prevent accidents from the loss of mobility we experience as we age.

Consider updating hard to use appliances.  Seniors tend to have issues with mobility and bending in general.  Limit the need for them to stretch or excessively bend.  This can be done with simple appliance updates such as a new raised front loading washer and dryer. The basic goal in updating appliances is finding models that adapt to the changing needs we experience as we age.

Replace the handles on cabinets and doors throughout the home. Lever style door handles are much easier to use and require much less effort to open them.  Seniors with arthritis will find traditional doors hard to open. Cabinet pulls make cabinets easier to open as well.  These simple changes are effective and inexpensive.  Little updates make life much easier with aging joints.

Another simple change that makes life easier on seniors is replacing old style light switches to new style rocker switches.  Arthritis can be an incredibly debilitating disease that makes seniors unable to accomplish the simplest of tasks. Rocker style light switches make turning the lights on and off simple.

The most important tip of all is to update the bathroom.  Most accidents when it comes to seniors happens in the bathroom.  Make the switch from a traditional style tub to a no threshold shower with a bench and grab bars. It is also important that you replace the smaller traditional toilets with a higher toilet.  This will make getting up off of the toilet much easier alleviating the strain that comes with getting up off of the toilet.

Seniors thrive when allowed to continue to live independently.   It is important to allow them the freedom that comes when still in your own living environment instead of moved to a retirement home. The tips included in this article will start you on your way to providing a safe place to continue to live the life they want.

Glen Miller The Home Doctor

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