All About Bathroom

This is an excerpt from the Book called “Reimagine Redesign Remodel” by Rosemary Bakker. Continue reading to learn more about All About Bathroom, thanks to the author.

Bathrooms

The therapeutic benefits of water have been celehrated for millennia. The Greeks and Romans understood the art of bathing a both a necessity and come of life’s great pleasures. From medicinal baths to the joy of a deep soak, the healing powers of water to nature and cleanse are the same today as they were in ancient times.

Instead of grand roman baths, however, most of us are living with bathrooms designed for bare necessities. Rather than enjoyment. And usually they aren’t user-friendly as we age. That’s why universal design is a smart choice for today’s new longevity.

Whether you’re remodeling an existing bathroom or just sprucing up what you have in this chapter you’ll find innovative products and stylish designs, you’ll learn about bathroom essentials, like state-of-the-art bathing products and safer flooring.

And what’s perhaps more important, you’ll learn how to restore pleasure to freshening up by making sure every step of the process is accessible and safe.

Makeovers

There are many reasons you may be considering remodeling your bathroom. Here are three common scenarios.

Adding a first-floor bathroom If you’re living in a house without a first-floor bathroom, you’re thinking that some day it may be difficult of even impossible to go up and down the stairs several times a day. That’s why some countries, including England and Sweden, have changed their building codes to mandate that all new homes have a bathroom on the first floor.
Updating Your Current Bathroom

If your existing master bathroom; is cramped and unpleasant, you may want to remodel it, but you’re not quite sure how to achieve a more spacious, accessible room.

Accommodating Your Parents

Perhaps a parent in need of care is coming to live with you for a short or extended stay. You need a wheelchair-friendly bathroom because you know that using a commode and giving bed baths are best used only as short-term strategies.

Small changes can make a big difference. An easy-to-use bathroom doesn’t have to be palatial; even a 61\2×81\2-foot (2×2.6m) space can work nicely, especially with pocket doors and a shower-like sp. You may be able to carve out needed space by;

Expanding a half bath by extending it into an adjacent room
enlarging a closet and swapping out the room’s floor space for the bathroom
putting an addition on the house

Low –Cost Solutions

Of course, you may not be in a situation where you’re able to build a new bath or even renovate an older one. You’ll be relieved to know that even without remodeling, it’s still possible to make many changes in your existing bathroom, without major expense, which will dramatically increase accessibility and safety. New products can be installed immediately, making the bathroom safer and easier for everyone to use.

In each of the following sections, whenever possible, I’ll include both remodeling ideas and quick fixes so you can make an informed decision on which to choose to best meet your specific needs.

Bathroom Design

There are several different ways to design a smooth-functioning bathroom; where you locate the sink, toilet, and shower\bathing area depend on your available space and your mobility. Be sure to hire a designer, architect, or contractor who has experience with universal design so he or she can address your unique needs.

Here are a few guidelines to help you plan an accessible bathroom:

Allow for an open space with a 5-foot (1.5m) diameter to easily accommodate a scooter, a wheelchair, or a caregiver (just in case that’s ever needed). Part of this space can include the open floor space under a sink or in the shower.
If you’re tight on space, provide a 3×5-foot (0.9×1.5m) t-shaped aisle space.

Plan a minimum clear floor space of 30×48 inches (76x122cm) at each fixture.

Easy To Go Green Materials For The Bathroom

Vanities & cabinets.

Choose formaldehyde-free particleboard or fiberboards, such as wheat-board panels. Wheat board is made from the remnants of the straw waste left over from farmers’ wheat crops, milled and bound together with formaldehyde-free binders; it’s very strong, exceeding the standards for particleboard in North America. Or choose woods such as bamboo that come from renewable sources, or select flooring made from recycled materials. Look for the seal from the forest stewardship council (FSC).

Paint & Adhesive.

Use water-based paints, primers, adhesives, and finishes with no-or low-volatile organic compounds (VOCs)

Countertops.

Green laminates are available, made with recycled, formaldehyde-free materials, with low-emitting substrates; these are held together with low-VOC glues or mechanical fasteners.

Go with wood from renewable forests (for example, bamboo, Douglas fir, red alder, western maple, Oregon myrtle), or materials rescued from “deconstruction” projects.

Look for local stone.

Use terrazzo tiles, made from recycled glass.

Bathroom Doors

There are many types of doors on the market now that work well with universal design principles. If space is at a premium, check out pocket doors; they’re an excellent solution.

Of course, you’ll want a wide door-way in your bathroom (see doors, doorways & hallways on) to make it easy for all to come and go. And in an emergency you’ll want to have two-way hinges that allow the door to swing in both directions—into the bathroom and into the room or hallway outside. This way, if you or a loved one were to fall in the bath-room and block the doorway, some-one could easily get in and help. Many doorframes can be converted to two-way; hinges easily, but if you have a metal one, you may need to replace the entire frame. This may be worth the effort, especially if you or a family member has a history of falls.

For safe access, install a small, swiveling metal stop on the inside of the doorframe. Set the stop so that the door opens into the bathroom; in an emergency, to open the door by having it swing out, swivel the metal stop out of the way and swing the door out. And make sure to choose a lock that can be opened from both sides of the door.

Quick Fixes

Widening Doorways

You may be able to widen the doorway without remodeling by swapping the existing hinges for “swing-clear” hinges that allow the door to swing out of the way. If you still need a little more width, remove the lower section—up to 36 inches (91.5cm) above the floor—of the molding inside the doorframe (also called the doorstop). You’ll gain as much as 3 inches (7.5cm), depending on how the door is hung, which may be just enough to get through the doorway unscathed if you, a loved one, or a guest uses a mobility device.

For narrow doorways (l’ve consulted on bathrooms that had only 21-inch (53cm) doorways)

That can’t be enlarged, consider a narrow combination wheelchair\sliding tub chair that allows you to wheel a person from the bedroom into the bathroom and, using the tub-mounted track, slide the wheelchair seat into the tub so that the chair becomes a shower chair. (These are a bit pricey, but they’re significantly less expensive than a bathroom renovation.)

If you’re in a pinch, remove the door altogether (including the doorstops) and hang a beautiful drape or curtain in its place.

It’s Wise To Be Safe

Avoid These Grab Bars!

There are no shortcuts with this bathroom essential. grab bars must support a person’s weight. Therefore I don’t recommend:

Tub mounted bars.

Designed for use “only while standing,” these attachable tub bars are not designed for use in getting up from the tub floor or even from a bath chair. These bars are designed to be used only with downward force while standing. They easily detach if pulled sideways (as when getting up from the tub floor or from a bath chair). In addition to interviewing the manufactures, I tested several types of tub-mounted bars, and they all detached when used with anything other than a downward force.

Suction-Cup Grab Bars.

While they may seem miraculously strong at first, suction cups easily lose their hold and detach from the wall—and you never know when it’s going to happen. The vacuum that holds them on the wall gradually weakens until it’s no longer strong enough to keep the bar affixed. Also, the suction cups don’t work on many types of walls, including some tiled walls.

Screwing grab bars into sheet rock is not adequate to support the weight of an adult, and can been more dangerous than not having any grab bars at all. Make sure that the tile and the wall are in good condition, with no water damage that might have weakened the structure.

Grab Bar Locations For Bathing & Showering

You’ll want to install grab bars in various locations, depending on your bathroom space and your personal needs. As a general guideline, consider the following locations.

At The Tub & Shower Entrance

You’ll have a safe support to hold on to while climbing over the tub wall or entering the shower; this is a huge improvement over using the shower curtain or a slippery tile wall! A vertical bar is frequently preferred over a horizontal one because it’s easier for arthritic hands to grip.

On The Long Tub Wall

At a 45’ angle, sloping up toward the showerhead, a grab bar gives a hand hold when you’re getting up from the bathtub floor or moving from a seated position in a bath chair to a semi standing position when washing.

Hung horizontally, about 33 to 36 inches (84 to 91.5cm) from the floor, a grab bar helps while standing or transferring into the tub from a seated position. If you enjoy luxuriating and relaxing with a nice tub soaks, install another horizontal bar 9 inches 23cm above the tub for an assist when getting up and down.

By The Toilet

If your leg strength isn’t Olympian, it can be challenging to rise up from the toilet, especially if a knee is bothersome. It’s much easier to get up from a seated position by pushing down on supports (think of how you use armrests on chairs) right next to you (not on the wall). If you’re remodeling, consider hinged bars that can be swung up and out of the way if and when they’re not needed.

Special Needs

If your or a lover one has a condition that severely limits movement. Ask your doctor for a prescription for an at-home consultation by a physical or occupational therapist. The therapist can help you choose optimal locations for grab bars.

Toilets

While old-style toilets use up to 5 gallons per flush (GPF) or 19 liters per flush (LPF), newer models require only 1.6 GPF (6LPF), making them a better choice for the planet’s ecology. A dual-flush model saves even more because you have one type of flush for water waste (less water is used) and another for solids.

A higher toilet seat –17 or 18 inches (43 or 46cm) high, or the height of an average chair—is a better choice if you or your guest has arthritic knees or is transferring from a wheelchair. It generally makes getting up from the toilet much easier. in the universal bathroom, the toilet is situated with open space on one side, providing room for a mobility aid or a helpful caregiver, if ever needed, a “quiet close” lid, one that slowly lowers to the seat without slamming, is another wonderful invention.

Bathroom Sinks

One of the most exciting applications of universal design for bathrooms is in the range of styles and heights of sinks. The traditional way to install a sink is at a set height of 32 inches (81cm), regardless of the user’s stature. But this height requires consider-able bending for a taller person, who would find a higher position of 345 to 38 inches (86 to 96.5cm) more ergonomic. With universal design’s built-in adaptability, you can use the sink easily and ergonomically at a variety of heights, whether you’re standing or sitting. For example, if you currently use the sink while standing, a universal-design installation allows you to mount the sink at a back-friendly, comfortable height now and also allows for easy lowering for use from a seated position if needed later on—without any renovation.

Adjustable-Height Sink

It’s important that you install the sink into a countertop at a height that’s comfortable for you at a height that’s comfortable for you now, but allows for adjustments later on. In order to minimize reaching, set the sink into the vanity or countertop as close as possible to the front edge. A built-in, adaptable vanity underneath (with removable doors and cabinet bottom, or better yet, a storage cart on wheels) gives you plenty of storage while keeping open the option of a sink height perfect for sitting.

To provide maximum flexibility so you can actually sit at the sink, select a shallow sink with a drain in the rear. use flexible, plastic plumbing lines, available at most hardware stores, in-stead of rigid PVC pipes; they’ll give you the option of raising or lowering the sink at some point in the future with less work.

Easy To Go Green Water Sense Toilets

Water sense, a program sponsored by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (ESA), can help you identify high-performance, water-efficient toilets that reduce your water use, save you money, and help preserve our nation’s water resources. According to the EPA, toilets are by for the main source of water use in the home, accounting for nearly 30 percent of residential indoor water consumption.

The EPA reports that with new design advances, water sense-labeled toilets save water with no trade-off in flushing power, unlike the first-generation, “low-flow’’ toilets (remember flushing twice?). If every American replaced older toilets (from before 1992) with water sense-labeled models, each consumer would save 4,000 gallons per year, and we would save nearly 640 billion gallons of water per year, equal to more than two weeks of flow over Niagara falls!

For more information, go to epa.gov\watersense\pubs\toilets.htm.

If you want to design the sink so that you can sit rather than stand, remember that the pipes and the underside of the sink must be insulated. You can hide unsightly plumbing behind a nice-looking panel, but be sure to attach the panel so it can be easily removed. For sitting at a sink, the proper height of the vanity is 32 to 34 inches (81 to 86cm) legroom of 27 to 29 inches (68.5 to 73.5cm) wide must be available under the sink. Storage capacity then can be shifted to drawers on either side of the vanity, space permitting.

Last, but definitely not least, if you can afford it, install an adjust-able-height motorized sink. Yes, this is an expensive option, but if your partner is much taller or shorter than you and you would find your-selves raising or lowering the sink constantly it may turn out to be a splurge you will appreciate for years to come. The mechanism is terrific:

Any sink or countertop you select can be raised and lowered from 28 inches to 40 inches (71cm to 101.5cm) with the push of a button. The motor can be installed discreetly out of view under the sink. Or if you have the room, and you and your partner (or parent) have very different needs, you may find it easier to install a second sink at a different height. If the additional sink is a wall-mounted unit, it should be installed with extra-strength brackets or with extra bracing, as it can otherwise pull loose if someone leans on it.

Flexible, insulated piping and flexible-height, countertops let you move the sink and countertop up and down. Storage carts on wheels complement the décor and can be easily moved to make comfortable legroom for seated users. A gooseneck faucet reduces awkward bending for taller persons, and lever faucets are easy for all to use.

Faucets & Handles

It’s easy to add universal design to your existing sink simply by changing the faucets and handles. If you haven’t looked at these products in a while, you will be pleasantly surprised that improved function can also look so good! Here are a few guidelines:

A single-lever handle that mixes hot and cold water (as opposed to two knob handles) is a good choice. As most people—even those with arthritis –can easily use it.
If you prefer individual hot and cold handles, use two lever-style handles to make running the water easier.
Electronic faucets are an excellent choice if you want to go hands free-and they’re safer because they reduce contamination. But there are trades-offs: some models turn on when you walk by the sink—not such an eco-friendly feature. And the water temperature is usually set at an average, so you don’t really get very cold or very hot water unless you make special adjustments, which are not always easy.

If you want to reduce bending and make the sink easier to use, install the faucets near the front on one side of the sink.

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