The HTRC

The Homeowners & Trades Resource Center

Brought to you by:

You are here: Home / Remodeling & Renovations / Aging In Place, ADA Compliance & Universal Design

Aging In Place, ADA Compliance & Universal Design

Home Sweet Home – nothing beats being able to come home, cook up a quick meal or even a gourmet one, take a nice relaxing shower, and then just relaxing. Most of us plan on staying in our houses for as long as possible (if not forever); do you really plan on just moving into a nursing home when you reach some magical age?

So what does Aging-In-Place mean?

Aging-In-Place is quite simply the ability to live in one’s own home for as long as it is comfortably and safe to do. With a little planning one can extend the amount of time that’s possible through the incorporation of universal design principles, and sometimes other assistive technologies.

What is Universal Design aka Adaptable Design?

Universal Design is a concept to make ones home usable by the greatest amount of people as possible, whatever their age or physical ability may be. These design principles also include making everything look aesthetically pleasing to the eye, while minimizing the cost upfront, and helping to eliminate the need for adaptation or specialized design that would be required later on a standard house. One quick example is specifying 36” doors instead of using the standard mish-mash of smaller doorways. This one item alone allows a wheelchair or crawler access to all the rooms without requiring major remodeling later on, while allowing easier access for the movement of furniture and other items.

Does a residential property have to meet Federal ADA compliance guidelines?

In short, generally no – the ADA guidelines were mainly designed for businesses and government buildings, not residential structures – however, many of the guidelines are definitely worth considering and looking at.

If your home needs to be modified; whether making it wheelchair accessible by widening a bathroom door, installing a roll-in shower, or simply just adding safety/grab bars, pull out shelves in your cabinets, etc… SLS Construction is here to help. We offer universal design services and can incorporate many barrier free modifications into your next remodel, or addition.

Related posts:

Remodeling your Kitchen: Going Green - Why?
Renovations That Are Kid Friendly and Home Friendly
NADRA - the Who, the What, and Why it matters
Retaining Block Wall’s – 5 rules to live by
Re-piping Your House: The PEX Solution
Choosing the Best Windows for Your Home
Ramp-A-Thon 2009 Press Release
Why you shouldn't ask, what color should I…?
  Tweet    
  
   

Filed Under: Remodeling & Renovations, Universal Design November 17, 2008 By SLS

Featured Posts
Hurricane Season – 5 Steps to being prepared

Hurricane Season - 5 Steps to being prepared

Today is the start of Hurricane Season that has been predicted to be busier than usual. Based on the ocean temperatures and the changing weather conditions, they might just be ...

Read More

August and Late Summer Maintenance Checklist

August and Late Summer Maintenance Checklist

Well I have some good news & some bad news – the good news is that this is the last full month of summer. The bad news is that it ...

Read More

25 ways to keep your cool during a heat wave & beyond

25 ways to keep your cool during a heat wave & beyond

Welcome to the dog days of summer with what appears to be a bumper crop of “Excessive Heat Warnings” this year. In just this last week, I got to enjoy ...

Read More

Hitting the Road: RV’s, Gas Mileage, & Assorted Tips

Hitting the Road: RV’s, Gas Mileage, & Assorted Tips

As the Star Trek transporter still has not been invented, many vacationing families & others start looking to RV’s due to their many benefits. Can one say no TSA checks, ...

Read More

FAQ: Do I need to change my HVAC filter monthly?

FAQ: Do I need to change my HVAC filter monthly?

If you follow our Monthly Maintenance Program, the first item we have listed is "Change out your HVAC filter." This has brought up a few questions, namely: Do I need ...

Read More

Back to School Organizational Tips

Back to School Organizational Tips

Ahhh, back to school time - maybe I can now get a little peace & some quite time, get some things caught up - truly, this is one of the ...

Read More

FAQ: Ceiling fan direction - summer & winter

One of the biggest questions out there is which direction should my fan be running and how can I tell. You look at the switch and realize it isn't any ...

Read More

Subscribe

Get new posts by email:

Random Glossary term

  • Bearing Wall

    Home Sweet Home – nothing beats being able to come home, cook up a quick meal or even a gourmet one, take a nice relaxing shower, and then just relaxing. Most of us plan on staying in our houses for as long as possible (if not forever); do you really plan on just moving into […]

The HTRC - Copyright © 2006–2022 by TheHTRC.com & SLS Construction & Building Solutions LLC http://SLS-Construction.com