Moving to Arizona or Florida used to be a dream for many retirees but not anymore. Today, more and more people want to stay put after they retire. After all, why start over in a distant town when you’ve spent years creating a comfortable home and life in the Fresno area? Although you may be ready to age in place, your bathroom might not be. Fortunately, remodeling improves accessibility and provides safety features that will help you avoid falls and injuries.
What Features and Fixtures Should You Add to Your Fresno Bathroom Remodel?
Accessibility wasn’t a consideration when many Fresno homes were built. Even homes built recently may not have universal design features that make bathrooms accessible for everyone. Luckily, it’s easy to add these features during your bathroom renovation. Features you may want to consider including in your remodel include:
- Curbless Shower: Tripping over the curb at the entrance to your shower can lead to broken bones and other serious injuries when you’re older. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 25% of older people fall every year, resulting in 3 million visits to U.S. emergency rooms. When you install a curbless shower, you can simply walk into your shower without ever needing to lift your feet from the floor. Curbless showers also offer plenty of room for wheelchairs and walkers. Adding grabbars and built-in seats to your new shower will make it even safer.
- Walk-In Bathtub: Entering and exiting the bathtub increases your slip-and-fall risk if you’re unsteady on your feet or have mobility issues. Fortunately, you don’t have to give up a soothing bath at the end of the day when you include a walk-in bathtub in your remodeling plans. Walk-in tubs have doors built into the sides to make it easy to get in and out of the tub. These tubs also incorporate slip-resistant flooring and grab bars. Choose a basic model or add jets or colorful chromotherapy (color) lights.
- Flooring: Slip-resistant flooring is one of the most important additions to your bathroom remodel. As you age, your muscle mass declines, while your joints stiffen and become less flexible. These changes make it difficult to keep your balance if you slip on the bathroom floor. Luxury vinyl tile, textured ceramic or porcelain floor tiles, bamboo, or cork flooring are stylish options that reduce the risk of slip and fall injury.
- Cabinets and Sinks: Making a few adjustments to cabinets, sinks, and vanities will also make aging in place easier. Wall-mounted sinks and cabinets and vanities with cut-out areas under the sink allow plenty of legroom if you ever need to use a wheelchair. Hands-free, motion-activated faucets keep the water flowing if manual dexterity becomes a problem and are convenient even if you don’t have any issues with your hands. Pull-out cabinet drawers in cabinets and vanities make it easy to find what you need without a lot of bending and reaching.
- Other Features: Additional lighting and motion-activated lighting can help you compensate for a natural decline in your ability to see in dim light. Higher toilets are more comfortable if you develop arthritis or other joint problems, while self-cleaning toilets mean less work for you.
Our design/building approach to remodeling makes the bathroom renovation process much less overwhelming. During the first step in the process, our designer will meet with you to discuss your likes and dislikes, your current mobility issues, and possible challenges in the future.
Using that information, we’ll create a design that incorporates all the items on your bathroom renovation list and fits your budget. Once you approve the design, the renovation starts. Just a few weeks after your remodel begins, you’ll have a brand-new bathroom that reflects your taste and style yet includes all the features you need to age in place comfortably.
Have you begun planning for your retirement? Renovating your bathroom is an excellent first step. Contact our office and let us know how we can help you with your remodel.