Superior Builders will help you modify or redesign your Bathroom for wheelchair access! Let's start with the bathroom door. Wheelchairs need a minimum 32" door to go straight through the door.

If the doorway is located in the typical hallway and requires turning a wheelchair, you'll need a 36" door. Superior Builders can widen your doors for wheelchair and walker access. We remove the existing door unit, relocate the light switch, widen the framed opening, install a new wider door unit and repair the finished flooring. Bathtubs can be very hazardous.

Many people find it difficult to use a tub. Transferring from a wheelchair to the tub can be almost impossible. The tub area must be carefully designed to provide maximum safety. Bathtub and shower grab bars must be installed to provide proper support. Tub transfer seats allow persons to sit in the tub and take a bath or shower without having to lower themselves to the tub floor.

Bath tubs can be replaced with showers. It can be difficult for some of us to step in and out of a bathtub because of the high tub walls.

We can make it easier by replacing your tub with a shower. We custom build our showers depending on your site conditions. Let one of our pleasant Design team members design a custom shower just for you! We custom build ceramic tile roll-in showers using the same basic procedures as used for a shower with a curb.

There is additional work required. The tub drain is usually the same elevation as the bathroom floor, requiring jack-hammering and removing the concrete, center and lower the drain, install a rubber shower pan and the new shower floor flush with the existing bathroom floor.

Toilet seat height varies from one individual to another, usually between 17" to 19". Toilets can be replaced with special units or raised seats can be installed.

Toilet grab bars can be installed for balance and support and to allow individuals to safely transfer from a wheelchair. Sinks can be installed to allow wheel chair access. Vanity cabinets can be removed from below the sink. This will expose the plumbing pipes requiring covering with insulation or boxed in to prevent contact with sharp edges and burns by hot water pipes.

Pedestal style sinks can give you a little more room to maneuver, but can be difficult to use from a wheelchair and are usually a couple of inches higher than the standard vanity top. To help with this, we suggest a wall mounted lavatory.

ADA BATHROOM DESIGN GUIDELINES:

If you are physically disabled, or if you have ever had to use crutches, you know first-hand, just how difficult it is to maneuver in and around a typical bathroom.

Building codes are changing in regard to accessibility to public facilities for physically challenged people. Yet, many people are beginning to implement the guidelines in the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), when designing residential bath areas as well.

Having ADA bathroom design can be a plus in the resale of your home, as well as a godsend in the event you or a family member should become disabled.

Here is a brief synopsis of some design points you should consider:

1. Doorways must be a minimum of 32 inches wide to accommodate wheelchairs and walkers. Doors should swing out rather than in, with clearance on both sides. This is in case someone falls in the bathroom and blocks the doorway. But ADA bathroom design standards for doorways make it easier for the those in wheel chairs or crutches to move easily into the room and close the door. Pocket doors may also be used.
   
   
2. The threshold of the doorway should be even with the adjacent floor.
   
   
3. Provide for an area large enough to hold a five-foot circle to allow a wheelchair 360-degree turn. Consider installing a barrier-free shower.
   
   
4. Make sure a wheelchair can roll up to the sink with knee room underneath. Do not block access with a vanity cabinet. Make sure shelves, baskets and trays are at accessible heights from a seated position.
   
   
5. Avoid hard-to-open latches and door handles. Consider using lever handles.
   
   
6. Mount bathtub faucet controls toward the entry side of the tub where they can be reached easily.
   
   
7. Add accessible faucets, such as single-handle or lever type that do not require a strong grip to operate.
   
   
8. Add a wall-mounted handheld showerhead, preferably mounted on a slide bar so someone of any height can use it.
   
   
9. Install a seat at the head of the tub or inside the shower enclosure.
   
   
10. Consider installing a programmable faucet that limits water temperature to prevent scalding. 11· Make sure that lighting is bright when needed, but provide for a low level alternative so that someone isn't blinded by it in the middle of the night.
    
    
11. Make sure that lighting is bright when needed, but provide for a low level alternative so that someone isn't blinded by it in the middle of the night.
    
    
12. Provide wall-mounted grab bars both in the toilet area and in the tub and/or shower. Use "L" shaped, horizontal and/or vertical bars.
    
    
13. Choose impact-resistant tub and shower enclosures.
    
    
14. Be certain that all flooring materials are non-slip, including throw rugs.
    
    
15. Use door locks that can be opened from outside in case of emergency.
    
    
16. Toilets should be a height without the seat of either 16 ½ inches (used in residential construction) or 18 inches (used in commercial construction) to make it easier for someone in a wheel chair.

Superior Builders designs & builds custom showers for the elderly & disabled.