Common Home Improvements for the Disabled That Are Cost Effective
The disabled, as well as their families, often face a daunting task of creating a handicap friendly home to live in and to maneuver in comfortably and safely.
While this is the goal of every responsible homeowner who has a disabled occupant, it can be quite cost prohibitive to provide every appointment that is really necessary.
Also, certain types of disability needs can cause the cost to soar, depending on how severely handicapped a person is.
However, there are some basic things that you can do right away, that are both cost effective and relatively easy.
You may even be able to do some or all of the work yourself, depending on how handy you are with tools.
Here are some of the basic things that everyone should do when accommodating a handicap loved one in the home.
First Things First First, it's imperative to remove all obstructions in the house that could inhibit safe, easy mobility for the disabled.
Of course, how much you do will be determined by how mobile a person is.
Is he in a wheelchair? If so, it is crucial that all loose floor coverings such as rugs, be removed from all areas of the house in which he will be traveling.
Also, is the permanent floor covering conducive for mobility? If you have carpet or other cushioned type flooring such as cork floors, a wheelchair bound individual will have a very difficult time moving about.
Proper Floor Covering Consider removing such flooring and replacing with a smooth surface product like wood or vinyl sheet flooring.
Wood products like click lock floors and prefinished wood flooring are relatively easy to lay down, if you know some basic construction principles.
Vinyl sheet flooring is extremely easy to lay and can be done in one day.
Simply remove old flooring, sand off any uneven places, layer with appropriate adhesive and roll down the pre-measured and cut, sheet of vinyl.
You can do this in any room of the house including bathroom or kitchen.
Accessible Ramps Another thing that may be necessary is to provide ramps for traveling with a wheelchair or scooter.
You can build your own or there are pre-built ramps that can be purchased that can be placed conveniently at the location of most areas of need.
Whether it is on the porch, steps or other building entrances, pre-built handicap ramps are great for the less experienced home handy man who really needs to save money and do most of the work.
These are just two of the most important things to consider when making necessary home improvements for the disabled.
If you do most of the work yourself, or select pre-built products, you can save money in the long run, while also providing a safe home for your disabled loved one.
While this is the goal of every responsible homeowner who has a disabled occupant, it can be quite cost prohibitive to provide every appointment that is really necessary.
Also, certain types of disability needs can cause the cost to soar, depending on how severely handicapped a person is.
However, there are some basic things that you can do right away, that are both cost effective and relatively easy.
You may even be able to do some or all of the work yourself, depending on how handy you are with tools.
Here are some of the basic things that everyone should do when accommodating a handicap loved one in the home.
First Things First First, it's imperative to remove all obstructions in the house that could inhibit safe, easy mobility for the disabled.
Of course, how much you do will be determined by how mobile a person is.
Is he in a wheelchair? If so, it is crucial that all loose floor coverings such as rugs, be removed from all areas of the house in which he will be traveling.
Also, is the permanent floor covering conducive for mobility? If you have carpet or other cushioned type flooring such as cork floors, a wheelchair bound individual will have a very difficult time moving about.
Proper Floor Covering Consider removing such flooring and replacing with a smooth surface product like wood or vinyl sheet flooring.
Wood products like click lock floors and prefinished wood flooring are relatively easy to lay down, if you know some basic construction principles.
Vinyl sheet flooring is extremely easy to lay and can be done in one day.
Simply remove old flooring, sand off any uneven places, layer with appropriate adhesive and roll down the pre-measured and cut, sheet of vinyl.
You can do this in any room of the house including bathroom or kitchen.
Accessible Ramps Another thing that may be necessary is to provide ramps for traveling with a wheelchair or scooter.
You can build your own or there are pre-built ramps that can be purchased that can be placed conveniently at the location of most areas of need.
Whether it is on the porch, steps or other building entrances, pre-built handicap ramps are great for the less experienced home handy man who really needs to save money and do most of the work.
These are just two of the most important things to consider when making necessary home improvements for the disabled.
If you do most of the work yourself, or select pre-built products, you can save money in the long run, while also providing a safe home for your disabled loved one.
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