Home remodeling tips for the golden years
BY Brandpoint
Wednesday, December 05, 2012
As America’s 77 million baby boomers reach retirement age, one thing is absolutely clear — they are not going to quietly retreat into their golden years. The most active generation in America’s history wants homes that will support their active lifestyles, and homes that will accommodate the challenges boomers will face, from bad knees to working from home and taking in grandchildren.
That’s why building and remodeling homes for aging baby boomers represents one of the biggest trends in the home improvement industry today. It’s primarily in response to how baby boomers view themselves, many of whom don’t believe old starts until a person turns 80, according to a Del Webb survey. While many boomers see themselves running, cycling and downhill skiing for many years to come, the reality is that aging creates physical challenges, ranging from arthritis to stiffness to balance issues that could result in debilitating falls. Expecting so much of themselves, many are starting to rethink the design of their homes to accommodate their changing lifestyles.
To meet the needs of this active generation, home builders and remodelers are developing new design and building techniques that incorporate universal design principles.
Universal design means creating products and designing spaces that allow the widest range of people, of varying physical abilities, to use one space, from babies to 80-year-olds. Because the typical American home is designed for an active American family whose adults are in their 20s and 30s, many do not meet the needs of boomers who want to age gracefully in their own homes.
“Universal design is about balancing style with the functionality we need as we move from one stage of life to another,” said John Gardner with APEX Siding System, a manufacturer of low maintenance, high durability siding and trim. “Universal design allows empty-nesters to live in their homes longer, allowing them to pursue their goals and passions regardless of the physical abilities that aging may impose upon them.”
Gardner offers some tips on how to design and remodel your home to meet your needs today and in the future:
• Don’t wait until the last-minute. If you intend to live in your current home into your 60s, 70s and 80s, don’t wait until health challenges force you to make changes to your home. Create a master plan using universal design principles that can be implemented over time to spread out the costs of your remodeling investment.
• Get an expert. Seek out builders and remodelers who have earned the National Association of Home Builders age-in-place certification. These experts are knowledgeable about universal design principles and in building and remodeling homes that meet the needs of aging boomers.
• Plan for one-level living. As you remodel your home, create a plan so that everything you need is on one floor, easily accessible to your main entrance on the ground floor. This includes a bedroom, a bathroom with shower, washer and dryer, kitchen and dining area, and access to technology (TV, computer and phone).
• Low-maintenance rules. High maintenance projects, such as painting a home, cleaning the exterior side of windows or sealing cracks and seams in your siding are physically challenging and time-consuming. For example, if your home needs to have the siding replaced, instead of wood or fiber cement siding, which requires resealing and repainting every few years, consider a new type of siding that doesn’t need to be repainted or resealed when properly installed by a remodeling professional.
• Invest in a zero-step entry. Whether you’re maneuvering a stroller through the front door, carrying a load of groceries or navigating your mother’s wheelchair, invest in a new, wider front door system, featuring a low-maintenance fiberglass door frame, door and lever handle (not door knob) for easy entry.
• Task lighting makes a difference. Add more lighting for close-up tasks such as cooking, reading, hobbies (knitting, fly-tying) and working from home.
• Remodel the bathroom. Create an accessible ground-level bathroom for guests of any age by installing a zero-entry threshold shower base, a handheld shower head and shower rails. Don’t forget to give the shower a non-skid floor treatment and to add anti-scalding protection to the sink and shower.
Associated Images:
Single-level homes with zero-step entries are much easier to navigate. Romakoma/Shutterstock
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