Accessible bathrooms

by Leon A. Frechette

One wonderful thing about being a construction professional is meeting the challenges and obstacles presented by customers and remodeling in general. The time comes when we need to put down our hammers and check out new products and learn new construction methods and techniques that could benefit both our customers and ourselves.

It is your responsibility to keep abreast of changes within this business so you'll want to read trade publications and books, attend seminars and trade shows, and join professional organizations. What you know could determine whether or not you get a job you bid on. Don't wait for a customer to come to you with an issue about which you know nothing!

Barrier-Free is an Issue

One issue on the minds of customers—and therefore important to you—is the overall accessibility of their homes and whether or not barrier-free designs can be incorporated.

Many of us are not sure exactly what this entails while some of us are just plain scared of the subject. Don't wait so long to understand this area that you begin to lose jobs! Barrier-free is an area in which you can make a vital difference in the lives of your customers, receive pure satisfaction in helping to solve very real problems, and create a viable business all at the same time. What could be better?

So what does barrier-free design really mean? Basically, it is "an architecture which does not inhibit access or use by all people, disabled or nondisabled." In other words, a barrier-free design presents no obstacles to restrict freedom of movement. It's a way to make life easier and more convenient for your customers.

Barrier-free bathrooms for disabled individuals, as well as for older adults who have reduced balance and mobility, pose design challenges. I recommend you contact the following organizations for more information concerning the Americans with Disabilities Act and barrier-free bathroom (or new home) design:

National Easter Seal Society
230 West Monroe Street, Suite 1800
Chicago, IL 60606
www.easterseals.com

Check out Easy Access Housing for Easier Living

U.S. Department of Justice
Office on the Americans with Disabilities Act
Washington, DC 20530
1-800-514-0301
www.ada.gov

Check out the ADA Standards for Accessible Design in .pdf format.

Be sure to consult with your local building department for any statewide regulations and to ensure that your plans comply with the building codes in force in your area.

Joining an organization that specializes in a certain area could be well worth the investment. One such organization is The National Kitchen & Bath Association (NKBA), which serves and represents firms and individuals involved in all aspects of the residential kitchen and bathroom industry. Their mission is to enhance member success and excellence, promote professionalism and ethical business practices, and provide leadership and direction within the industry. Through the NKBA University, you can work toward certification as a kitchen and/or bath designer. This could provide a real competitive edge as you can promote yourself as a certified designer and justify higher fees because of those credentials. In addition, your clients will have more confidence in you as a professional. For more information on the NKBA, contact them at www.nkba.org or call 800-843-6522.

Design Considerations

When planning a new design with your customer, or even just working on a remodeling project, consider turning to my book, Accessible Housing. It addresses barrier-free issues and many other concerns that are important in the design of a new bathroom. You will want to consider the following when bidding on a barrier-free bathroom:

1. A minimum clear floor area that is 5' square (25 square feet) to allow wheelchair users to make a 360° turn.
2. An enlarged bathroom door with a minimum 32" width (36" is preferred) from doorstop to the face of the door when it is open in a 90° position to provide wheelchair access.
3. Hallways leading to the bathroom widened up to 60" with low-pile carpeting or non-slip flooring to ease the use of walkers and wheelchairs.
4. Easy-to-grasp door handles on all doors.
5. A barrier-free shower stall, 36" x 36" with seat or a minimum of 30" x 60" without a seat (but install a grab bar around the stall).
6. An easy-access bath with removable seat (standard 5' tub) or a permanent seat unit (5' plus a 15" allowance for the seat. There must be 30" of clear floor space in front of the tub when approaching from the end (head) and 48" if the tub is approached straight-on (side).
7. A motorized tub lift to automatically lower a person into the water or, for the less disabled, a removable bathtub seat.
8. A roll-under vanity top (34" maximum from top of counter to floor and 29" minimum from underside of sink to floor) with insulated hot water pipes to prevent burns.
9. Low mirrors.
10. Non-skid floors.
11. Handicapped toilet or an extended seat.
12. Wall-mounted grab bars in tub/shower areas and around toilet (diameters should be 1-1/4" to 1-1/2"). The space between the grab bar and wall should be 1-1/2".
13. Loop or single-lever faucet handles.
14. Faucets with anti-scald temperature controls.
15. An all-direction shower head.
16. Cabinet hardware with "D" pulls.

These guidelines provide a starting point and they follow the specs outlined in the Federal Register. It is important that you be sensitive to your customer's needs to make sure that the design does indeed work for them comfortably—and you need to know this before you start your next project!

Can an Existing Bathroom be Enlarged?

One of the most frequently asked questions is "Can I make my bathroom bigger?" As you probably know from experience, enlargement of the room usually is not an option, but still it is worth considering. Many factors come into play when determining whether room enlargement is possible, and you need to ask the following questions when evaluating a job:

1. Is the bathroom in question on the main floor?
2. What kinds of rooms surround the bathroom?
3. Is there living space above or below the bathroom?
4. How many people live in the home?
5. How many bedrooms are there?
6. If you were to use space from a nearby room to enlarge the bathroom, would it detract from the resale value of the home?
7. Would it cost too much to enlarge the existing bathroom?
8. Is the customer planning to build an addition in the future?
9. Can you plan a bathroom in the new addition?
10. How large is the laundry room?
11. Would it be possible to add bathroom facilities to the laundry room?
12. If there is more than one bathroom, would it be easier to remodel or enlarge one of them?
13. Does the master bedroom have a bathroom?
14. Is there room in the master bedroom for a new bathroom?

Finding additional floor space required for easy access by a person using a walker or wheelchair requires creativity. Sometimes extra space can be found within the existing structure. Perhaps removing an adjacent closet (or two) will permit a larger shower, including a bench and a hand-held shower. Sometimes an existing swinging door can be replaced with a larger pocket door to take further advantage of available floor space.

Safety is Vital

Safety is vital, so plan to install grab bars, non-slip surfaces, benches, and pressure balance and temperature regulating water controls. A neutral monochromatic color scheme emphasizes the functional aspects of the space while grab bars in matching colors blend in with the surface.

New Products

Products that conform to your customers' needs play an important role in your design. Stay on top of barrier-free products—be sure that your personal library is up to date, and visit supply houses to learn about the newest and latest products. Regularly search the internet for new products that will help your customers.

As a construction professional, you will want to focus on the individual capabilities of your customer, both now and in the future (as your customer ages). Familiarizing yourself with the materials and products now on the market that can be used to create barrier-free living is vital, but even more important is the ability to guide a customer unfamiliar with all the design and component selection possibilities so the end product works.

What About the Commercial Market?

The information contained in this article can be used in residential construction. However, as you well know, the laws that govern barrier-free issues generally apply to the commercial market, i.e., public facilities, where a real emphasis has been placed on accessibility. Be aware that statewide regulations may exist and be enforced in your area for multi-family housing developments.

With that in mind, the United Spinal Association, formerly the Eastern Paralyzed Veterans Association, offers training and consulting services as well as a variety of accessibility information. Explore their website, www.unitedspinal.org, to learn about all they have to offer.

Copyright © 1995, 1998, & 2006 LAF/C.R.S., Inc. All rights reserved. The previous article,
in whole or in part, appeared in the August 1995 issue of Building & Remodeling News.

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