HANDICAP ACCESSIBILE
HOME ADDITIONS
Tips for your future handicap accessible home addition.
One of our favorite projects is building in-law suites here in Virginia Beach and across the Tidewater area (Norfolk, Chesapeake, Portsmouth and Suffolk). If you are considering hiring a building contractor to build your in-law suite that is handicap accessible continue reading to learn about what you should consider when designing your home addition.​
Handicap Accessible
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Lighting: Bright is Best!
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Seniors need twice as much light and therefore full-spectrum bulbs are a good option because they can reduce glare. We build in-law suites in the Tidewater area of Virginia that include night-lights in bathrooms and hallways, and motion activated sensor lights outside the front and back doors and driveway. This will ensure they are never in the dark.
Doors and hallways
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If your mother-in-law suite or handicap suite needs to be wheelchair accessible you need to focus on the doors in your suite. The Americans With Disabilities Act has the legal requirements and standards for how an accessible doorway should be designed.
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The width of the door should be no less than 36 inches - enough room for any wheelchair to get through.
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Every door needs to be easy to open and easy on the hands and wrists. At K.M. Cash Remodeling we spend time working with our clients to ensure we place the right door knobs and handles in your in-law suite.
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Doorways should have ample maneuvering space and if we install an auto-closing door we want to ensure you have significant time to get through by slowing down the auto-close functionality.
Residential elevator
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This is becoming very popular and a standard option in new homes that we are building in Chicks Beach, Virginia Beach and Chesapeake, VA. As Virginia Beach, Norfolk and Chesapeake continue to become a prime destination for retirees (especially military retirees) new homes are focused on elevators that allow for retirees to be able to buy two story homes and townhomes by the beach. If retirees do not purchase these homes, the owners can easily choose to change the elevator into closets.
Elevator installed in new home - Norfolk, VA
Photo: Howard Hanna
Kitchen or Kitchenette
A big question for a lot of our in-law suite clients is whether you should add a kitchenette or kitchen. This is very dependent on how you want your in-law suite to be used both for now and in the future. If it is for an aging parent then a kitchenette might be best as there is a high possibility that aging parents may find cooking too difficult and would prefer to eat with the family. If the addition is also meant to cater to multi-generational living we at K.M. Cash Remodeling highly recommend a full kitchen that includes (oven, stove, microwave, sink, dishwasher etc).
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Private Bathroom
More home accidents happen in the bathroom than any other room. Here are our suggestions when considering a handicap bathroom renovation or in-law home addition:
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Add non-skid mats both inside and outside the bath and shower to reduce chances of slipping and falling.
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Install grab bars for additional support
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A hand-held flexible shower head
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A shower seat
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Grab bars next to the toilet
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A toilet riser may be necessary to improve access if the toilet seat is too low for comfortable transfers on and off.
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Walk-in shower with no step and door
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Radiant heat for the bathroom floor
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Non-slip tiles
Bathroom with seat and handheld shower head.
Kitchen island - wheelchair friendly microwave and storage - Suffolk VA Kitchen Renovation.
Deck/Garden
It is important to downsize the garden and minimize garden maintenance. Although you might want to consider a separate little garden and deck as this can be a nice option, enabling your parents or handicap family member to still relax in their own private oasis.
Wheelchair Ramp
At K.M. Cash Remodeling we build a lot of decks and entrances to in-law suites that come with a wheelchair ramp. When deciding on the best ramp please consider your personal and physical needs so that the installed ramp will serve you best.
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Aluminum Ramps
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Wooden Custom Built Ramp
For more information on in-law suites contact us today to discuss your needs and wants.
Wooden Custom Built Ramp and Deck - In-Law Suite - Virginia Beach, VA
CONTACT K.M. CASH REMODELING TODAY
Call Keith: 757-651-3285
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3169 Hungarian Road
Virginia Beach, VA 23457