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10 Value-Added
Building
Projects for Baby Boomers
article courtesy of www.Hy-Lite.com
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Photo courtesy of
Simonton Windows |
Every year homeowners purchase products that
make their lives easier in the kitchen – an electric
jar opener, food chopper or can opener. What about investing
in products that will make living in their entire home easier
for many years into the future?
According to a study by the American Association
of Retired Persons (AARP), an overwhelming percentage of Americans
aged 45 and older – more than 83 percent – want
to stay in their current homes long after they retire. But
that doesn’t mean that the home they purchased in their
thirties will still be suitable when its occupants reach their
fifties, sixties or seventies.
“People’s physical needs and capabilities
change as they get older, and they have to take steps to make
sure their house changes with them,” says Don Zeman,
host of the home improvement radio show, Homefront with
Don Zeman. “As an example, the double hung windows
someone had no trouble opening when they were 35 may become
physically challenging on their back, arms and shoulders as
they get older.
“What can homeowners do? They can help
their homes grow older with them by investing in some easy
changes. These renovations will make their lives easier, add
resale value to their houses and give them a renewed joy of
living in their home.”
A contractor and builder for 25 years before
starting his nationally syndicated radio show, Zeman knows
the best ways to update a home using both common sense and
universal design ideas. “Research shows that more than
100 million people – the baby boomers – will be
50 years or older by 2010,” says Zeman.
“Now is the time for baby boomers to plan
for their future,” states Zeman. “They should
think of it as both themselves and their homes aging together.
Both can benefit from changes that will make life easier in
the future.”
According to Zeman, there are 10 extremely positive
home improvement projects that can make life in a current
home more enjoyable as the years go by, and pay big dividends
when selling the home in the future.
Project #1
– Replace double hung and single hung windows
with casement style windows. Opening traditional
windows requires pushing up on a sash and lifting, which can
strain the back and other muscles. The easy crank-out operation
of a casement window requires just a turn of a lever. Some
companies, such as Simonton Windows, offer their windows in
low-maintenance vinyl frames to reduce upkeep. Another benefit
is that casement windows allow more airflow into the home
than any other style window.
Project #2
– Add sturdy handrails anywhere you have stairs.
Whether it’s outside the home, going down to the basement
or even if there are a few steps in a split level house, screwing
handrails securely to wall studs provides support for everyone
in the home.
Project #3
– Switch to a no-threshold shower.
A walk-in shower eliminates the potential for tripping over
a tub or small ledge. Sturdy acrylic block radius shower walls,
available from Hy-Lite Products, provide support and privacy.
The obscure blocks allow light in the shower but prevent people
from seeing inside. Also make sure to add grab bars, an anti-scald
shower device and a non-slip surface to the shower.
Project #4
– Replace clothes washers and dryers with front-loading
units. When the time comes to get new utilities,
front-load units are easier to load and unload than top-load
units that require a person to stretch and bend down into
them.
Project #5
– Install grab bars near toilets. Grab
bars placed on either side of the commode make it easier for
a person to raise and lower themselves, taking stress off
the back and legs.
Project #6
– Replace exterior wood trim, shutters and louvers
with low-maintenance urethane projects. Enjoy life
and forget about the hassles of scraping, fixing and repainting
rotted wood pieces each year. Urethane products, like those
from Fypon, resist rot, termites, humidity and all insects.
Once installed, they stay maintenance-free, year after year.
Project #7
– Add a phone in the master bathroom.
Unfortunately, many slips and falls occur in the bathroom,
so it makes sense to be able to call for help from there.
It’s also a good idea to have a phone in the basement
in case of emergencies.
Project #8
– Swap out hard-to-reach windows for fixed windows.
Rather than deal with the maintenance issues of operable windows
in hard-to-reach places like above a bathtub or at the top
of a hallway, replace them with a non-functioning picture
window or an acrylic block window that offers privacy. Both
windows, especially when selected with vinyl frames, allow
in light but require minimal upkeep.
Project #9
– Reduce steps and thresholds. Make
sure thresholds are flush with the floor and replace steps
to the garage and other areas with easy-access ramps to reduce
trips and falls. And don’t forget to add non-slip coating
to the ramps.
Project #10
– Replace an aging porch system with carefree
vinyl, PVC or urethane. These new building products,
like those offered by Dixie-Pacific and Fypon, are structural
and beautiful, yet they require almost no upkeep at all. No
matter what Mother Nature throws at them, top-quality vinyl,
urethane and PVC products laugh in her face… giving
homeowners more time to enjoy life.
For more tips and ideas on making a home more
comfortable for baby boomers, along with information on products
discussed here, visit www.HomeFront.com.
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