Purely Home Decor | Home Furniture

Archive for the ‘Accessibility’ Category

Houses usually have attics where unused items are often stored, or converted into a functional extension room. In order to gain access to this somewhat secluded part of the house, you would need stairs. Loft stairs are one of the most important parts of any home which will need some of your attention.

Since loft conversion stairs are integral in house building, you must take into consideration several things before building them. For headroom, remember that there should be a minimum clearance of 1.9 meters. Because of the slope where the stairs meet with the loft, a clearance of 1.8 meters and 2 meters on the highest side must be achieved. As for their width, these stairs must have a width of at least 800mm. But this measurement is not always the case especially for lofts which only have one inhabitable room, in which case, a minimum 600mm width is allowed.

Since loft access stairs are classified into many different types, it is critical that you examine each one with scrutiny to help you make an informed decision. There are actually two categories when it comes to a loft staircase: Pull down staircases and fixed staircases. These stairs for lofts are fixed staircases that permanently connect the loft to the lower level of the house. These staircases are suitable for lofts that are converted into bedrooms or offices where daily access is needed. Fixed staircases almost resemble like the traditional stairs, and they can also be covered with carpet. The specific types of fixed staircases are the straight- run spiral, and alternating tread stairs.

Pull down staircases, on the other hand, are less expensive options for your loft conversion. Also called as dropdown stairs, these stairs are fit for areas that do not need frequent access, especially those which just serve as storage spaces. They also suit areas with limited spaces. They are retractable stairs that can be easily stored in your loft’s ceiling opening when not needed. These pull down staircases also come in varied styles, with the folding stairs as the most common. Other kinds include accordion stairs, sliding stairs, and disappearing stairs. The sliding or folding loft stairs are designed to be tucked into the ceiling recess when they are not being used. There are also disappearing staircases that are attached to a certain access hatch in the ceiling that closes when the stairs are pulled shut.

Loft stairs are functional additions to any home, so do not just merely settle for the first type of stair that comes in mind. It is vital that you consider the available ceiling and house space so that the quality of the stairs will not be compromised.

If you want to create a safer environment for homes that have stairs, then getting chair lifts for stairs may be the solution. These types of lifts are really made for people who are unable to ascend or descend the stairs on their own without help or without extreme effort. As we age, our physical capabilities will deteriorate. That’s just the process of aging. As that happens, things that used to be easy such as going up and down the stairs in your home, may get increasingly difficult. Since we are talking about stairs here, this can put someone in danger of slipping and falling.

So what will installing some chair lift for stairs do? Well, for first of all, it will enable the user to easily use the stairs without much effort. Because the chair will do the climbing, all the user has to do is sit down on the chair and use a lever to control the chair. This will greatly prevent any accidents from happening. Using the hand rail for some people will be fine but after a while, it may get harder and harder. This will only increase the danger of using the stairs for this person.

Regardless of what type of stairs you have, you can get these chair lifts installed. Even if you have stairs that turn, these lifts can still be put into place. There are different models for you to choose from. One option that you have are chairs that swivel. This will allow the user to get off a bit easily and safely when he or she gets to the top. You can even get these things for outdoor stairs as well such as ones that will lead up to an apartment or even ones that are only a couple of steps.

The cost of these chair lifts for stairs can cost several thousands of dollars. The installation, although can be done on your own, should be left to the professionals. The installation process will normally take about an hour or two. Installing a stair chair lift will do more than just increase the safety factor for those who have a hard time using the stairs. More importantly, it will give the user some of their independence back. Not having to wait for someone to help them and being able to use the stairs whenever they please is something that can really bring a bit of joy into their lives.

When first using one of these chair lifts for stairs, it may feel a bit awkward and even scary. If you are not used to it, it may feel unsafe. However, after the user uses it a few times, he or she will get used to how it operates. These are also great for women who are pregnant as well, although, with the price tag, you’d be better off just setting a bed down stairs since it won’t be a permanent thing. In terms of what this will do to the look of your home, it really wont do all that much. The rail that the chair is attached to isn’t extremely noticeable. The chair itself can just be seen as another piece of furniture. Chair lifts for stairs can be ordered online.

Since there will be situations where you will need to get things that are placed out of reach, you may want to get a step ladder. Many people will simply use their dining table chair or a stool which can be okay but chairs are made to sit on, not stand on. Doing so can cause the fabric to get dirty and worn. When using a ladder of any sort, there are certain risks that are involved. This article will discuss some safety tips when it comes to using step ladders and other types of ladders as well as where you can get them.

The ladder is one of the most common objects that can be found around the house. Most ladders are used to get to places high up like the roof of the home. Of course, there are many situations where you won’t need something so high. Sometimes you just need to get something that is just a foot or two out of reach. In these cases, a step ladder would be a perfect tool to use.

Although a fall off of one of a 3 step ladder won’t cause as much damage as a fall off of a really high ladder, there are still some precautions you won’t to take. Since these ladders are relatively low, many people will not even think about being careful when using one of these. Before you use any type of ladder, you will want to make sure the footing is secure. Often times, one of the sides of the base can be placed onto something that can make the ladder uneven. This can cause you to lose balance. You will also want to make sure the surface that you are placing the ladder on is not slippery. This will help prevent from the ladder sliding out from underneath you.

Step ladders can come in many different heights. Normally these ladders will only have a few steps but some of them can be high enough where safety can be a concern. There are a variety of different types of ladders that you can get. A great place to find and buy them is online. You will be able to see the many different kinds that are available as well as the cost so that you can quickly compare prices to find the best deals. You can get a wooden step ladder, one made of metal, or even a telesteps ladder which will allow you to extend the ladder to reach higher places but at the same time make for easy storage.

Whether you use a small step ladder or a full size ladder, you will still want to be careful. Ladder falls happen all the time. Usually, it’s the people who think a fall can never happen to them who are the most prone to a fall. When using one of those high ones to get up on the roof for example, make sure you lean it against the wall securely and it’s always best to have someone hold the base for you for extras support. If you are working alone, it would be smart to carry a cell phone with you just in case you fall and need to call for help. These things may be obvious but you can never be too careful.

There are many things that we take for granted in life. For most people, when they are young and vibrant, still in good health, they will spend much of their life working hard in order to get where they want to go while neglecting their health. As they get older, things that used to be easy start to become hard. This can be due to years of not taking proper care of the body but it can also be due to old age or perhaps an injury. Whatever is the case, not being able to do this like take a bath on your own anymore can be quite a hassle. Fortunately, there are products such as walk in tubs to help make life a little bit easier.

Whether a person is unable to confidently bathe on their own without risk of injuring themselves due to just getting old or a disability, it can be hard on both the person and the people who need to help them. We all have to bathe to keep clean but most tubs are made for people who are in good physical health. For those who have trouble just getting over that 1 and a half foot side of the tub, getting clean can be a difficult task. This is why walk in bathtubs are made.

They generally look like any regular tub from afar but when you actually use it, you can see that there are certain distinct features that help make bathing an easier process to be done on one’s own. The first big feature is the opening door. This door eliminates the biggest hurdle of having to step over the side of the tub to get in. Since those who have weak knees and are frail can’t do this without risk of injury, having this door gives them the freedom to enter the tub simply by opening the door and stepping over a step that is only a few inches high. This will eliminate the need for someone having to carry them into the tub.

The door, once closed, is air tight as well as water tight so there won’t be any concerns of water leakage. Inside the tub, there will be a seat for the user to sit on as well as deck-mounted shower head, a soft grip safety handle, and a drain release to get rid of the water. The contoured seating makes the chair comfortable to sit on in order to make the experience of bathing as easy as possible. Some models will even have tub-wall jets for hydro massage action. This will make the user feel like they are sitting in the jacuzzi. The inside of the tub can be made of different materials such as porcelain, marble, and ceramic.

All of these features make these walk in bath tubs an ideal product to help make life a bit easier for those who have trouble bathing on their own. The cost of a walk in tub will depend on the type of tub that you get. There are some tubs that come will a load of accessories while some can be pretty basic and only have the necessities. You can get ones that you can install yourself or you can just hire someone to install it for you. In terms of brands, there are many you can choose from so what you will want to do is go online and read some of the reviews to see which premier walk in tubs are the best buys.

In general, you should be able to get these for about $2,000 to $5,000. Now if you get the walk in tubs that come fully loaded with accessories and you get it installed for you, then it can cost as high as $15,000. This may seem very expensive but you will need to consider the alternative. Many people will pay way more than this for assisted home living. You just have to way both the cost of not having one of these tubs as well as the added convenience of having one to use.

One of the hardest things to have to deal with as we age is realizing that we are not able to do a lot of the things we used to be able to do so easily. Unfortunately, this is just part of life. Although not every task can be made easier, products like walk in tubs certainly help. The more things that we can do on our own as we age, the more free and independent we will feel. Even things like having those chair lifts for stairs can help give us some of that freedom back. This is why it’s important to take care of your health as early as possible so you can prolong situations like this for as long as you can.