A good many of these floors house more than one generation, and a bathroom that works for a thirty-year-old can be genuinely difficult for a grandparent. That is worth designing for while the enclosure is being chosen, because the changes cost very little at that point and are awkward to retrofit.
Getting in and out without a step
A raised threshold or a shower tray lip is the thing that causes most difficulty, and it is usually there for drainage reasons rather than necessity.\n\nWhere the floor can be laid to fall properly, a level entry with no step at all is achievable and far easier to use.\n\nSo we look at whether the floor drains before assuming a threshold is needed. Where one is unavoidable we keep it as low as it can be, and we say what the trade is rather than fitting a standard detail.
Something solid to hold on to
A grab rail is the single most useful thing in a bathroom used by an older person, and it has to be fixed into something that will hold a real load.\n\nThat means masonry, not tile and not a hollow partition, and it means deciding the position before the enclosure is fitted.\n\nWe are happy to fit rails and to say honestly where they can and cannot go. A rail that pulls out of the wall is far worse than no rail, so we test the wall rather than assuming.
Doors that do not have to be pulled
A hinged shower door has to be pulled open against its own weight, which is harder than it sounds for somebody with limited grip.\n\nA sliding door needs only a push along its track, and an open walk-in needs nothing at all.\n\nSo where the bathroom is used by somebody who finds a door difficult, a walk-in with a fixed screen is the best answer available and it is usually the cheapest. It is worth raising, because people ask for what they have seen rather than what suits the house.
How the job works
- Tell us about the jobSend a few photos, rough sizes and what you need. Use WhatsApp or the form. For a repair, a short video of the door moving helps a lot.
- We call you back in about 2 minutesWe confirm what you need and a time to visit. Where we can, we give you a rough price on the call.
- We come and measureWe measure the opening and check the walls, floor and ceiling around it. Anything made to size is made to these measurements, so they must be right.
- You get a written priceIt lists each item, with GST as its own line. If anything about the job changes, we tell you before we go ahead.
- We fit itYou approve the price and pay the advance. Our own team fits the work, checks that every door and window opens and closes properly, and clears up. Most jobs are done in 3 to 4 days.
