Living in a home that lacks accessibility or doesn’t meet your current needs can be a huge problem. Part of imagining or adapting your perfect home space includes ensuring your kitchen and bath are tailored to meet your current and future physical needs. When thinking about remodeling or renovating, it’s important to incorporate certain features — whether you currently need more thoughtful spaces for accessibility, plan to age in place during retirement, or just want to enjoy new options.
Investing in a renovation project to create a comfortable home for aging in place definitely includes work on the plumbing systems in your bath and kitchen areas. Choices made on faucets, sinks, toilets, tubs, and showers all dictate where the plumbing needs to go inside the walls and under the floor. Choosing reputable manufacturers with a long record of solid products and warranty support is vital. Consulting a general contractor or architect familiar with ADA-compliant codes and permit requirements will provide the necessary information and guidance.
Behind the Walls
Proper carpentry and stable bracing for varying cabinet heights, fixtures, and support bars matters when designing your new kitchen or bath. Water supply lines, drains, natural gas lines, and venting need to be run to the correct heights and distances to accommodate things like wall-mounted or lower-height sinks, offset drains, lower shower control heights, or grab-bar backing.
Thermostatic mixing valves or pressure-balance valves installed behind the wall ensure your sink, shower, or tub will not scald you. Sturdy bracing and mounts behind walls in shower, tub, and toilet areas allow for solid installation of any grab bars or support bars needed. Designing a shower now? Consider a system that incorporates an adjustable-height rain shower head with a complementary hand shower — it makes bathroom cleaning easier today and accommodates different shower heights for the years to come.
One-Handle, Lever-Operated Kitchen and Bath Faucets
There are many options for both kitchen and bath faucets in a wide array of price ranges, styles, and colors. Faucet manufacturers make new fixtures that retrofit into existing hole patterns on countertops, sinks, or tub spaces — so you can upgrade without making significant structural changes.
Kitchen faucets come with options like pull-down or pull-out spray heads to extend reach, with push-button changes for spray patterns. Some faucets let you position the lever handle on either side of the spout to accommodate right- or left-handed operation. Placement of both the faucet and a color-coordinating deck-mounted soap dispenser is a great way to improve accessibility with minor adjustments.
Lever-operated bath faucets come in single-control configurations (one spout with one lever for hot and cold) or dual-control options (one lever each for hot and cold, with a separate spout). Consider the drain too — do you want a pop-up rod, or a newer push-style drain cover that closes and opens with a tap?
Touchless Sink and Kitchen Faucets
Homes can now benefit from technology typically found in commercial settings. Stylish touchless or motion-activated faucets are increasingly available for residential use. With a wave of your hand over the sensor, you can turn the faucets on or off to your desired preset temperature. Some are battery-activated, some require an electrical outlet for function. Engineering, design, and mechanics of touchless options are constantly updated to provide the best experiences in sanitation and ease of use.
“Smart” Faucets and Showers
One of the newest and most exciting ways to enjoy your kitchen or bath is with Wi-Fi and cell-phone-app technology. You can use your home’s Wi-Fi assistant or an app to activate the kitchen faucet to fill a cup with exactly eight ounces of hot water or a stockpot with 6 cups of cold water. Certain shower systems have a remote panel mounted outside the shower with push-button control — voice-activated through your home’s assistant or app. You can start, stop, control temperature, adjust spray patterns, and be alerted when the perfect shower is ready. As with touchless fixtures, “smart” fixtures require localized power and special access panels for electrical and plumbing maintenance.
ADA-Height Toilets and Bidets
Taller toilets aren’t just ADA-compliant — they’re more comfortable to use. Many manufacturers make both two-piece and one-piece toilets, in round or elongated bowls, in different colors and lever-handle finishes. Some ADA toilets have dual-flush, push-button mechanisms. ADA or chair-height toilets ranging from 17”–19” come with standard seats that can be improved with bidet-seat options. Bidet seat features run the gamut: basic manually operated cold-water rinses; bidets with wall-mounted touch remotes; multiple spray options, heated seats, lighted seats, dryer settings, adjustable water temperature, and self-cleaning cycles. If a bidet offers heated water, air drying, or a heated seat, you’ll need an electrician to install a proper outlet for it to plug into.
Curbless Shower Pans and Wall-Mount Sinks
Re-imagining your space should include the ease of entry into your shower. Curbless shower pans allow single-level entry, preventing trip hazards and creating accessibility for a wheeled shower chair. Curbless shower areas can also be visually appealing — creating a feeling of larger, continuous floorspace.
Wall-hung sinks at a proper height, in both kitchen and bath, allow increased functionality from a comfortable seated position. If you don’t need to twist or shift your reach when using the sink, the sink area becomes an inviting workspace.
Ready to Plan Your Accessibility Renovation?
Stollwerck Plumbing is ready to help turn your accessibility plans into a reality across Everett, Mukilteo, and Snohomish County.