First Home Renovation

Buying a home is an exciting adventure. However, when you are dealing with a disability like spinal muscular atrophy, you know that you will need to make some renovations. If you have read any of my previous articles, I have frequently mentioned the “disability tax” dilemma that most of us who are disabled face.

Bathroom renovations for a barrier-free shower

From the get-go, I knew that I would need to renovate a bathroom so it would fit my needs. The condo I am in is small, and the bathroom is only 8x5. Over the course of my life, I have learned to prepare for the future and not make adaptations that would only work now. I knew that I wanted to make the shower a barrier-free shower. There is a lot of work that goes into a barrier-free shower. It is really important that the pitch of the floor is correct. If it’s not done correctly you can have a real mess with water running out of the bathroom into the rest of your home.

There was a considerable difference in the estimates I received. What I found helpful was different contractors had different ideas. One of the ideas I used was moving my toilet over so that I could have a larger shower area. It wasn’t cheap moving the whole flange for the toilet but I knew it would be something that I would regret if I didn’t do it. Having the extra space in the shower has been really helpful.

Every inch counts

The other idea was to remove the baseboard heater. This would give me more space to squeeze my wheelchair between the toilet and the wall to get into the shower. I found a heater that fits in the wall between the studs. It’s a clean look as you only see a grate on the wall. As most wheelchair users know every inch of space counts. By removing the baseboard heater I gained an additional 3 inches of space.

Choosing the finishing touches

I think the hardest part of any home project is picking out the finishing touches. There are so many options when it comes to the size and color of tiles. Choices are endless for vanities, sinks and fixtures. Home Depot and Lowes have an app where you can take a picture of the space you are working on and then from there pick out products from their store and see how it looks in your own home. I found this to be a really helpful tool. Of course, googling bathroom designs on the internet is also very easy.

The renovation took about two weeks. The condo had only one bathroom so we had to stay in a hotel for the first week until the toilet was installed. Luckily I live close to the Y where I swim so we were able to shower there while the shower was being finished.

Having contractors on your home is a little stressful but I am glad we did it and now it’s finished. Being able to safely shower in my own home has been nice. With some patience and perseverance it all came together.