Making HOME Safer and More Secure, Part 2
By Dan Kern
Owner, Ace Handyman Services Fox Valley
Part of our Homeowner Insights series
Last February, while up in Northern Michigan, I had a small snowmobile incident and injured my left ankle. It was not a life changing injury, but many months later I still very much notice it.
I notice it when I go up and down stairs. I notice it when stepping through an entrance to a home or walking into a business. Places I would not have thought twice about before can now create a challenge for this 60 year old guy who may not be as young as he thinks he is...
Getting older is certainly one reason mobility can change. But it is not the only reason. An illness, an injury, surgery, or a change in balance can make steps and transitions more difficult for people of almost any age.
And sometimes, all you really need is something secure to hold onto.
Sometimes One Step Is Enough
During the past six years, we have helped dozens of customers create safer environments in and around their homes.
The concern is often a step. Sometimes several steps. It may be the front entrance, the door from the garage, a step down to the backyard patio, or even a transition from one room to another inside the home.
To someone with good balance and mobility, one step may not look like much. But if you are already unsteady, or favoring one leg as I have been, that same step can feel very different. Without something secure to grab, it can become the reason someone hesitates before leaving the house or worries each time they return.
At one Geneva Illinois home, we installed metal railings on both sides of the front entrance. It was not a major renovation. But it gave the homeowner something solid to hold while stepping up, stepping down, or pausing to unlock the door.
[PHOTO: Before and after pictures of the front entrance with white metal railings]
Before the Weather Turns
We are at the beginning of fall here in the Fox Valley, and we all know colder weather is not far behind.
Rain can make a step slippery. Then come the sleet, ice, and snow. For someone who already has concerns about balance or mobility, a familiar entrance can quickly become much more intimidating.
A properly selected and installed railing or grab bar does not make the weather disappear, but it does provide something secure to hold when conditions become more difficult.
This is also work that is better considered before temperatures plummet and ice is already forming. If an entrance caused concern during the summer, it will not become easier when snow and ice arrive.
The Entrance Most People Actually Use
For many homeowners, the garage door is really their front door. It is the entrance they use every day, often while carrying groceries, packages, a purse, or something else that leaves only one hand free.
Unfortunately, garage steps can also be surprisingly tall. They may be narrow, the lighting may not be ideal, and there may be nothing nearby that is safe to grab.
We have helped customers by installing traditional railings secured to the garage floor. In tighter spaces, we have installed sturdy wall mounted support rails on one or both sides of the entrance.
There is not one solution that works for every home. The goal is to understand how the customer moves through the space and provide support where it is naturally needed.
[PHOTO: Examples of floor mounted and wall mounted railings at garage entrances]
Steps Inside the Home Matter Too
Safety concerns are not always outside.
Some homes have a step or two between rooms, into a sunroom, or down into another living area. These transitions may have been part of the home for decades. But when balance or mobility changes, they can become a daily concern.
We recently helped a customer in Bartlett whose home had several steps between two frequently used rooms. We built railings on both sides of the transition, providing secure handholds and protecting the open edges.
The finished railings look like they belong in the home. That matters too. A safety improvement does not have to make a home look cold or institutional.
[PHOTO: White interior railings between the two living areas]
Bathrooms Deserve Special Attention
Bathrooms combine several things that can increase the risk of a fall: water, hard surfaces, tight spaces, and the need to step over or around fixtures.
A towel bar may be nearby, but it was never designed to support someone’s weight.
A properly selected and installed grab bar provides something solid and dependable to hold. A vertical bar can help someone step into or out of a tub. A longer horizontal or angled bar may provide support while moving inside the bathing area. Grab bars can also be helpful immediately outside the shower or beside the toilet.
The placement should be based on how the customer actually uses the space, not simply where a bar happens to fit.
[PHOTO: Grab bars inside the tub, outside the shower, and beside the toilet]
Proper Installation Is Critically Important
A railing or grab bar is not safe simply because it is there.
We have been called to reset railings that other people installed without properly tying them into wall framing, blocking, or another suitable structural surface. Something may look sturdy during normal use but fail at the exact moment someone truly needs it.
That can create a false sense of security, which may be more dangerous than having no support at all.
The product itself must also be appropriate for the application. Railings and grab bars have ratings based on the weight and forces they are designed to withstand. The right product for one person or one location may not be right for another.
This is why the need, the product, the mounting surface, and the installation all have to work together.
Some municipalities require permits for exterior railing installations. Some communities also have associations that mandate particular materials, designs, or applications. We strongly support pulling required permits and working with associations where applicable. The approval and inspection process helps ensure that railings and their connections are appropriate and installed properly.
Customers should also expect the contractor doing this work to be properly insured and willing to stand behind the installation. At Ace Handyman Services Fox Valley, our installations and the products we acquire for our customers are backed by a one year warranty. For something that a customer may eventually need to depend on, those protections matter.
Safety Can Still Look Like Home
Customers have many choices when selecting railings, handrails, and grab bars. There are different designs, materials, colors, sizes, and finishes available.
Some customers ask us to help select and purchase the products. Others prefer to buy their own. We are comfortable working either way, provided the product is appropriate for the intended use and can be installed properly.
Our job begins with listening. Where does the customer feel uncertain? How do they approach the step? Which hand do they naturally reach with? What surface is available for mounting? What design will look right in their home?
This is not about installing hardware wherever it happens to fit. It is about matching the right product and installation to the person who will depend on it.
What Will It Cost?
That is understandably one of the first questions many customers ask. The honest answer is that it can vary.
Railings and grab bars can be purchased online or at a big box store, and there are choices at many different price points. But price and appearance should not be the only considerations. The product’s specifications, particularly its weight bearing capacity and intended application, are extremely important. A lower priced product is no bargain if it cannot safely meet the customer’s needs.
Installation can vary as well. Finding the proper framing or structure and creating a secure attachment can take time. A straightforward grab bar installation may be relatively simple. A more complicated railing installation may require several hours, depending on the product, the mounting surface, and the conditions at the home.
We believe a Time and Materials approach is the fairest way to complete this type of work. Customers pay for the actual time needed to install the product properly, along with any materials required for the installation. It recognizes that every home and every application can be a little different while keeping the focus where it belongs: doing the work correctly and safely.
Helping People Remain in the Home They Love
A properly selected and installed handrail, railing, or grab bar can make living in a home with steps much less challenging.
At the end of the day, this is not simply about adding a piece of metal to a wall or beside a step. It is about helping someone move through their home with greater confidence.
More importantly, it can provide the safety and security they need to continue living in the home they love.