My parents remodeled their bathroom last year. When they built the new doorway for the bathroom, the asked that the opening be built wide enough for a wheelchair to fit through. Seeing as how neither of my parents are wheelchair bound, I didn’t understand why they did this.

But my mom explained to me, “We plan on living in this house until we die. It is our house and we’re not going anywhere. The likelihood that one of us will wind up in a wheelchair is pretty high - so we’re taking early precautions while we can.”

At the time, I didn’t like to hear her say it. But I know I can always count on my mom for being one step ahead of me.

Assisting a parent in the aging process can be rough. I believe most people work hard to keep their loved ones in the comofort of their own homes for as long as possible. The home is for most people, after all, their most valuable and beloved asset.

The greatest risk a person has to being able to stay in their own home is falling. But the percentage of falls attributed to “preventable” scenarios is quite high. Poor lighting, loss of balance when exiting the bathtub, tripping on a rug - these are all items that can be addressed head on, to perhaps allow an individual to remain safely in the comfort of their own home for a longer period of time.

Design and home modifications range from simple and inexpensive do it yourself solutions, to costly remodel options for kitchens, bathrooms, elevators, etc.

There are plenty of private resource companies available to assist people in terms of home modification.

But local state services are also available to those who qualify.

Our local Johnson County Housing Services and the Johnson County Human Services & Aging (913-715-8861) are availble resources that one might contact for further information.

This blog has been excerpted from:
http://totalhomeblog.com/blog/help-the-house-grow-with-the-parent/

We abuse them - We clutter them - We sometimes sit on them … sometimes.

Think of countertops as little workbenches of life. They are probably one of the most necessary items in a kitchen or bathroom - and if you don’t have an adequate amount of them, you’ll really feel it.

Standard kitchen countertops run 24″ deep and 36″ from the floor.

Bathroom counters are typically shorter. They tend to run 18″ deep and 30″ from the floor.

Some countertops have backsplashes but some do not. All countertops are made with (or, are supposed to be made with) durable, long-lasting materials.

Most are made of a combination of plywood, particle board, mastic, glue, mortar and grout. This combination of materials not only provides durability, but they also keep the countertops protected from water and stains.

The most common surfaces are ceramic tile, wood, high-pressure laminate, solid surfacing and natural stone. These surfaces range very wide in price.

Stone and Granite countertops are all the rave right now. They’re very sexy and sleek. But they’re also very pricey. The going rate around my neck of the woods STARTS at about $39 /ft. I’m not sure how up to par you are on countertop pricing - But that’s a good 3 times the price of a “regular” countertop.

Another differential to consider is edging. Depending upon the materials used to make your countertops, you may have several options to choose from.

This entry excerpted from: http://totalhomeblog.com/blog/a-quick-countertop-411/

As one of my Facebook Fans recently pointed out, "Going Green" can often be combined with "Going Practical." Some do choose to take the extremist route, but for people like me, we'd just assume ease into this one. Here's a very good example of how Green can equal Practical.

Here's the 411 on home insulation:

The actual material that makes up an insulation product is not what provides the heat/cold barrier. In fact, it is the air that is trapped in the insulation that provides the actual thermal barrier. This barrier, in turn, cools your home in the summer and heats it in the winter.

Different types of insulation offer different varieties, sizes and numbers of air pockets within them. The number of air pockets in a foaming product will differ from the number of pockets in foam batt, for example. But since the pockets are what allow for the thermal barrier, you can see why it would be counterproductive to stuff or crush insulation into a crevice or space.

Now that you've got a general grasp on the whole insulation equation, allow me to stretch your thought process a little bit further into the world of insulated paint.

Based on the same concept as described above, a relatively new product is now available for homes. The product provides air pockets within the actual paint and the paint can be applied to either the interior or the exterior of the home.

The gist of the product is this: A complex blend of microscopic, hollow, ceramic spheres exist within the paint formula - and each sphere has a vacuum inside of it (Think miniature Thermos bottles). These little Thermos bottles, when mixed into the paint, offer outstanding insulation properties, thus saving energy and money. The little, ceramic vacuums retract, reflect and dissipate heat. Summer heat gain through a home's exterior walls can be reduced by more than 20%.

Last weekend, my husband and I ventured into the backyard to do a little deck & patio cleanup. We have a very large deck attached to the back of our house (it was there when we moved in), but it is in serious need of a little TLC. The previous owners did not care for the deck as they should have and as a result, our deck now requires a large amount of attention and money.

For example, when we moved into the house, little piles of leaves had been allowed to accumulate in the corners of the deck and remain for months. Without proper drainage for water, ice and snow runoff, these little piles allowed build up and caused the wood underneath to begin to rot away. Unsightly, yes. Potentially unsafe, absolutely.

There are a few things that should be viewed as spring maintenance and done every year. These things will help keep a deck in good shape.

* Clean debris from deck boards and keep an eye out for loose nails/screws. If you find a popped nail, it's best to drive a new screw--Don't re-use the old hole.

* Dingy/Mildewy boards need to be cleaned. Head to the hardware store and pickup a commercial deck cleaner. You can apply with a sprayer, scrub with a long-handled brush (not the same brush you use to wash the car--I got an earful for that one, once), and then rinse with the hose. No need to use a pressure washer for a routine job like this.

* Once completely dried, you can slap on a coat of wood preserver/sealer. Just follow the directions on the can.

* Finally, make sure to examine all the deck's substructure--connectors, posts and metal parts. Be sure there are no signs of rust or failure and make sure the parts are free from cracks and rot.

http://totalhomeblog.com