Remodeling For Retirement

[EddieWalker]

I have built 2 showers using the Schluter systems and have had no problems.

Most people never will. Im not saying its a bad product, i just dont know how long plastic, fiberglass and styrofoam will last. Ive tore out dozens of fiberglass shower pans that failed after 20 years. Ive been offered to go to their training class, all expenses paid, twice. I have also noticed that when their products fail, its always the installers fault. I just question how good it is when there are so many instalation issues?

 

[scdeerslayer]

Do you have a bedroom that you could convert to a bathroom instead of having to build an addition?

 

[Larry Caldwell]

Do you have a bedroom that you could convert to a bathroom instead of having to build an addition?

No, the master bath is a freaking closet. The expense of an addition is not that big a deal, plus we are expanding the master bedroom while we are at it and adding another closet, turning it into a master suite. Part of our remodel plans are dictated by trying to find a decent place to invest savings. At some point we will probably have to sell out and move to town. The bathroom upgrade is one of those things that really needs to be done to make the house marketable. We don't have kids, and are far enough out that getting senior services out here is going to be a problem. The floor framing is post and beam, so we won't have any trouble building a floor level shower. Crawl space access is excellent.

The advice about trip hazards is appreciated. My wife just had orthopedic surgery on her wrist two weeks ago to bolt it back together. She lost her balance and fell, resulting in a badly broken wrist. We have already replaced most of the floors in the house with hard surfaces and have started installing grab bars in strategic spots, but I haven't done a survey for obstructions yet.

 

[newbury]

<snip>
The advice about trip hazards is appreciated. My wife just had orthopedic surgery on her wrist two weeks ago to bolt it back together. She lost her balance and fell, resulting in a badly broken wrist. We have already replaced most of the floors in the house with hard surfaces and have started installing grab bars in strategic spots, but I haven't done a survey for obstructions yet.

Yes, falling and aging bodies can be serious setbacks.

My wife has small feet, and subscribes to theory that if there is a path to walk through it is ok. Since we bought our "Mississippi retirement farm" in 2011 our house in Virginia has been a mess. It's been 6 years that we've been in "moving mode" of 33 years and 4 children worth of "stuff". So we are constantly walking between rearranged moving boxes. Unfortunately for me my size 13 boots take up a lot more room than her size 5(?) sandals. Consequently I'm almost tripping a lot.
That's why I advocated keeping lots of flashlights around. I twisted my ankles in January getting around stuff and was "Lazy Boy" bound and on crutches until almost March (they swelled up like grapefruits). Before that I had been walking about 2.5 miles per day.

My goal is to keep our "Mississippi retirement farm" roomba and walker/wheel chair friendly. Most of the rooms on the first floor have wide doorways. And I've 5,500 sq feet of "shed" to help store the "clutter" in on pallet racking.





If I put on the addition I want to in Mississippi it will have doorways I can drive a small tractor through. Makes bringing in groceries and taking out trash so much easier

 

[teejk]

Most people never will. Im not saying its a bad product, i just dont know how long plastic, fiberglass and styrofoam will last. Ive tore out dozens of fiberglass shower pans that failed after 20 years. Ive been offered to go to their training class, all expenses paid, twice. I have also noticed that when their products fail, its always the installers fault. I just question how good it is when there are so many instalation issues?

Installation issues would seem to be the same with any method wouldn't they? Guessing first and foremost the lack of a stable floor (and in many retro-fits water damage might be the reason to call in somebody like you). We built our house back in 2010. I did a lot of research on the Schluter system and concluded it would work for my 5x5 shower (lived in the UK for a few years and knew showering in something akin to a phone booth was not in my plans...too many bruises from the soap dish). My wife and I followed the instructions to the letter. Upsides...1) the waterproof membrane fabric goes up like wall-paper and can be installed over ordinary sheet rock. 2) The "pan" and "curb" can be cut with basic tools (need to maintain "symmetry" of course because the integral drain needs to be in the center unless you ordered the front drain system) 3) the "pan" weighs nothing Downsides...1) it is a "system" that is applied with thin-set mortar and comes with a lot of corner pieces and rolls of corner banding. 2) For it to work you need smaller tiles on the base (like 2x2's)

We built in 2010. My MIL bought a house not far from here in 2015 after my FIL died and wanted to be closer to my wife. She was 87 at the time...first thing I did was to gut her downstairs bathroom...got rid of the cast-iron tub surrounded by "crap" that was probably a breeding ground for who knows what. Had a lot of water damage to deal with and the floor was out of level by about 3/4" in a 6' span (no obvious flaws and could only conclude that the original builder had a bad level). I made it work and installed another Schluter system there.

 

[scdeerslayer]

No, the master bath is a freaking closet. The expense of an addition is not that big a deal, plus we are expanding the master bedroom while we are at it and adding another closet, turning it into a master suite. Part of our remodel plans are dictated by trying to find a decent place to invest savings. At some point we will probably have to sell out and move to town. The bathroom upgrade is one of those things that really needs to be done to make the house marketable. We don't have kids, and are far enough out that getting senior services out here is going to be a problem. The floor framing is post and beam, so we won't have any trouble building a floor level shower. Crawl space access is excellent.

The advice about trip hazards is appreciated. My wife just had orthopedic surgery on her wrist two weeks ago to bolt it back together. She lost her balance and fell, resulting in a badly broken wrist. We have already replaced most of the floors in the house with hard surfaces and have started installing grab bars in strategic spots, but I haven't done a survey for obstructions yet.

Yeah, if you think you'll sell one day you don't want to give up a bedroom.

 

[Larry Caldwell]

The wife just had an ultrasound guided cortisone injection in her left hip in an attempt to ease her pain. If it doesn't work, the next step is a hip replacement. I'm just worried because she's not active enough to maintain any level of fitness. She thinks she is, but her day is spent moving from the bed to a recliner to the bed.

 

[boggen]

might suggest, a few shower heads.

bathtub/shower combo i have, i have the the generic shower head, with extra shower head on a hose. over the years, it would have been nice to have a shower head on a hose on both sides. so i could leave the shower curtain open, and then prop myself against wall, and use one shower head, and then turn around and use other shower head, without getting tangled up in the hose and reaching extra length for the shower head on a hose.

==========
instead of building an actual stall. perhaps turn to more of a "large shower area" that includes toilet, sink, and a various handle bars. so you can physically shower while seating on toilet if need be, and just let the water from shower head go directly down onto the floor. and drain down a couple different drains. 1 primary drain for general shower area, but another centralized drain further out.

if one of you needs to help other shower, being able to seat them out in the open, were you can physically walk around them yourself. without slipping and falling and squeezing into odd positions trying to get around them to wash them.

and yes the sink is included in the above. so you physically reach over to a sink of warm water, and use a cup or bowl and grab water to rinse someone off. vs using shower head or what not. having it all incorporated so were ever water falls it will go down a drain vs flooding your home.

how many times have you washed your face / shaved or what not. and used a wet rag to wipe off. vs perhaps wanting to use a cup of water to rinse off but could not type of thing. ya it be messy due to no drain. but ya gotta do what ya gotta do.

=========
there are different types of connections that can be made between "liner" and drain lines / water lines coming up through the floor to make them water tight.

google
pipe boot site:koiphen.com
might bring back a few options.

there is also various types of flanges that can be used to help create a water tight seal. including just running 1.5" to 2" shower drain right through the liner, and then running your cold/hot water lines through the shower drain. nothing actually connected to the shower drain, just using the physical fitting for a water tight seal.

===========
a shower liner, can be epdm pond liner, to flat roof liner. to other. there are better "folds" for in the corners.

tile and groat it all up. (floor and walls)

 

[teejk]

might suggest, a few shower heads.

bathtub/shower combo i have, i have the the generic shower head, with extra shower head on a hose. over the years, it would have been nice to have a shower head on a hose on both sides. so i could leave the shower curtain open, and then prop myself against wall, and use one shower head, and then turn around and use other shower head, without getting tangled up in the hose and reaching extra length for the shower head on a hose.

==========
instead of building an actual stall. perhaps turn to more of a "large shower area" that includes toilet, sink, and a various handle bars. so you can physically shower while seating on toilet if need be, and just let the water from shower head go directly down onto the floor. and drain down a couple different drains. 1 primary drain for general shower area, but another centralized drain further out.

if one of you needs to help other shower, being able to seat them out in the open, were you can physically walk around them yourself. without slipping and falling and squeezing into odd positions trying to get around them to wash them.

and yes the sink is included in the above. so you physically reach over to a sink of warm water, and use a cup or bowl and grab water to rinse someone off. vs using shower head or what not. having it all incorporated so were ever water falls it will go down a drain vs flooding your home.

how many times have you washed your face / shaved or what not. and used a wet rag to wipe off. vs perhaps wanting to use a cup of water to rinse off but could not type of thing. ya it be messy due to no drain. but ya gotta do what ya gotta do.

=========
there are different types of connections that can be made between "liner" and drain lines / water lines coming up through the floor to make them water tight.

google
pipe boot site:koiphen.com
might bring back a few options.

there is also various types of flanges that can be used to help create a water tight seal. including just running 1.5" to 2" shower drain right through the liner, and then running your cold/hot water lines through the shower drain. nothing actually connected to the shower drain, just using the physical fitting for a water tight seal.

===========
a shower liner, can be epdm pond liner, to flat roof liner. to other. there are better "folds" for in the corners.

tile and groat it all up. (floor and walls)

In my former life I traveled a lot...Copenhagen in what I think was at least a 4 star hotel...the shower was the entire bathroom! Right next to the toilet! Took a minute or two to understand it but somehow it all made sense to me.