Seiff Project
The goal of this remodel was to allow our clients five year old boy, LJ, to be as independent as possible. LJ has Cerebral Palsy and is in a wheelchair. A quick overview of the work done included widening two doorways, one being exterior leading to the new ramp and expanding the bathroom into an existing closet space. The project featured many accessible accommodations including: keyless entry, ramp to driveway, portico shelter, bathroom walls reinforced with grab bars, a wheelchair height sink and toilet, a motion sensor faucet, a hand-held shower head and curbless shower for easy wheelchair access.
For the exterior, our clients desires consisted of having a ramp installed that leads to the driveway from the exterior door in LJ’s bedroom. They wanted this door to be electronic and to have a touchpad for him to independently press it open and closed. An important factor was to have an awning over this doorway to protect LJ from the elements while waiting for his ride.
Our solution for these exterior needs were extensive but turned out great. We widened the exterior door and built a portico roof over the door entrance to mimic the overhang of the house for shelter. Having as much independence as possible was very important so a special wireless key was installed on LJ’s door both inside and outside. This way LJ can carry an automatic door opener and open the door. All of the modifications were made so that he could use his left hand to operate things.
For the interior the main focus was on LJ’s bathroom, which was already a full size bathroom. The client wanted the bathroom to be widened more to hold a wheelchair. Not to mention making the whole bathroom easily accessible for LJ to utilize.
We made these modifications plus added some more touches that would allow for updating, if the client desires at a later time. We used the closet in LJ’s bedroom to enlarge the bathroom taking special care to reinforce all walls, especially around the toilet, to be able to handle grab bars. The toilet is wheelchair height and we installed an electric outlet for hot water to use a Toto Washlet at a later date. The sink is also wheelchair height and is bowed out for easy use. A great feature for LJ is the motion sensored faucet we installed. There are two grab bars in the shower, a hand held shower head and a permanent shower head. The shower is curbless for wheelchair access and easy turning.
This was a fantastic project and we are so glad that we were able to help!
~ Glickman Design Build – Seiff Project 2014