Bathroom Improvement

To most people their bathroom is their sanctuary. They use their baths, plug in their hair dryers and step in and out of their showers every day never taking into consideration that these are places where accidents can still happen. It is important to keep safe practices at the back of our minds when we use the facilities. From accessibility to flooring to surfaces, electrical outlets, latches, water safety and first aid, you should also have a back up plan in case of an emergency.

Accessibility in your bathroom for all users ensures that there is plenty of room to get your daily grooming tasks done. While most homes do not have members with special needs it is still important to plan your bathroom layout to accommodate all users regardless of their size, age or physical disabilities. Planning ahead not only enhances the user experience now, it also ensures long term accessibility and usability of your bathroom as your family member’s age and their needs change.

We step in and out of our baths onto our bathroom floor hundreds of times every year. Smooth polished surfaces look great but are extremely slippery when wet. Try to install flooring surfaces that are naturally slip resistant or at least purchase mats in areas that are likely to get wet. Another good practice is to add rubber pads under the legs of chairs or stools to keep them from sliding when you sit on them.

Light-ing your vanity area is very important. It should go without saying that light is a much need necessity so that we can see what we are doing and avoid injury when using our bathrooms. As we all know water and electricity don’t mix. Because of the risk of electrical shock, you should protect all lights, switches and receptacles with ground fault circuit interrupters (GFCI’s for short). Also make sure each vanity area has its own power supply and install only moisture proof light fixtures above shower areas.