Grab Bars and Accessible Showers in Older Riverside Homes

An hour of blocking with the wall open saves a day of patching later, as the notes at riverside kitchen and bath remodeling touch diva describe, and that is the main reason to plan an accessible shower before any tile is ordered. Older homes in Riverside, CA, from the Queen Anne houses of the 1800s to the mid-century ranch, were framed for a different bathroom than the kitchen and bath most households want now.

Blocking inside the wall

A grab bar is only as strong as what it is fastened to. Blocking is a horizontal board, usually two by eight or plywood, set between the studs at the heights where a bar will go. It is installed when the wall is open, and it is photographed or measured so the bars can be found later. Without it, a bar held by drywall anchors can pull out under a person's weight.

Curbless entry

A curbless shower lets a wheelchair or walker roll in. The floor of the shower is sloped toward a linear drain, and the waterproofing runs across the bathroom floor a little way past the glass or the curtain line. In older houses on a raised floor, the framing may be notched or lowered to get that slope. On a slab, the concrete is cut and recessed.

Benches and seats

A built bench is framed, covered with backer board and a membrane, and sloped slightly toward the shower so water does not sit on it. A fold-down seat needs heavy blocking behind it. A bench in the corner is easy to reach from the valve, so the handheld showerhead and the valve are placed within arm's reach of the seat.

Door width and turning room

Many older bathrooms have narrow doors and a tight turning space. A wider door, or a pocket door that slides into the wall, is often the larger change. A pocket door needs clear wall depth, so the plumbing and the electrical in that wall are checked first. Houses with plaster walls need extra care, since cutting a new door opening shows in the finish.

Floors, tile and valves

Small mosaic tile on a shower floor gives more grip than large porcelain tile, because it has more grout lines. A textured, slip-rated tile does better on a bathroom floor, and a tub that is swapped for a shower removes the high step over the side. A pressure-balance or thermostatic valve guards against sudden hot water, and a lever handle is easier on stiff hands than a round knob.

Vanity height and reach

A vanity that leaves knee room underneath works for someone seated, and a wall-hung cabinet or a console sink can do that. A faucet with a single lever, set close to the front edge, is easier to reach than one set at the back of the countertop.