Livingston Reporting - page 345

Being Your Own Boss as a General Contractor

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“What do you want to be when you grow up?” I recently asked my eight year old son. He replied an athlete, specifically a world cup soccer player. We all know that chances of him living this dream are few and far between but hey if that is his aspiration right now I am excited for him. I on the other hand was hoping he said a contractor/builder. My home is in need of some improving so as I see it this would be a win-win situation. He could own a large construction company that would service the needs of moms and dads all over Michigan that just did not have time to do the work themselves.

As a general contractor you are in charge of the organization of all the parties involved in a home renovation project. You not only oversee the individuals working for you but also the product vendors and trade contractors. It is important that you keep open communication with the owner of the home because they are the ones who satisfaction is ultimately needed for the project to be wrapped up and paid for.

It is always important for a contractor to visit the location that needs work done before any project is agreed upon or begun. This allows a decision to be made about the costs associated with the job for the contractor to work out an estimate/quote to be reviewed by the home owner. Not only must the labor being included in the quote but also material estimates and equipment costs. When an estimate has been accepted it is general practice that the contractor and homeowner will meet to go over all documents for the project. A budget will be formulated, the particular conditions for the job will be laid out and any designs will be approved by an architect.

Many times in construction projects it is up to the contractor to pull building permits and to know specific requirements for the county that the work is being done in. It is important as a contractor to maintain a list of specialized subcontractors on file that you have worked with in the past and have been satisfied with their work. Many times you will need to call upon these people as the project moves on. Examples of this may be plumbers, electricians or even landscapers.

It is required that any contractor working in a state be a licensed contractor. Many contractors are also business owners. They may have several projects going on at one time. It is important that they have brought together people on site that are trustworthy and work well together.

The advantages of working for yourself as a contractor are very similar to being your own boss in any industry. You are not obligated to work with any client that you choose not to. You can also choose a variety of different jobs so that you don’t get burned out say with only building home additions. Also, you can evaluate the length of projects and work them around any special scheduling needs. For instance, weather conditions might play a factor depending on where you are licensed. Michigan has a few months where it is possible to work but the conditions will not make it pleasant to be outside.

The disadvantages are vast of being a contractor and owner of a company. For Instance, you are in charge of all of the employees that work for you. That includes their salary, health benefits and insurance. You don’t get paid time off. Actually time off is not really associated with being the owner. You are always on call and responsible for the business functioning. Yes, you hire people who you can trust to help make those decisions when you are not available but it still always falls back to you in the end. The biggest disadvantage is that you still have to pay employees and subcontractors even if the renovator is slow at paying their bill. Of course this can be a mute point if you make sure to have paid points throughout a project. However, in the end as the owner and contractor you are responsible for the completed project and all those involved in it.

None of us really figured out what we wanted to do in life until we were much older and had tried our hands at a few professions. I know that soon my son will stop wanting to be a professional soccer player and move on to something else. I know he will find something he truly loves doing and that he is good at. For my sake I sure hope he ventures into contracting even if for a moment. (Hopefully long enough to add a reading room, a new kitchen and a bathroom spa retreat!)

Jason Foldenauer Construction

Bathroom Flooring: Making Choices in Flooring

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Picking out flooring for your home is always a bit tricky. There are so many different factors to take into consideration when looking into what is right for your home. It is also important to realize that each room needs to be considered separately when making flooring decisions. It is important that each factor be taken into consideration and ranked by importance then a determination can be made on what flooring is right for your home.

For instance, if you’re budget is the most important consideration than hardwood throughout your home is obviously not really a viable option. The same is true for safety. If you need assistance from a walker to move about your home it is not wise to think about flooring option have a large gradation between them. An example of this is linoleum to shag carpet the threshold would create a sizable difference making it hard to maneuver a walker. It is best if you have special issues to take them into consideration BEFORE the new flooring is in place.

Another thing I like to remind people is to gauge the amount of traffic that will be on any given floor. Bathroom floors and kitchen floors remain the most highly used areas within households. It is important to use materials that can withstand the wear and tear of your household traffic while maintaining the original look and feel. Laminate squares might be okay for a house without a lot of traffic but in a house that maintains a constant flow they the squares will begin to separate overtime.

Special conditions may also exist in certain rooms. For Instance, it is important that kitchen and bathroom flooring are moisture resistant. Getting out of the tub onto a carpeted floor is going to create mold and mildew underneath the carpet surface sooner rather than later. My parents have always had a carpeted kitchen and dining room. It is always in need of a cleaning especially with six grandkids and a grandmother that loves to make cookies with sprinkles.

It is important that the flooring type fit all of the conditions the room and home owners present. Remember that just because one floor works in a certain room for one homeowner it might not be the right product for you. Different households create different situations. It is important to look into your needs before spending money on flooring.

Flooring options are so wide and very in material, style, color, durability and cost. Determining the needs of your family before you install flooring materials will help save you money in the long run. Really looking at your needs might make you realize that it is worthwhile to save up for a more durable, but more expensive option like hardwood. Or it might make you realize that you really need to create unity throughout your home and are ready to do that using a different variety of materials within the same color family. Flooring is one area that can really make or break a home’s feel so make sure you choose something that is consistent with your homes look and feel.

Jason Foldenauer Construction

Decisions to Make: Blinds Between the Glass Replacement Windows

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We have officially lived in our home for three years. Memorial Day every year marks the anniversary for us. We have updated many things inside. The paint is still fresh, the carpet is nice, we have made the homey touches yet when I look around I still feel like we might be missing the mark somewhere. I go outside I see the siding is new, the roof is new, the landscaping has all been replaced and is growing in nicely but the windows are leaving something to be desired. It is time we look into replacement windows.

After having done many home repairs and renovations in the past we have learned that good things come from careful planning. Mainly finance savings but also exploring options could lead us to make wiser choices. For instance when buying a washer and dryer last year, spending only fifty dollars more per machine got us energy star appliance that were better on energy and tax deductible. This would save us money year after year. We knew the same would be true for windows.

The things we considered when buying our new windows were financial, climate, current construction, resources and styles available. We then looked at the option available and were able to prioritize them. I knew nothing about windows with blinds inside the glass however found this option incredibly convenient. I was able to then switch modes and strictly look at window companies that offered that option. The blinds between the glass became my focus because I knew I loved the way they looked and the convenience they offered.

Financially – Of course blinds between the glass were a bit more expensive than traditional replacement windows. I priced compared several companies to find the company offering the best deals taking into consideration tax credits, installation charges and the extras involved financially with any home improvement project.

Climate – Our home is in Michigan. We experience four seasons; nasty cold winters with snow and ice, spring that brings humidity and storms, summer with its hot temperatures and fall the season of bliss. We needed the replacement windows with blinds between the glass to fit the bill for all four.

Current Construction – I did not want to make changes to the window sizes so they replacement windows with blinds between the glass had to fit within the space already provided by my home.

Resources – The material did not really matter to me. The choices were vast and our home is very neutral so any of the materials would look okay. My spouse though did not like the maintenance that would be needed for wood windows, thought aluminum looked cheap and was convinced fiberglass and vinyl were the two best choices.

Style – I just wanted them to be easy to clean so style needed to revolve around that factor. I did not like cranks because it becomes too time consuming to open all the windows. I was going for ease of maintaining that is why I liked the blinds between the glass replacement windows so much.

In the end the purchase of replacement windows was not all that bad. I ended up with stylish, easy to use and clean windows that have already paid for themselves with the increase in value they brought to our home. I could not be happier with my new windows with the blinds encased within the glass.

Heatkeeper

Carpet Cleaners: Removing Pet Urine Odor and Stains

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Dogs and cats are so much fun to have in a household. They lighten the whole atmosphere surrounding the family. They follow you around; they are constant companionship and overall best friends. That is of course when they are potty trained. During the first few months of pet ownership there is a struggle to learn to potty in the correct location which leads to much household stress. Is the limited stress worth the lifetime of love? Of course, however there are ways to ensure your home does not end up smelling like a great big litter box or dog kennel.

The pet of choice does not matter. Urine is urine and stinks no matter who the culprit. So if you have a guinea pig or a dog the urine will need to be immediately cleaned up and dealt with. Since this is one situation that you cannot completely prevent prompt attention is needed to ensure that your carpets stay clean and odor free.

Professional carpet cleaners have strong chemicals that eliminate odors and stains from carpets. What do regular home owners do to make the environment and carpet clean and odor free? At least until it can be deep cleaned, after say puppy is fully housebroken.

When you see an accident has occurred take time and blot the area with a dry clean white cloth. Absorb as much of the urine as possible. When the area is as dry as can be take and dampen the area with warm water and take baking soda and sprinkle the area. Baking soda is used to absorb odors. It is a great product that will produce results and not cause harm to pets using the carpet. Let the area thoroughly dry and remove the residue with your household vacuum.

Another technique that eliminates the stain and odors associated with pet urine is white vinegar mixed with water. The mixture should use a quarter cup of white vinegar mixed with a cup of warm water. The mixture should be applied to the area after the original mess has been blotted up as much as possible. Then you will place a towel on top of the area and press down hard to remove the water. It is best to do this process a few times eventually leaving a towel down covering the area with a heavy object on top of it. This should be done overnight. In the morning you may remove the towel and using a vacuum upholstery attachment you can remove the debris and restore the carpets fullness.

If you are a home owner who has not seen an animal during the crime but can smell it you must find the scene. In order to do this you can purchase a black light and use it to pin point the exact location. When a black UV light is used with the lights off and curtains closed the urine will glow in the dark. This will lead you to the crime scene and using the above techniques you should be able to remove the odor and stain.

If all fails and you are left with an odor or stain that you cannot live with call out the professional carpet cleaners. Carpet cleaners have special machines and chemical combinations that are superior and will remove most stains and odors. Using heat and high powered water extraction techniques professional carpet cleaners can remove most anything from your carpeted areas.

True Cleaning

Carpet Cleaning: Tips to Prevent Deep Stains

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Carpet cleaning is a trick trade. Professionals are trained to get out tough spots and to deep clean carpets to remove dirt and allergens from soiled carpet. It is important in dealing with carpet that you always start by preventing dirt and stains from building up in the first place. Regular carpet cleaning and paying close attention to stains when they first show up will prevent the need for the carpet cleaners to visit more than once a year. Taking appropriate care of your carpet will leave it stain and order free in between carpet cleanings.

Here is a list of helpful tips that will leave your carpet fresh and soil free in between carpet cleaner visits.

1) Maintain your clean carpet by having house guests remove shoes before entering into your living space. Carpet is easily soiled from outside dirt and soil. Use rugs at all entrances into your home and offer a sitting space for shoe removal. These signs will lead guests to automatically remove shoes before assuming that shoes are welcome on your carpet.

2) When you do encounter a stain do not rub it. This will only smear the stain and cause it to work into your carpet. The best option for most stains is to blot the stain until it is thoroughly removed from the carpet. If you rub the stain in it will go deep into the carpet and you will ruin the pile on your carpet fibers.

3) If you improperly remove a stain it will resurface at a later date out of the padding or depths if the carpet fibers. Make sure that you remove the stain thoroughly even going as far as placing a clean cloth on the stain over night and cover it with a heavy object that will press the cloth into the carpet fibers removing the stain.

4) Whatever you do, do not use an iron or blow drier to dry your carpet. These mechanisms will only set the stain in. Instead use a fan to circulate the air around the treated spot. This will help dry the area thoroughly.

5) Have your carpet steam cleaned by a professional carpet cleaning system once a year. This will help prevent buildups of spots and stains.

6) If you encounter mold or mildew in your carpet look for a non-chlorine bleach (non-colored carpet only) product or a combination of lemon juice and salt. Cover the area with the mixture and gently massage into the carpet. Then blot the area with a clean towel until the mold and mildew are gone. You can then circulate the air with a small fan to create an environment to dry the carpet.

7) Water is the best product to use to clean up most spills. Of course stronger substances such as urine will need to be treated with baking soda to remove the smell.

8) Vacuum is something that needs to be done more than once a week to keep carpets clean and fresh. Make sure you keep the canister empty and go over the carpet several times to allow all the debris to be picked up. A quick job is not something that should be done if you want to keep your carpet looking like it did when it was put in.

9) Mild cleaning products are always the best. I prefer just water but if sometimes products must be used for stains that are more stubborn. Read the directions on all products and use them accordingly.

Obviously the best tip is prevention. Prevent the stain from ever setting in or happening in the first place. You will save yourself a lot of time and money. Regular maintenance helps prevent deep soiling. Carpet cleaning professionals will tell you that eighty percent of debris brought into your home is dry. With this said regular vacuuming should minimize damage to your carpet.

True Cleaning

Carpet Spot and Stain Removal Tips

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Anyone with carpet knows the hassles that are fought daily to keep it clean of spots and stains. Once they have really set in carpet spot and stain removal is nearly impossible. It is important for owners of carpet to be diligent in the upkeep on their carpet.

My daughter is really good at wearing flip flops all day and come home with the bottoms of her feet caked in nastiness. This then lead to me cleaning the spots immediately by vacuuming and spot cleaning. To combat this issue I have developed the concept of “clean soles only” enter our home. So she needs to keep clean socks or slippers available to her at the door at all times. She is the in charge of going and scrubbing her feet in the laundry tub if she wants to be bare foot in our home.

This concept has also taken hold to family and friends that visit. It is important to us that our carpet stays clean without having to pay large sums to have it cleaned bi-yearly so I stress the importance that people remove their shoes before they enter our home. I have put a seat out in the shoe removal area to make it cozy and an extra rack especially for the shoes of our guests. I know it sounds very anal but having a house full of clean carpet is something I am willing to be anal over.

There are many stain removal techniques for those accidents that happen just from living in your home and having a family. It is important to know how to deal with them when they happen to avoid having to have a carpet spot and stain removal company come out to your home. Things like red wine and grease might seem impossible to remove from your carpet but they actually are something any homeowner can do with the right techniques.

First let us look into the matter of bleach. Bleach stains aren’t really stains at all. It is actually where the dye has been removed from the carpet. There is not really a technique to get a bleach stain off since it really is not a stain at all. You must actually have the section of ruined carpet dyed back to match the rest of the carpet. You can either have the carpet dyed or have that section replaced depending on the size of the area affected by bleach.

You will laugh when I give my next suggestion but I have tested this and it really works. I have frieze carpet with beige and gray so when I spilled Merlot it did not really go to well with the motif in place already. I began by blotting up as much red wine as I could with a white clean rag. This absorbed the majority of wine before it reached deep into the carpet. I then let the area dry and pour white wine onto the affected area. This actually negates the effect of the red wine and the satin is removed. The old saying, “If you don’t succeed try, try again” is true here. It may take more than one time to completely remove the stain.

Greaser is another area I am all too familiar with. My mechanic husband has had grease on his pants and proceeded to lounge on the floor. First you must remove as much of the grease by hand that you can. Using a clean towel you can get the majority of the chunk removed. Then apply a bit of rubbing alcohol onto a white clean cloth and gently pat the area. You are done when the stain is removed. It should come out very easily.

Carpet stains are annoying more than anything. Most stains will eventually come out of the carpet if treated promptly and with the correct tools. It is never wise to freak out and start rubbing the stain. This will only allow the stain to penetrate deeper into the carpet making it reappear later on down the road. For any carpet spot and stain removal that intimidates you call in the professionals. Getting your carpet cleaned is a lot cheaper than having it replaced all together.

True Cleaning

Civil Design Engineers: Planning for a Brighter Tomorrow

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Engineering is a profession that applies science and mechanical information to tangible resources in order to create an object or device that meets specific criteria. There are several branches of engineering. Each devoted to an area specializing in science or technology or both. Each field is unique and needed to make up the world we know today.

Mechanical Engineers are professionals who design power-driven systems. Systems can be simple or complex. Cars are an example of something which runs because of the systems mechanical engineers devise.

Aerospace Engineers are professionals that devise a plan for aircrafts of all types. They also research and design items related to aircraft as well as spacecrafts.

Computer Engineers are professionals that are in charge of the addition of hardware and software to design systems. Simply put they are involved in the improvement and creation of hardware and software systems using guidelines set forth by engineering philosophies.

Electrical Engineers are professionals that are create electronic systems such as transformers.

Chemical Engineers take raw materials and make them into practical substances. They are professionals who operate chemical manufacturing facilities as well.

Civil Engineers are the professionals who help our day to day run smoother. They are the ones who are in charge of public and private construction. They are in charge of bridges, skyscrapers and subdivisions. There are multiple branches within civil design to be explored. Civil engineering is, in my opinion, one of the most important jobs within the engineering field.

Structural Civil Design Engineers are in charge of the design of structures that can support their own load along with the extremes of the climates they are in. For instance, structure built in Michigan need to withstand the change in climate and all four seasons. Roads must take the abuse of rain, ice, snow and the salt and sand used to remove it. They must take into account what new materials are available and changing conditions to make sure projects are done correctly and are secure for use.

Environmental Civil Design Engineers are responsible for the caring for the natural resources available to us. They are called upon for making sure the quality is up to par in regards to our resources. They are responsible for the creation of devices that make natural resources safe for us to use.

Geotechnical Civil Design Engineers are important because all projects with in civil engineering are supported by the earth, ground. Things such as foundations and tunnels are created by them. They research soil and rocks and determine by the actions of the land how to create safe structures.

Water Resource Civil Design Engineers are important to the control of water. They are the professionals responsible for controlling floods, rain water runoff, dams and canals along with the creation of facilities that are powered and power hydroelectric facilities.

Transportation Civil Design Engineers are professionals who determine our transportation systems. They basically control the way of life for many of us. Imagine life without ways to get products to society.

Construction Civil Design Engineers are the ones responsible for changing a paper design into a physical structure. They take the knowledge of planning and managing applies it to a project and voila we have a complete project.

Urban and Community Planning Engineers look at the entire community and coordinate the growth depending on what their analysis turns up. These professionals need both people and industrial skills to coordinate prosperous growth within a community.

All aspects of engineering are important to society as a whole. Looking into civil design more in-depth helps us to appreciate why our society ebbs and flows as it does. Engineers create a better today so that we, as a whole, can enjoy a more advantageous tomorrow.

SRCMI

Finding a Civil Engineering Firm for Your Next Project

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Civil engineering is not a new concept. Think about it, people even from the stone ages were civil engineers. They may not have the fancy title but what they accomplished was in fact what we employ civil engineers to do for us today. Road ways were established, bridges (in rough form) were created and society kept improving throughout time. This is the work of early civil engineers. Today we look at it a bit differently than we did back then. Today we have technology and safety regulations that make the projects a bit safer and shorter.

We break civil engineering down into different areas because projects can range from small suburban housing development, huge skyscrapers to bridges and tunnels. Picking a civil engineering professional to work on your project requires some research on your part. It is important to find a civil engineer that works on the area of construction you need them to. This may be new construction, a renovation on a previous project or a structural designer.

You will want to first find someone who is experienced in the field of civil engineering your project revolves around. Quality work is often something that comes with doing work. That is not to say new civil engineering firms should not be given a chance it is to say that it is up to you to check out previous work done by the firm and individual engineer. Experience is often the key in many professions and engineering is no different. With experience comes the know how to solve the minor problems that arise and to prevent the major ones from ever arising. Make sure whomever you hire is experienced in the kind of development you are partaking in.

It is also important being that most project our on a time schedule that the engineering firm you hire has a reputation of completing assignments on time. Look at previous work and find out if there were delays. If so find out why. Delays because of materials being backordered and unavailable are one thing but any other reason is frankly not acceptable. Also make sure the material delay is not because of little for thought on the end of the civil engineer in charge of the project.

It is important that business is only done by a licensed civil engineering. It is most advantageous to hire a civil engineering firm that specializes in all aspects of engineering be it new construction, a renovation on a previous project or a structural designer. Many firms will have these professionals all under one roof working together to complete your project in an efficient and timely manner.

SRCMI

Doorwalls Featuring Blinds Between the Glass

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When we bought our home we were fascinated by the amount of light let in by the doorwalls. We loved it. The sliding glass doorwalls faced towards the woods so we really never worried about privacy issues. There were no blinds up and we never really gave thought to adding them. The door walls are in fact what sold us on this particular house.

We were perfectly fine with this arrangement until by spouse brought home Sophie. Sophie was a curious puppy who wanted in on all the action all the time. She would see something flicker in the woods and it would cause her to leap up from a relaxing mid afternoon nap and go into a tizzy. We knew right away we needed to add blinds to the doorwalls to eliminate the fact that she could see into the woods day in and out.

We thought we were so smart. We went out with measurements bought fancy vertical blinds. When we got home we installed them not without drama of course. They were a bit heavier than we planned for which made the installation tricky. Plus they really seemed to close off the room and the light we loved so much.

It wasn’t until a few days later till we realized the really big mistake we had made. Sophie of course found her way into the blinds so they did not prevent the intended infraction of her craziness when she caught glimpse of a squirrel. They did however cause her to be more annoying because of the racket caused by the blinds slapping each other as she plowed through them. She also learned that the cords to move them back and forth were so much fun because they played tug of war with her. They were definitely not Sophie proof so we knew that option was really just a really expensive dog toy. We began looking into other options.

We were fortunate because we found and fell in love with sliding glass doorwalls featuring blinds between the glass. This would solve our dilemma with Sophie while still letting us have the option of closed blinds to keep Sophie calm or open blinds to let in the light of the yard which we love so much. The company was so easy to work with and surprisingly the new doorwalls featuring blinds between the glass were reasonably priced.

Sophie is one lucky dog. She brings us a ton of joy and we love her so much. The doorwalls featuring blinds between the glass were the perfect solution to her need to protect us from the squirrels and wildlife in our backyard. She is now able to take a restful slumber and we are too. She no longer wakes us up at night with the rustling of blinds. As for the tug of war solution the cords provided we added a few new chew toys to her collection including a rope with a knot in it for us to play tug of war with her.

Heatkeeper

Simplifying Life for Those with Limited Mobility

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As parent’s age or you parent a child with special needs you begin to realize how hard life is when you have limited mobility. When you are the caregiver of someone with limited mobility you begin to search out products that will ease their lives and that also gives them independence from having to always ask for assistance. In most cases aging parents would rather age in their own homes. It is up to us as their children to begin preparing their homes for them to use as they age. It is also our job as the parent of a child with handicaps to help make our homes accessible for them in a wheelchair or walker using handicap ramps and other products made for people with disabilities.

There are many different home improvements that can be done with to help aide in the processes of allowing for mobility and independence. It is up to you as the caregiver to seek out all the possible products available to help your loved one. A house needs to be a place that is safe for them. In order to create this environment you must have some special products installed to aide in this.

The first area I would look at is the ease of entering and exiting the home and vehicles. Ramps can be put in place to help with these transitions. Handicap ramps can be made to be temporary or permanent structures on a home. Metal ramps are becoming popular because they are inexpensive and can be easily installed. Wooden ramps can be made to match the exterior of your home making a lovely addition to any porch. Garages can be made to be more accessible by gradually decreasing the incline so that the vehicle is able to be approached with some extra height.

Another area that is important is the showering situation. Privacy is huge no matter what point you are at in life. It is important that your shower and tub be fit for someone with special needs. Many people decide that a walk in shower is the best solution. This is advantageous because a wheelchair can fit within the shower allowing for an easy transfer to a chair where they are then able to wash. Shower heads are now made to be removable to also help with getting those hard to reach spots. Another less expensive option is adding a chair to your bathtub. Along with a removable shower head this option is inexpensive and can be helpful to those that still can transfer easily.

Stairs always present a problem for those bound to wheelchairs. A good option to this is a chair lift for the stairs. My grandmother uses one of these because the laundry lives in the basement. It is only her in the home so the laundry is limited. The chair lift makes it accessible for her to go up and down with the laundry without the worry of cascading down the stairs. We have also added railings by the washer and dryer for her to hold onto for her to stabilize herself if she stands to long forgetting to sit before her body tells her she is ready for a break. This is what happens with her hips and legs leaving her weak.

Another improvement that you can do to create independence is to make sure your doors are equipped with handles instead of knobs. This helps with people who have limited strength or use of their hands. If you keep all doors well oiled it allows them to open more freely and this helps with transitions between rooms. It is also difficult to reach items overhead. It is important to keeps things organized and well within the reach of your loved one. It is important that they are able to care for their nutritional needs without always asking for help. Make sure your kitchen eases this ability with items placed well within reach. Also make sure stoves and refrigerators are able to be used.

All of these little things will help create an environment that helps invite independence back into your loved ones life whether they are young or old. If a loved one requires a handicap ramp or other special equipment to get around that does not mean they cannot be independent. The goal is to aide in their success with little improvements throughout the home environment.

Glen Miller The Home Doctor