PAGE 12 PRESS & DAKOTAN ■ THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2013

FALL HOME IMPROVEMENTPAINTINGFrom Page 11around doorways and trim, use a damp cloth towipe it away before adding any new paint.* Apply primer. Primer can serve many functions,not the least of which is its role as a bonding agentbetween the wall and the top coat of paint. Primercan also help conceal dark colors, prevent stainsand increase the life expectancy of the paint job youare about to undertake. * Prepare your paint. Preparing the paint is a simpletask, but one novice painters may not be aware of.When opening a new can of paint, stir the paintbefore using it. In addition, even if you don't plan touse a roller when painting, do not paint straight fromthe can, which can be heavier to hold than a smallbowl, and a light bowl is less likely to be spilled thana potentially heavy can of paint. In addition, oncepaint has been removed from the can, replace the lidso dust and other impurities do not settle in the can.* Purchase painter's tape. Painter's tape can be espe-cially valuable to novice painters. Painter's tapemakes it easier to paint smooth and clean paint lines,giving a room a more professional looking coat ofpaint without the cost of hiring a professionalpainter.

Painting can be an inexpensive and fun way toupgrade a home's interior. But even though paintingdoes not require the technical know-how of morelarge-scale home improvement projects, it stillrequires some prep work and attention to detail toensure the job is done right. ■ Metro Creative Connection

How to Make a HomeHandicap Accessible

Many homeownershave found themselvesscrambling to maketheir homes handicapaccessible after a sud-den injury or illness. Inaddition, some home-owners have foundthemselves looking tomake adjustments totheir homes in anticipa-tion of welcoming eld-erly, less mobile rela-tives into their homes.

Converting a homeinto a handicap-acces-sible space can seemlike a daunting taskthat requires adjust-ments to nearly everypart of the house.While the extent ofthose adjustmentsdepends on the individ-ual who needs to beaccommodated, someof the areas homeown-ers must address whenmaking their homeshandicap accessibleare universal regard-less of the individual'scondition.

EntrywaysA home's entryways

often must beaddressed when mak-ing the home morehandicap accessible.Portable ramps can bean affordable optionand are often an idealfor those who onlyneed to make tempo-rary adjustments, suchas when a resident suf-

fers an injury thatrequires he or shespend some time in awheelchair. When theadjustments will justbe temporary, a foldingwheelchair might benecessary, as the door-ways might not be ableto fit a standard wheel-chair that doesn't fold.

When adjustmentsfigure to be permanent,homeowners mightneed to expand thedoorways in theirhomes. Contractorstypically recommendexpanding doorways toat least 32 inches,which provides somemaneuverability whenwheelchairs, which aretypically between 24and 27 inches wide, areentering the home.

Doorways at themost commonly usedentryways, includingfront doors and doorsto the bathrooms aswell as the individual'sbedroom, will likelyneed to be widened.

BathroomThe bathroom

might be the area of thehome that needs themost attention.Slippery conditionscommon to bathroomscan make things espe-cially difficult for peo-ple in wheelchairs orwith disabilities. Grabbars should beinstalled in bath tubsand shower stalls andnext to toilets.

But grab bars aren'tthe only adjustmenthomeowners shouldmake in the bathroomas they attempt tomake a home morehandicap accessible.Safety treads, whichcan provide a secure,slip-free surface on thefloors of showers andtubs, can be installed.Add a hand-held show-er head to the showerstall to make it easierfor those with a disabil-ity to shower. Portable transfer seats,which enable wheel-chair-bound men andwomen to transitionfrom their chairs toshowers and bathtubs,can be purchased andkept in or near thebathroom.

Water fixturesAn often overlooked

adjustment homeown-ers must make whentransforming theirhomes into handicap-accessible spaces con-cerns the sinksthroughout the home.Disabled persons mayfind it difficult toaccess faucets on sinksthroughout the home,especially when there

are vanity cabinetsbeneath the sinks.Replacing such sinkswith pedestal sinks canimprove maneuverabil-ity, but make sure suchsinks are lower to theground than standardpedestal sinks. A sinkthat's just a few incheslower than a standardsink is considerablymore accessible to peo-ple in wheelchairs.

ClosetsClosets are rarely

handicap accessible. Homeowners can

address this issue bycreating multi-levelcloset spaces so indi-viduals can place theirclothes at accessibleheights. Closet shelves can belowered and doors canbe widened so disabledpersons can easilymanage theirwardrobes.

In addition, consid-er installing a lightinside the closet andmake sure the lightswitch can be easilyreached from a wheel-chair.

Making a homemore handicap accessi-ble can be a significantundertaking, but manyof the adjustmentshomeowners mustmake are small in scaleand won't take long tocomplete.

■ Metro Creative Connection

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Easy Bathroom Renovations

Bathroom renovationsare second to kitchen renova-tions on the list of the topremodeling projects toincrease home value.

The popularity of bath-room renovations and theirability to transform a spacehas left many homeownerswondering if there are anyeasy and affordable ways tochange the look of their bath-rooms.

While "easy" is a relativeterm, there are ways home-owners willing to make cer-tain concessions can keepthe work and cost of a bath-room renovation to a mini-mum.

ResurfaceWhen possible, covering

up what you have in the bath-room is much less expensiveand less labor-intensive thantearing out existing fixturesand floors and replacingthem anew. Resurfacing can extend torefinishing bathtubs toinstalling shower liners.Those who have unsightlywalls or wallpaper thatthey're just not ready toremove may consider usingwainscotting to cover a por-tion of the room or even tilingentire walls.

It is important to notethat resurfacing and coveringup items in the bathroom

should only be reserved forcosmetic fixes. If somethingneeds to be replacedbecause it is damaged ormildew-covered, then cover-ing it up is only hiding theproblem and asking for morework in the long run.

Scale back on materialsOne way to save money

on a bathroom renovationproject is to choose lessexpensive materials. Forexample, you may not needto install travertine or marbleflooring in a space where lessexpensive flooring like vinylis adequate. Advancementsin vinyl flooring have enabledthis affordable material tomimic the look of moreexpensive materials at a frac-tion of the cost.

When redoing tile onwalls and shower enclosures,many domestically-producedtiles rival the looks of moreexpensive imported alterna-tives. You may be able tosave more by buying tile inbulk and using the remainderin other applications aroundthe house.

PaintDo not underestimate

the power of a fresh coat ofpaint on any room in thehouse, including the bath-

BATHROOM, Page 15