Room Addition/New Construction Photo Gallery
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Accessible Room Addition In Arlington Heights
Mr. and Mrs. P., a middle aged couple, approached EHLS for help with a developing accessibility problem in their home. Mr. P. had been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis and as the disease progressed he found it increasingly difficult to move about the house. The P.'s live in a wonderful 90 year old home in Arlington Heights and they did not want to leave. But if they were going to stay changes would have to be made to accommodate Mr. P.'s mobility limitations.
When the P.'s contacted EHLS they already a clear idea about what sort of changes they wanted to make and how much they would be able to spend on the project. The challege before us was to put together a detailed design that met the P.'s accessibility goals while staying within their budget. Working together we developed a plan for an accessible addition that preserved the character of the home and could be built within budget. Scroll down to see pictures of the project and how everything turned out.
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Back of Home Before Demolition
The design the P.'s and EHLS developed called for removing an enclosed two story porch attached to the rear of the home and replacing it with a new larger accessible living space. In this picture we see the old porch and the back entrance. One of our design goals was that the new addition blend well with the rest of the home. Keep scrolling to see if we succeeded.
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West Side of P. Residence Before Demolition
Here is another view of the original porch before demolition got under way. The porch is only about 5 feet wide.
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Bye Bye Porch
Work has begun and the old porch is slowly disappearing as an EHLS crew carefully takes it apart.
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Now You See It...
Another view of the demolition work. I hear this sort of work is good for relieving frustrations.
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Framing the New Addition
The old porch is gone and the new addition is taking shape. While the old porch was only about 5' wide the new structure will measure 12' in width.
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Exterior Work Is Mostly Done
The exterior work on the addition is moving along nicely. The structure has a roof, doors and windows so it's sealed up and weathertight. Look closely and you can see how the new siding matches the existing home.
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Nice Match!
This angle gives us a chance to see how well the new section blends with the rest of the home.
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Ta Da - The Finished Product
The addition has been painted, concrete walks have been poured and the landscaping is taking shape. The rear door now opens into the hoistway for a new Savaria 1504 vertical platform lift (VPL). A second entrance has been provided on the side of the addition for people entering the home on foot. Though we can't see it in this picture the sidewalk from the rear door leads to a detached garage behind the home. Mr. P. can easily roll his wheelchair from the garage to the VPL which will carry him to the main level or all the way to the second floor.
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Outside Entrance to VPL's Hoistway
Here we see Mrs. P. rolling a wheelchair off the VPL platform onto the sidewalk.
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Side View of Finished Addition
Everyone was happy with the way the new addition complemented the rest of the home. In this side view we can see how nicely the new windows match the originals.
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The Exterior Looks Good But What About the Inside
The addition has a new powder room on the first floor and a full accessible bath on the second. Here we see the powder room that features a pedestal sink, a pocket door and plenty of room to maneuver a wheelchair.
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First Floor Powder Room and Hoistway Door
Here is view of the powder room and on the left we see the door to the VPL's hoistway. The first floor has beautiful hardwood floors that make it easy for a wheelchair to get around.
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Savaria Vertical Platform Lift
Mrs. P. is getting ready to roll off the Savaria 1504 onto the main floor of the home.
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Second Floor Roll-In Shower
Mrs. P. demonstates how easy it is to bathe using the roll-in shower on the second floor.
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A Successful Project!
This project turned out very well. The P.'s now have an attractive, comfortable, wheelchair accessible addition. The new structure matches the existing home well and it was built within the original budget.
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An Accessible Makeover in Bartlett
The Buck family in Barlett met Allan and Joanie Browne at a trade show where EHLS had an exhibit. The meeting was fortuitous since the Bucks were trying to a find a solution for a growing accessibility problem. Six years prior to the meeting Mrs. Buck had given birth to triplets - two girls and a boy. The kids were born 11 weeks prematurely and weighed 2 lbs. each when they entered the world. Preemies are at risk for a number of health problems and one of the girls - Hannah - was diagnosed with cerebral palsy when she was 9 months old. Cerebral palsy (CP) affects the area of the brain that controls muscle movement and symptoms vary widely among CP victims. For some the effects are minor but for many CP will mean significant mobility limitations.
As Hannah got older it became clear that she would face fairly difficult mobility problems. She was unable to walk and needed a wheelchair to get around. Caring for her when she was young and small wasn't difficult but she was growing steadily and by the time she turned six it was clear the Buck's home would need an accessibility makeover.
Working closely together EHLS helped the Bucks develop a plan for an accessible home. It took about three months to complete the design and it was time well spent. In the end the Bucks loved the plan and were eager to get the project underway. The finished design called for adding roughly 750 sq. ft. of living space to the existing 1800 sq. ft. home. The new living space would contain a living room, the master bedroom and the master bath. Moving these rooms to the new space allowed rooms within the existing house to be reconfigured. A small bedroom and the existing master bath were rearranged to create a single large bedroom and an accessible bathroom with a roll-in shower. The kitchen was enlarged to provide manuevering room for a wheelchair. Finally a three stop Savaria 1504 vertical platform lift was installed in space that was once used as a storage closet off the entry foyer. Scroll down to see pictures of the finished project.
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Before
Here is the Buck's home before EHLS started work. The plan called for a 750 sq. ft. addition on the west side (the right side in this picture) of the home. Much of the existing interior would be gutted and rearranged to better accommodate Hannah Buck's mobility needs.
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After
In this picture (taken in much warmer weather) we can see the addition that was added on the west side (right side) of the original home. The EHLS architect did a good job of designing an addition that blends well with the existing structure.
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View of addition from west side
Here we see the west side of the new addition. Large windows in the living room and master bedroom provide good views of the yard and an adjacent pond.
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Living Room in the Finished Addition
The living room moved to the addition when the project was completed. The flooring used throughout much of the home was a commercial grade berber carpet with a dense felt pad. Commercial grade carpet is relatively inexpensive and it wears well under the heavy tires of power wheelchairs.
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Master Bedroom
The master bedroom has large windows that provide a nice view of the side yard and pond.
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Master Bathroom
The master bathroom has a unique bathtub called a SoftTub. A SoftTub is made from a soft dense foam covered with a layer of a smooth white polyurethane. It makes a good therapy tub for Hannah to relax in.
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Girl's Bedroom Looking East
The girls bedroom was created by combining the old master bedroom with the adjoining children's bedroom. The resulting room is over 30' long and has plenty of space to store Hannah's mobility equipment.
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Girl's Bedroom Looking West
Here is another view of the girl's bedroom in which we can see the doorway to the accessible bathroom.
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Accessible Bathroom With Roll-In Shower
Here is a look at the accessible bathroom adjoining the girl's bedroom. The roll-in shower measures 6' 7" wide by 4' 11" deep which is plenty of room for a waterproof shower chair and a caregiver. On the right side of the picture you can see the open area below the accessible sink that allows a wheelchair to roll under.
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Another View of Accessible Bathroom
Another view of the accessible bathroom. Note the fold down grab bar alongside the toilet.
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Roll Under Sink In Bathroom Accommodates Wheelchair
Wheelchair accessible sink in bathroom.
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Accessible Sink In Kitchen - Note Raised Dishwasher
Hannah is demonstrating how she can use the accessible sink in the kitchen. Note the raised dishwasher to her right. The dishwasher is 12" from the floor which makes for much less bending when loading and unloading the dishes.
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Entrance to VPL Hoistway In Basement
The entrance to the VPL hoistway in the basement. The Savaria 1504 VPL stops at three different levels including the basement the garage and the main floor.
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Garage Level All Out
The middle stop for the vertical platform lift is at the garage level which is about two feet below the main floor. Having the hoistway entrance inside the garage is wonderful since it allows Hannah to transfer to the Buck's ramp van out of the weather.
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Main Floor
The middle stop for the vertical platform lift is at the garage level which is about two feet below the main floor. Having the hoistway entrance inside the garage is wonderful since it allows Hannah to transfer to the Buck's ramp van out of the weather.
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Happy Clients
The Bucks have been extremely pleased with their remodeled home. Widened doorways, the vertical platform lift and accessible rooms allow Hannah to participate in family activities throughout the house. While bathing in a bathtub had been difficult and perhaps a little dangerous for Hannah and her parents the roll-in shower makes bath time easy, safe and convenient. If you need a more accessible home call EHLS today and get started on a project that can change your life.
