Remodeling Projects to Help Older Adults Stay Comfortably at Home

According to the recent Age-Friendly Community Survey from AARP, more and more Baby Boomers are electing to stay in their current home rather than downgrade or move into an assisted living facility or retirement community. Are you one of them? If so, you will need to think about certain modifications that will need to be made to your house as you age. Everyone deserves to be able to live in the comfort of their own home, but let's face it, your mobility at the age of 85 might be a bit different to what it is (or was) at 65. So in order to stay happy and healthy in your own house, there are a few remodeling projects to consider. Here are the most popular according to the AARP survey. 

Bathroom Modifications

Forty-two percent of all survey respondents said that remodeling their bathroom was the most important change they would need to make to stay in their own home. Some of these modifications are simple and relatively inexpensive, such as changing doorknobs to swing handles and installing a grab bar alongside the toilet. However, larger projects such as lowering countertops, installing a handicap accessible shower, and widening doorways take a bit more time and planning. 

Medical Emergency Response System Installation

Thirty-two percent of respondents rated having an emergency response system as the most significant change they wanted to make in their home as they age. These systems generally consist of a small device that you wear around your neck or wrist. When the device is pressed it will transmit a signal to a call box, which will then immediately connect you with emergency services. For older people who live alone, these systems are highly recommended. Unfortunately, according to the Federal Trade Commission, most insurance companies don’t pay for the equipment so if you need to purchase this kind of system, expect to fork out for installation and monthly service fee.

Improved Lighting

This one seems obvious and nearly one-quarter of all respondents agree that better lighting would be a necessary modification for them to stay in their home. Change in vision is one of the downsides of aging and it happens to nearly all of us. Believe it or not, the human eye actually begins to deteriorate from the age of 40! According to a separate AARP study, older adults require two to three times more light than younger adults, and as we age, our eye lenses tend to yellow, decreasing our ability to see white light. Using cool white halogen and fluorescent bulbs is just one way to maximize vision and can help minimize the chance of a fall or other accident. 

Easier Home Accessibility

Twenty-two percent of survey takers said that changing the way they get in, out, and around their home was the most important consideration for staying in it. Personally, I would have thought that this would be the most popular change, but ramps, doorway modifications, and chairlifts ranked only fourth. These types of alterations should be carefully considered because they are not only the most expensive changes that need to be made; they also take the most time. It would be a wise decision to have your home assessed for these modifications well before you may need them as they could very well change your decision about staying in your home.

Addition to First Floor Living Area

Finally, 14 percent of respondents listed modifications to the first floor as an important part of staying in their own home. Many houses in the greater Bristol area are two-floor Cape Cod style homes with narrow staircases, which is a difficult entry point to a second-floor bedroom. Converting a rarely used first-floor dining room to a bedroom, or making changes to a kitchen to accommodate a wheelchair are definitely remodeling projects to consider as you age.

 Are you an older adult living in the area? Do you agree with the survey results? Are there other modifications you consider to be important for you to stay in your home? I’d love to hear from you.

Keep Termites Away From Your House

Keep Termites Away From Your House

For such a tiny pest, termites can cause very big problems to the structure of your home. According to pest control company, Terminix, termites cause roughly $500 billion in damage and affect approximately four million homes each year. That’s more than the damage caused by fires, floods and tornadoes put together.

There are two different types of termites – subterranean and drywood. Subterranean are a bit more common in warm coastal areas such as the southeast, and drywood can be found anywhere in the United States. Both are damaging, although subterranean are the ones you really want to avoid.

There are three telltale signs that you might have a termite problem. The first and most obvious is seeing them. Termites thrive in the darkness, but they are attracted to light, which also happens to kill them.  If you have termites in your home, you might start to see bodies or wings on windowsills or next to light fixtures, although termites are light colored and can be difficult to spot and distinguish. Another way to know if you have termites is if you discover mud tubes. These straw-sized tunnels are where termites live and can often be found around baseboards, pipes or chimneys. Then, of course, there is hollow wood. If you suspect that you might have a termite issue, use the base of a screwdriver to tap around baseboards, windowsills, and other easily accessible framing. Hollow wood has a very different sound than healthy wood and you’ll easily be able to hear the distinction.

Termites can’t get through concrete but they only need 1/32 of an inch to enter your home or business, and yes, they really do eat wood. Termites generally get to a foundation through the soil and then find a crack or hole to make their way to wood. Decks and porches are often good entry points and anything that’s holding moisture will enable the insects to survive and thrive. That woodpile on the side of your house is a Garden of Eden for termites, especially if it sits uncovered and collects moisture during rainstorms. Overall, a termite swarm is looking for moist wood to form its colony. So, if you’re house has drainage issues or if your gutters and downspouts aren’t doing their job properly, you might be harvesting a breeding ground without even knowing it.

If you think you might have termites, it’s a good idea to call a local expert to do a test, especially if any of your neighbors have recently experienced a problem. There are different types of termites with different habits and triggers, but all of them can be harmful to your home. It’s tough for the average person to spot and identify a termite, so calling a professional in for a routine check will give you peace of mind and give you the tools and knowledge you need to protect your home from any future damage. With termites, it’s better to get the problem sorted as early as possible before they take an expensive bite out of your biggest asset.

Keep Woodpeckers Happy, Safe and Away From Your Siding

This week I received an email from a reader asking for my advice to help her stop a pesky woodpecker from drilling holes into the side of her house. It’s a problem that’s fairly common in our area, and one that should be dealt with quickly before a few holes become an unsightly, and expensive problem.

Woodpeckers are attracted to homes for a few reasons. The most obvious one is that they are looking for food and think a delicious meal could be hiding under wood shakes or siding. Another popular reason is that they are looking for places to build a nest, and a crevice or corner of your home might provide the perfect shelter. Finally, there is a behavior called drumming which woodpeckers engage in as a way to mark their territory or attract a potential mate. This action generally occurs during the spring, prior to breeding season.

Regardless of the reason, a woodpecker’s pecking is a nuisance, especially when it’s waking you up in the early morning hours and doing a number to your home. So how do you get rid of them? It’s important to know that woodpeckers are a federally protected bird, so by law, you should not engage in any activity to harm them. Plus, woodpeckers are very beneficial birds that feed on insects such as wood-boring ants and grubs. Luckily there are a few simple and inexpensive solutions that will work to keep them away from your property without causing them any harm.  

1.     Woodpeckers don’t like shiny, reflective objects so installing some aluminum flashing, metalized Mylar tape, small mirrors or even aluminum foil will deter them. You can find rolls of flash tape for less than $10 online or in your local hardware store.

2.     A scary eye balloon is a small inflatable ball that mimics the look of an owl, one of the woodpecker’s feared predators. By hanging this balloon on an awning, you can scare the little troublemakers away from the house and back to the trees where they belong.

3.     A similar tool that I’ve seen is an “attack spider” which is a ridiculous looking, battery operated spider the size of a plate that can be hung on an awning or ledge above where the woodpecker is doing damage. The spider is noise activated and will drop down after the first few taps, scaring the woodpecker away and out of sight.

4.     Netting is another popular solution that works because it doesn’t allow the birds to land in their desired area. Netting is a bit more expensive and will take some time to install, but it’s lightweight and made from plastic, which means it’s a bit more durable and will last through the seasons.  The experts recommend installing a ¾ inch net and placing it at least three inches from the house’s exterior surface.

5.     There are also a number of topical sprays and paints that can be used to deter woodpeckers which work similarly to nail biting or thumb sucking solutions. These products emit a signal that tells birds that the spot isn’t a good place to get comfortable without harming them.  

6.     Finally, if you have a decent size yard, you could set up a suet feeder. Woodpeckers love suet and if the one that’s damaging your home is looking for food, providing suet in a feeder away from the house will give them what they’re looking for without having to work for it.

Now it’s time to hear from you. Have you found a safe method to get rid of pesky woodpeckers? I’d love to learn more, so send me a message on Facebook at facebook.com/odonnellbros or drop me an email.