What am I going to do while I’m waiting for the water to drain?

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A common misconception is that having to drain a walk in tub while you sit in it is a problem.   People frequently tell me that they would get a walk in tub, but they don’t want to sit in the water while the tub is draining.

Just as a walk in tub is a little different than a standard tub, the technique to use the walk in tub is a little different than the technique for a standard tub.  With a standard tub, a person can leap right up from a full tub of water and step over the side and out.  Part of the valuable door seal system on the Best Bath Systems, Inc. tub relies on the pressure from the water in the tub, so you do need to drain the water from the tub before you open the door.  The walls are high so you can sit at a comfortable height and stand with little effort.  The primary reason most folks consider a walk in tub in the first place is that they can’t, or don’t want to, clamber up off the floor of the tub and climb over a 15” plus high tub wall.  If you are buying a new tub intending to avoid getting in and out of it “the same old way”, learning a new technique to use it really isn’t a big deal.

The beauty of bathing in a walk in tub is that a person can both soak and rinse the soaking water off while sitting in the same place.  I teach people to get in and sit on the pre-heated seat. Then they fill the tub and enjoy their soak whether they enjoy still water, air jets, and/or water jets.  Why would they buy a great soaking tub if they didn’t really enjoy a good soak?  They start bathing and rinsing when they are finished soaking and just about ready to get out. Though the rate the water drains depends upon the waste lines in the home, most folks finish up washing and rinsing just as the last of the water is gone.  Then there is no waiting at all.  They just get up, open the door, and safely step out and on their way.

Give us a call or email us if you have questions about walk in tubs.  If you are interested in treating yourself to a sensuous and safe soaking experience for the upcoming holidays you are in luck!  We are providing $500 off on an upgrade to water or air jets on any of the Best Bath Systems, Inc.  walk in tubs ordered through December 18th, 2012.

What Keeps the Water in a Flat Shower?

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Roll in showers for people who use wheelchairs come in many shapes and sizes.  A good roll in shower slopes gently toward the drain which helps direct the water away from the sides of the shower.  With larger showers you have more space to collect and control water.  Good slope and water control accessories become more critical with narrower showers.  I’ve seen some showers that are built with mini thresholds which the contractor was convinced was necessary to keep water from flowing out of the shower, but those thresholds can be difficult to push a shower chair over.   Most of the showers we’ve been involved with lately have been remodeling projects in which the size of the new shower is limited to the size of the tub or shower we are replacing.  Water control is critical.  Our preferred method is the water control system available from Best Bath Systems, Inc. to provide as low a threshold as possible with maximum water control.

The Best Bath water stopper is a T-shaped rubber water dam that provides a flexible threshold.   The threshold is easily rolled over and then pops back up.   The sides are held in place with a curved end piece.  Water dams without this end piece tend to pull away from the sides of the shower.  Since water can pool or get sprayed toward these areas it is critical to have a water tight joint at this point.

The water stopper is fantastic, simple as it is, but it really is only half of the system, especially in a narrow shower.   In a 30-34” inch deep shower such as one that replaces a bath tub, there are several forces at work that can lead to water being dripped or sprayed outside of the shower.  The key is the curtain.  Even with a weighted curtain, it is easy for air currents generated by the shower or water spraying on the curtain, to make the curtain to billow past the water stopper.  Water drips down the curtain outside of the stopper and onto the floor.  Best Bath Systems supplies a vinyl curtain, which in addition to being staph, mildew, and fungus resistant is thick and stiff.  I specify the version that is 74” long and allow it to drape and touch or even drag the floor of the shower slightly inside the water stopper.  This creates a “wall” to help hold the water inside the shower where it belongs.   Clients can hang decorative curtains on the same shower rings and use this durable white curtain as a liner that will last for years.

Narrow roll in showers need all the space possible, so built in thresholds make maneuvering difficult and decrease useable space.   You may still need some techniques to keep your shower chair from dripping on the floor, but you can control most of the water in a roll in shower with the right system of flexible threshold and shower curtain.  Give us a call if you need some help deciding what sizes will be best for you.

Click here for shower curtain specifications. >>

Click here for water stopper specifications. >> 

Helping To Make The Lives of Our Community Members Better – One Person at a Time

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At Home Access Solutions, we have the pleasure of meeting many individuals that need help in finding the right balance of living comfortably while functioning in everyday life at the same time. We pride ourselves in providing our clients with solutions that do just that – work to make their lives better. But we can’t do it alone and we certainly can’t take all the credit.

Today, I’ve introduced two people on the video blog, each bringing unique yet very powerful, life-changing aspects to residential accessibility and the general betterment of people’s daily lives. First, Jason Williams joins us from Best Bath Systems – a company dedicated to providing barrier-free solutions for people that have difficulty using standard baths and showers. He will be teaching local contractors how to make bathrooms safer for people that live there. Afterwards, Best Bath Systems will very generously donate the shower used to demonstrate safety during the class. Rebuilding Together will then be able to use that shower in one of the homes they will be improving in our community right here in Omaha.

Also today, I would like to introduce you to the wonderful folks at Rebuilding Together. With me in the video, I have Tom from the Omaha Chapter of Rebuilding Together. The organization has a unique and very beneficial service offered in that volunteers from our communities are coordinated to help others in their own communities. These volunteers help to make living in one’s home better – working to improve living conditions for those that need it. With today’s donation, Rebuilding Together will contribute to making one more family, one more home – safer and healthier.

Both of these organizations are pivotal to improving the lives of others and we at Home Access Solutions are proud to be affiliated with them! I encourage you to visit their websites for more information on what they offer and their achievements.

Remember, as I mentioned in my video – in a sea of negative news happening all around us, it’s important to note the good things too. They are, after all, a large part of what makes the world go around...