Imagine beginning the day with a bathtub…
…then ending it with a safe, walk-in shower.
Before I heard Jim from Affordable Step-in Shower speak at an event recently, I wouldn’t have appreciated how helpful this product might be.
As we age, our balance changes–this makes stepping into the shower tricky, slippery and dangerous. Especially for those with bathtubs, because they must step over the side of the tub. Grab bars are helpful (Jim installs grab bars, as well) but the best option is to enter the shower/bathtub via a low step. To simply walk right in.
A short description from the website:
We cut out & remove a portion of the tub’s sidewall. Our tubcut reduces the step height into the tub for safe step in shower access. Once the cut out is made, the opening is then capped with a custom fitted acrylic step. And since we keep a 2-3 inch lip on the inside wall of the tub, water from the shower’s spray is maintained by covering the opening with a shower curtain.
Because Jim is an ex engineer, he knows that this type of renovation is like “opening a Cracker Jack box, in that you never know what you’ll find.” On one job, he found money…”a wad of bills dated from 1969.” Apparently, somebody hid cash in their bathroom!
Jim says that “once you cut into that bugger, you’re committed.”
Like any home improvement project, there’s always a chance that a minor adjustment might be needed, but all past projects have been great successes. Clients are thrilled to feel a little more independent and safe–and without a big, messy and expensive renovation project. Tearing out an existing tub or shower to replace it with a new shower similar to what Jim creates can be very costly. Also, it takes much longer than 1 Day!!
These bathtub conversions are reversible. There are also models that have a door, so that the tub is both bathtub and step-in shower. Jim usually installs grab bars for extra safety.
For photos and a more detailed explanation of how this works, visit Affordable Step-in Shower’s website: www.AffordableStepinShowers.com
Interested in hearing more? Please give Jim a call at (440)667-8827.
He’s happy to discuss your project, or answer questions. He’s also happy to take on more extensive renovations at senior living centers and other larger facilities.
