Quite a lot of 2012 was dedicated to DIY remodeling on our home. Here is my youngest son Andrew. He took time away from his job at First Niagara Bank, and duties as Secretary of the local Democratic Town Committee, Justice of the Peace, and sled hockey player to help me to screw down the sub floor on a porch renovation. I cut and glued the plywood sheets and Andrew used the collated screw gun to secure them. We always enjoy working together but he tends to be busy and on the road a lot.
Those readers with sharp eyes and good memories will recall the reading and writing nook behind Andrew was shown in my early 2011 posts. At that time the walls were rough studs and the floors were rough pine boards. The picture below shows what the area looked like before the columns were painted. The floor is solid 9/16 bamboo from the Cali Bamboo company in California. It's a great material to work with and hard as nails.
A system of ramps incorporated into the porch at the back of our home makes it possible for Andrew to easily access the house. The main floor of the house, a raised ranch, has a rise from the driveway of 108 inches. This summer we have finally got around to making the ramp system more refined. The area over the bamboo is covered with triple wall clear Lexan. Fifty-five windows low enough to provide a view from a wheelchair surround the structure. The windows were purchased at the local Habitat for Humanity Restore for a fraction of the cost of retail.
The ramps, with a switchback on the lower level connect to a pool deck and, via a glass enclosed breezeway, to a detached garage with an automatic overhead door. So AJ can drive in and enter the house in comfort regardless of the weather, or stop half way and take a swim with us in the summer.
Most of my forays into accessible housing have been long on function and short on aesthetics. As I read more about universal design I find ways to make the house work for everyone and be attractive too.
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