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Building
your own home is the dream
of a lifetime – but the smart home
buyer will make sure the dream
home won’t be a nightmare as
he gets older. The longer a home buyer
plans to stay in his newly constructed
home, the more important it
becomes that he understands the
terminology used to describe accessible
housing in today’s market.
Accessible houses are generally thought
of as homes that are easily entered
and lived in by someone who
is wheelchair-bound. Accommodations
such as groundlevel entrances,
wide doorways and halls
and grab bars are most frequently associated
with such housing, but other
features also contribute to the ease
of living for those in wheelchairs. These
include wide floor areas to allow
for turning the wheelchair, lower
light switches and receptacles so they
can be reached from the chair, and cabinets with high toe kicks so
foot rest may fit easily.
When it comes to building a
custom home,
accessibility should be a consideration in
each step of the building process.
The builders and designers should
keep in mind that the dwelling should
provide ease of living to someone in
a wheelchair. Fortunately, as the baby boomers
gray, attractive and functional products
to meet their accessibility needs are becoming
increasingly available. |
Even if no
member of the household needs total
accessibility, a home should be built so that
a person in a wheelchair could comfortably
visit the homeowner. This theory –
called "visitability" – embraces the concept that
every home should be "wheelchair-friendly," at
least to some point. For example, there should
be at least one entrance to the home on
ground level, as well as a bathroom with
a 32 inch doorway on the main floor. Visitability
standards are creeping into regulations
as this area receives increasingly more
attention.
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During these
last few months, commercial and multifamily inspections
have become a significant portion of
Alban’s work. Over the years, there has always been
a trickle of commercial inspections,
including motels, apartment
buildings, restaurants,
office buildings and
warehouses. Since
Marty Blackwood has
become chief of the commercial
inspection division,
with assistance from our other inspectors, Alban
is being called upon routinely for larger commercial
properties.
Marty Blackwood is uniquely suited to perform inspections
on commercial properties. After receiving his
Bachelor of Science in Architecture degree, he worked
for seven years preparing construction documents and
performing construction administration, during
which time he received his architectural license.
After leaving private practice, Marty worked for
commercial real estate developers for 18 years. His
duties as an in-house architect consisted mostly of
reviewing and approving drawings for compliance to
design criteria and construction supervision. Onsite inspections
were performed to insure that construction was
done according to the approved drawings and
in a good workmanlike manner. His responsibilities
over the years required him to develop an
eye for detail, an understanding of commercial construction
techniques and excellent communication skills.
Marty’s experience as a building inspector has allowed
him to combine and improve upon these talents.
Our clients buying commercial properties have appreciated Marty’s
fine work. Call Alban whenever you have
need for such a commercial property inspection. As
we say, "Have eyes, will travel!"
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