Shower Tile,The ADA, And Wheelchairs

Due to some associations we have been selected to build and restructure living areas for folks confined to wheelchairs. As a matter of fact, one of the contractors I worked for was in an unfortunate single truck accident that placed him forever in a wheelchair.  But that didn't stop him from rolling into job sites from time to time to view our work. It also gave his team a unique view of what is needed to accompany wheelchairs and access in homes and businesses. This is also a tragic reminder that fumbling with a dropped cell phone just
isn't worth the distraction. If you drop your cell phone while driving
on the floorboard, do like I do, leave the dam thing there until the
next stop or until you can stop the vehicle and retrieve it. ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) standards can be found here-http://www.access-board.gov/adaag/html/adaag.htm#4.8

Along with that material concerns develop. So, what do I mean by that? Well, this is what I mean. If you want to construct a wheelchair accessible shower for example, that will mean removing a good deal of concrete to allow for proper slope on a concrete slab and moving drain lines to flow properly. Using light colored materials would not be a good idea and the hardest surface substances you can find would be best. We learned first hand every day what wheel chair life is really like. Clear plastic corner protectors, lowered appliances, cabinets, plumbing, all manner of life things needed some attention in the home.

Travertine for example would not be a good choice nor would Marble and I would have reservations about plain 4x4 ceramic tile and here is why, through moving into and out of the shower I found that the axles and hand wheels of many models built for showers damaged, scratched, and scraped the walls of the shower. Wheels made black marks on Travertine that were a real pain to remove. Black tire rubber can be a problem to remove. Any steel to tile contact needs to be avoided. The front wheels and foot pads also wreaked havoc on the shower walls.

So, what can we do to eliminate this? If you have a larger shower area it can help. Use Porcelain or Granite for walls and floor and if you just have to have a natural stone select Granite. Be sure there are handholds in the shower. Try to find a shower wheelchair with more plastic parts that might collide with the walls when maneuvering in the shower. If you can find one with white rubber wheels that would be good too. 



Anytime you have steel that contacts porcelain, it can leave a metal mark which is a pain to remove and keeps products like Bar Tenders Helper in business.. Sorry but even porcelain can be stained by metal.



So, given that our options are limited, we should maximize products that lead to less wear and tear.  The ADA might have some advice on this but they are more interested in enforcement than anything else and are very aggressive with respect to that. They focus less on the material and more on the sizes, slopes, access, hand support, etc.