Kitchen and Cabinets | |
The kitchen and the bathroom are the most used, and the most remodeled, rooms in the house. They are also the only two rooms in which all the building trades are included: plumbing, wiring, cabinetry, and ceramic tile - all are found in these two rooms. In addition, the kitchen plan must include provisions for fitting in all the appliances for food storage, preparation, and disposal, so the kitchen is the most important room when planning to make a house barrier-free. One thing to keep in mind is that many factors in a house, including the height of electrical outlets and switches, countertop height, and cabinet placement, are all compromises. There is no very good reason to make all countertops 36 in. from the floor. This really pleases only those of average height, while short people still stretch and tall people still stoop to work at the countertop. A better solution is to build countertops at varying levels so that people of all ages, sizes, and degrees of physical capability can find a workable level somewhere in the kitchen. Countertops near cooktops can be set for work height that will accommodate a standing person, because the user does not usually sit by a cooktop while it is operating. Countertops at desks, or where food is prepared, can be placed at heights to accommodate a person who cannot stand for long periods or is confined to a wheelchair. An increasing number of appliance manufacturers, cabinetmakers, and building or remodeling contractors can provide aid or information on meeting any specific needs. CABINETS The basic reason that cabinets and countertops are placed as they are is that the heights are a compromise to aid resale. If your cabinets are set at very low levels, to accommodate a housekeeper in a wheelchair, the kitchen will be unsalable to much of the buying public. One solution is to build cabinets and countertops at varying heights, assuming the kitchen is large enough to have multiple work surfaces. This is probably best, because it will not affect resale value. Then again, the less able person may buy or remodel a house so it is custom-built for that person's needs, and that person will be content to stay put in the specially-designed house for many years. The cost of remodeling the kitchen becomes less of a factor after that period of time. The ideal solution is to build a house - and kitchen - that simply removes most of the barriers that can be a deterrent to any person who lives in the house. Adjustable-height Cabinets At the 1990 Builders Show in Atlanta, Georgia, one manufacturer exhibited motorized, height adjustable cabinets. Counters, cabinets, sinks, and cooktops are all motorized so they can be height-adjusted at the touch of a switch. The person who must work from a seated position can raise the sink or countertop to position a wheelchair underneath, can lower upper cabinets to reach cooking or eating utensils, and can cook in a low-level, wall-mounted oven. Or multiple users can adjust one work surface for a standing worker and lower a sink for a seated person to wash dishes or clean countertops. Such motorized components are obviously more expensive than cabinets that are simply screwed to the wall, but the special cabinetry can be taken out and moved with the person who needs it, in case of a house sale. The company offering this adjustable cabinet system is: Granberg Superior Systems Inc. 1221 State Street, Suite 24 Santa Barbara, CA 93103 (805) 965-0998 Cabinet Configurations You can lower upper cabinet heights to make them more easily reachable, but consider first the potential loss of countertop usability if you lower upper cabinets too much. It is easier to re-configure lower cabinets to hold dishes, cups, and glasses that are usually placed in upper cabinets, so they can be reached by a seated person. When planning the kitchen, consider how many cooking and cleaning chores will be done by the seated person. Often, changing the makeup of a lower cabinet, or adding one lower cabinet, can put everything needed within reach of any family member. Cabinets do not need to be installed in an unbroken wall, thereby presenting an obstacle to the person in a wheelchair. A truly barrier-free kitchen would have no under-sink cabinet, because so much of food cleaning and preparation is done at the sink. An option would be to include a cabinet front on the undersink area, but make the front so it can be removed if it becomes a barrier. By the same token, lower cabinets are very rarely built in place in these days of prefabrication, and a countertop could be supported by key base units, with intermediate cabinets not attached to the countertop above but simply held in place with screws that could be backed out and the cabinet module pulled out, to gain leg space for the seated worker. In older cabinetry, unused built-in bread boards can have a hole cut in them, so a mixing bowl can be inserted and securely held while a person is using it. If you are installing new cabinets, look for those that have magnetic door catches. These are opened simply by pushing and releasing the door, so no amount of hand strength or dexterity is needed. If cabinets must have pulls, choose hardware with D-shaped handles that can be easily gripped. Most difficult to grip are the round knobs in brass or glass that are both small and slippery, and thus are difficult to pull for those with diminished hand strength. It is both a simple and an inexpensive job to remove knob-type door or drawer pulls and replace them with D-type handles. Cabinet shelves should be narrow enough to reach the back of the shelves easily - 8 to 10 in. deep for storage. Written by Gary Branson Reprinted with permission. Copyright HouseNet, Inc. |