Bathroom Refurbishment & Maintenance Feature


Access to cost-eff ective accessible bathrooms


Balancing compliance and user needs is key to accessible bathroom design. Stuart Reynolds of AKW shares how smart product choices ensure cost-effi ciency without compromising on tenant usability.


T


he key to success with any accessible bathroom installation lies in juggling the limitations of funding versus material and labour costs, physical space restrictions and longevity. T e key challenges faced


by social landlords looking at creating cost-eff ective, long-lasting accessible bathrooms include: • Cost and funding: Minor adaptations, such as grab rails, are relatively straightforward to fund, however major bathroom adaptations require a means tested Disabled Facilities Grant (DFG) and occupational assessment. T ey also need an experienced install team to minimise costly delays.


• Layout and space: Retrofi tting a bathroom to be accessible and fully compliant can be challenging when dealing with outdated existing designs, materials and infrastructure.


• Futureproofi ng and adaptability: To avoid repeated renovations, more and more social landlords are having to consider how their adaptations can be future-proofed.


Whether a bathroom needs minor or major adaptations, good design plays an important part in helping minimise the pain points for social landlords and improving the fi nal tenant experience. In fact, according to a Foundations Independent Living Trust report, good design not only plays an important part in future-proofi ng housing stock but in reducing the need for further adaptations: “Some associations are using fl exible designs, such as installing shower trays under baths, or fi tting the anchor points for grab rails and shower seats, to allow rapid conversion when required.”


DELIVERING COST-EFFECTIVE ACCESSIBLE BATHROOMS Delivering cost-eff ective accessible bathrooms requires social landlords navigating eff ectively the pain points of strategic planning, regulatory compliance and material choice. Here are some things to bear in mind:


STRATEGIC PLANNING Initial designs need to prioritise accessibility from the outset to avoid expensive retrofi tting. If possible, the use of standardised layouts, with modular bathroom components is worth considering across properties to reduce material and labour costs. However, this only works up to a point – think of installing anti-slip fl ooring, lever taps and toilet fl ushes, electric showers with easy-to- use buttons and dials and TRV regulation - as each tenant accessibility needs will diff er. Also, the layout of the bathroom should be optimised, so that it is functional, meeting minimum requirements for turning circles and fi xture placement, for example.


REGULATORY COMPLIANCE Meeting Document M of the Building Regulations is fundamental to ensuring that an accessible bathroom meets access standards for the user, be that a turning circle of 1,500 mm for wheelchair users, specifi c height grab rails or sanitaryware etc. It is worth bearing in mind BS 8300-2:2018 standards that go beyond minimum compliance, and help social landlords create spaces that are genuinely usable for individuals with disabilities.


CAREFUL CHOICE OF MATERIALS Choosing materials that are durable as well as suitable for the user is key. Easy wins in this area include the installation of non-slip vinyl fl ooring that is durable and aff ordable and reduces the risk of slips, moisture-resistant wall panels instead of tiles, which are cost-eff ective and easy to clean and corrosion- resistant grab rails that are low maintenance. Also, incorporating water-effi cient fi xtures, such as lower fl ow electric showers has sustainability as well as running-cost benefi ts.


IMPROVING BATHROOM ACCESSIBILITY THROUGH GOOD DESIGN Websites are an excellent resource for those looking to learn best practice design advice and how to maximise cost effi ciencies in installing accessible bathrooms or making adaptations. Here are some excerpts from online resources:


MANAGED MOVEMENT Grab rails and shower seats with arm rests promote safer movement. For those with visual impairments use two colours where the light refl ective value (LRV) diff erence between both colours is greater than 30. T is creates


Housing Management & Maintenance April/May 2025


Interiors 29


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