Aging-in-Place Remodeling Appeals to 50+ Homeowners

    FORT MILL, SC, September 20, 2011 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Homeowners who want to make their house their home for a lifetime, regardless of their age or functional abilities, have a friend in the National Association of Homebuilders Remodelers (NAHBR). NAHBR, in collaboration with other NAHB entities, and with AARP, developed the Certified Aging-in-Place Specialist (CAPS) program. It addresses the needs of the growing number of homeowners choosing to make specialized modifications to their existing homes for long-term living rather than moving.

CAPS professionals, most of whom are remodelers like William W. "Bill" Owens, CGR, CAPS, president of Owens Construction in Powell, Ohio, are trained to build aesthetically pleasing, barrier-free living environments. "The market is there," Owens says, "as NAHB has estimated that aging-in-place remodeling will capture at least ten percent of the $200 billion-plus annual home improvement industry."

Owens, recipient of the 2010 Leadership in Aging-In-Place Remodeling and Education Award from The American Occupational Therapy Association, Inc., also points out that as the average age of our nation's housing stock increases each year, more attention will be paid to remodeling existing homes to accommodate the baby boomers looking to remain in their homes.

Adding living quarters to a lower level, along with bathroom and kitchen modifications, are among the most popular upgrades when seniors modify their homes for the long-term. As a part of those projects, older adults often pay particular attention to providing more natural light in those much-used rooms.

According to the Center of Design For An Aging Society in Portland, Oregon, older people need more light (about three to five times more than younger people) for both vision and for maintaining health.

One source of both natural light and ventilation often chosen when upgrading is skylights. Joe Patrick, who heads national product management for VELUX America, cites studies conducted in Denmark that show skylights admit 30 percent more light than vertical windows in dormers. "Skylights also offer much more privacy than vertical windows without taking up valuable wall space that can be used for decorating or storage," Patrick says, "a real benefit as seniors modify their living spaces."

For many older homeowners, cataracts make the need for more light a necessity, not a luxury. And those with glaucoma are particularly sensitive to glare. Balanced natural lighting from above through skylights and from the sides through windows, combined with artificial lighting when needed, can add to both comfort and safety. And better lighting isn't the only advantage.

"From an economic standpoint," Patrick points out, "ENERGY STAR qualified venting skylights admit natural light from above and reduce energy costs while transforming living areas into bright, safer spaces. And they provide a dose of the medicine that daylight and fresh air offer," he says. "It's also a way to stretch fixed-income dollars," Patrick says, "with a one-time purchase that pays benefits over time by reducing the need for artificial lighting and cutting energy costs."

Patrick adds that modern skylights make one of the biggest concerns of homeowners - the fear of leaks - a thing of the past.

"Quality units offer matched, pre-engineered flashing kits for shingles, tile or metal roofing materials," he says. "They are designed and engineered to prevent leaks over the full life of a roof and, properly installed, simply don't leak." In fact, Patrick's company has introduced a new ENERGY STAR qualified product line, marketing it as the No Leak Skylight. "These units offer many new energy saving features plus three layers of water protection and are fully warranted," he says. "They also carry an industry-first ten-year installation warranty in addition to product coverage."

Patrick says that the growing availability of trained and certified skylight installation specialists also adds to the dependability of modern skylights.

And he points out that today's skylights contribute to energy efficiency with light and heat control as much as with ventilation by offering easily installed accessories to adjust and control light, as do vertical windows. "Venetian blinds are available to adjust light, as are roller blinds to diffuse light and blackout blinds to block light," he says. Skylight accessories, as well as the units themselves, can be operated by remote control, another convenience for seniors. Solar blinds are also available that qualify for a 30 percent federal tax credit.

For skylight selection or installation information visit www.veluxusa.com. For government information on window and skylight energy efficiency visit www.energystar.gov, and for independent agency information visit www.nfrc.org or www.efficientwindows.org.

Media contact: Keith Hobbs - Business Services Associates, Inc. - 9413 Greenfield Drive - Raleigh, NC 27615 - Phone - 919.844.0064 - E-mail - [email protected]

Media Information: For natural lighting/daylighting and solar water heating feature material, case histories and background information, news releases, press kits and images visit the press room/media area at veluxusa.com. Social media links for VELUX are facebook.com/veluxamerica and twitter.com/veluxamerica.

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