Home check list: stairs, entrances and bathrooms

Use this list to walk through a house together and note what you might change. It is about the house, not the person. Tick what is already in place.

Print this list (2 pages) Download the list as a PDF

Indoor stairs

• There is a handrail on both sides of each stair.
• Each handrail runs the full length of the stair, from the bottom step to the top step.
• Each handrail is firm when you pull on it, with no movement at the brackets.
• A hand can close around each rail.
• The edge of each step is easy to see.
• Carpet and treads are fixed down, with no loose edges.
• The stairs are clear of stored items.

Front entrance and steps

• There is a handrail beside the front steps, on at least one side.
• The handrail extends past the top and bottom steps.
• The railing posts are solid, and the concrete around them is not cracked.
• A porch or landing more than about 60 cm above the ground has a guard along its open sides.
• There is a place near the door to set down bags while you find your keys.
• The door sill is low enough to step over easily, or a threshold ramp is in place.
• Number of front steps: ________

Bathroom

• There is a grab bar beside the toilet.
• There is a grab bar on the wall where you step into the tub or shower.
• There is a grab bar on the long wall of the tub or shower.
• Grab bars are firm and fixed into the wall, not held by suction cups.
• Towel bars are not being used as grab bars. Towel bars are not made to carry a person's weight.
• There is a place to sit in the shower, or a tub seat, if one is wanted.
• Wall type around the tub or shower: tile, fibreglass or acrylic surround, or other: ________

Lighting

• There is a light switch at the top and at the bottom of each stair.
• The front steps are lit at night.
• There is a night light on the way from the bedroom to the bathroom.

We do not do electrical work ourselves. A new switch or outdoor light is done by a licensed electrical contractor, priced as its own line.

Notes

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• ________________________________________________
• ________________________________________________

Next step

Send us photos of the items you would like to change and we reply with a written price. Call 437-981-2080 or use the photo quote form. See our prices.

Rail & Landing. Grab bars, handrails, railings and ramps. 437-981-2080. railandlanding.ca