Aging in Place Remodeling and Home Safety in Takoma Park, MD

In Takoma Park, getting in the front door is the first fight

Takoma Park houses are lovely and hard to get into. The Victorians and bungalows around Old Town sit up on raised porches, and the walk often climbs before the porch stairs start.

For someone on a walker, that is a wall. The good news is that an entry is the most solvable problem in an old house.

How it works in Takoma Park, MD

We walk the Takoma Park, MD house. We look at high porch steps on older houses first, then go through every room.
The price comes in writing. It is fixed before work starts and says whether the Montgomery County Department of Permitting Services (DPS) needs to issue a permit.
Then we work down the list, which here usually starts with porch rails and a lower way in.

What we fix in Takoma Park homes

Porch rails and a lower way in

Every porch and yard step gets a solid rail on each side first. Then we find the door that sits lowest, since a ramp there is often shorter.

Wheelchair ramp installation in Takoma Park, MD

The upstairs bath in an old house

Many older Takoma Park houses have one full bath upstairs. Grab bars need solid backing behind plaster, so we open the wall to add it.

Grab bar installation and bath safety in Takoma Park, MD

Light for tall ceilings and deep porches

High ceilings and deep porches go dark early. Step lights outside and a motion light on the night path to the bathroom go in first, and a whole-home lighting upgrade typically runs $500 to $3,000.

Lighting in Takoma Park, MD

Someone checking the old house on a schedule

Old houses keep moving, and porch boards loosen. The Livable Plan sends a crew on a set schedule to tighten, replace and report.

Maintenance Plans in Takoma Park, MD

Neighborhoods we serve around Takoma Park

Old Town Takoma
Takoma Junction
Takoma Langley Crossroads
Long Branch

Permits and programs in Takoma Park

Permits come from the Montgomery County Department of Permitting Services (DPS). Part of Takoma Park is a historic district where a ramp may need extra review, and the city can add rules, so check with the city too.

Takoma Park homeowners can ask the county about its Design for Life property tax credit and ask Maryland DHCD about Maryland Accessible Homes for Seniors, confirming current terms with both.

For Takoma Park, MD, see Senior services, Accessible Homes for Seniors and Design for Life permits.

Takoma Park on the map

Takoma Park sits on the DC line, with the Takoma Metro station just across it from Old Town.

Carroll Avenue runs from Old Town past Washington Adventist University toward Takoma Langley Crossroads on University Boulevard. Sligo Creek Park follows the creek, and New Hampshire and Philadelphia avenues carry the rest.

Takoma Park questions

Do you work in Takoma Park?

Yes. Takoma Park is about 6.1 miles from the US Capitol, and we cover every street, Old Town to the Crossroads.

Can we add a ramp to a house in the historic district?

Often, with care about where it goes. A ramp to a side door draws less notice, but check with the city and the county first.

My father rents his apartment. Can he still get grab bars?

Yes, with his landlord's written permission. We draft that letter, and the bars come out cleanly when he moves.

Services for Takoma Park, MD homes

Near Takoma Park, MD

Takoma Park, MD lies north of the US Capitol.

Takoma, DC 0.8 mi west
Shepherd Park, DC 1.4 mi west
Silver Spring, MD 1.8 mi northwest
Petworth, DC 2.4 mi southwest
Chevy Chase, DC 3.2 mi west
Brookland, DC 3.4 mi south
Chevy Chase, MD 3.8 mi west
Hyattsville, MD 4.0 mi southeast
Upper Northwest, DC 4.4 mi southwest
Friendship Heights, MD 4.6 mi west

Aging in place in Takoma Park, MD, from the porch steps in