Philadelphia · NW

Aging-in-place work in Mt. Airy

We've spent enough time in Mt. Airy twins to know which walls hide cast-iron plumbing and which staircases were built for someone slimmer than the average grandparent. Here's what we usually find — and what we usually do about it.

Mt. Airy houses, in our experience

Most of the homes we work on here were built between 1890 and 1930 — Victorian and Edwardian twins, stone-fronts off Lincoln Drive and Germantown Avenue, plus a steady stream of pre-war stone singles up by Cresheim. They have character. They also have the original 36-inch interior doorways, narrow back staircases, and second-floor-only bathrooms.

What we get called about

• Second-floor bathroom conversions. Pulling a tub and putting in a curbless walk-in shower so the only full bath is usable again after a hip replacement.
• Stair lifts on the original staircase. Mt. Airy stairs are often steeper and narrower than newer construction — we measure, spec the right unit, and install without tearing anything out.
• Front-stoop railings and grab bars. The marble steps on these twins are beautiful and slick when wet. A discreet bronze railing solves it.
• First-floor half-bath upgrades. Adding a small shower to the powder room near the kitchen, so someone who can't manage the stairs has a full bathroom on the main floor.

What we charge

Grab bars and basic bath upgrades typically run $180–$320 per item installed. A full curbless shower conversion in a Mt. Airy second-floor bath is usually $9,000–$16,000 depending on tile and plumbing. Stair lifts on a standard straight run start around $3,800. We don't quote until we've walked the house.

Who we work with here

We've taken referrals from neighbors in West Mt. Airy and East Mt. Airy, from staff at Wissahickon Hospice, and from a few local geriatric care managers. We're family-owned, PA-licensed (PA090916), and the same crew that walks the house is the crew that does the work.