by Toby Pykles | Mar 10, 2016 | Uncategorized
Housing for aging in place can be beautiful if it is thought through beforehand and not when there’s a crisis. Most of our clients remember going to an elderly relative’s home and seeing a hospital bed in the living room with medical equipment. In our experience, Baby Boomers and other homeowners don’t want their home to look like a hospital, retirement facility or an old person’s home. They want safety, but with the current look of home remodeling. Today your home might have mobility problems that should be thought about before you or your relatives reach an age when there are steps galore, narrow doorways, and bath tubs and showers that require the agility of younger bodies to use. Rather than wait for a crisis, Pykles can start by retrofitting your space – for example, moving the laundry room from the basement to the first floor, converting the downstairs den into a bedroom and building additions. Pykles can put in kitchen counters at different levels for sitting or standing, recess mats into your floor to reduce the risk of tripping, stack closets where an elevator could later go and install backing for grab bars – just in case. These days, many grab bars look like pretty towel racks or elegant toilet tissue holders. A ramp into your house can be disguised with landscaping on both sides as a gently sloping walkway. Tweaks such as a curbless shower with a bench or drop-down seat, wide doorways, levers instead of doorknobs, and nonskid flooring are just good universal design, better for not only walkers and wheelchairs, but baby strollers and bikes,...
by Toby Pykles | Mar 7, 2016 | Uncategorized
As a long time local business in La Mesa, CA we have made many friends over the years and would like to share some of them here with you today. If you are new to La Mesa and are wondering who Pykles might refer you to for certain services, you need look no further than our list of Preferred Providers below: Trade or Profession Company Name Contact Phone Business and Private Accounting Marilyn K. Turner, CPA Marilyn Turner (619) 667-6600 Carpet Care Coles Carpet Care Kevin Cole (619) 735-5563 Commercial Lending W Business Capital Russel Norton (619) 992-8230 Credit Repair Services...
by Toby Pykles | Oct 27, 2015 | Uncategorized
In response to one of the most severe droughts in California’s history, our State recently implemented new flow rate restrictions for plumbing products sold or offered for sale in our State. The affected products and their start dates are listed below. Starting September 1st, 2015 Residential Lavatory Faucets: 1.5 gallons per minute (GPM) Starting January 1st, 2016 Toilets: 1.28 gallons per flush (GPF)* Urinals: 0.125gpf Kitchen Faucets: 1.8gpm Public Lavatory Faucets: 0.5gpm Starting July 1st, 2016 Residential Lavatory Faucets: 1.2gpm** Shower heads: 2.0gpm Starting July 1st, 2018 Shower heads: 1.8gpm** *Effective flush (2:1 ratio for dual flush) **Sale of product manufactured prior to enforcement date is allowed Pykles Remodeling will continue to keep our customers as informed as possible about these changes as they become known in our industry and throughout California. If you would like to know more concerning these new water efficiency rules or learn about what else you and your family can do to save water call us at (619) 463-1600 and remember…”If you’re in a Pickle…Call PYKLES!”...
by Toby Pykles | Jun 19, 2015 | Uncategorized
At Pykles Remodeling we know how to have a fun time. That is why each year we participate in La Mesa’s annual Flag Day Parade. Here are some recent photographs of our entry in the parade this year (May 30th, 2015) which featured Craig Pykles in his 1971 Jeepster Commando and Toby Pykles, on the back of our stake bed truck, with his Americana Roots band named Fanny & the Atta Boys. Pykles is proud to be an American business working hard to improve the quality of life for each of our customers. We love this country and are proud to show off our patriotism whenever the occasion...
by Toby Pykles | Apr 16, 2015 | Uncategorized
To support our last blog post on “Why a Walk-In Tub is Right for You”, I’d like to respectfully submit another article that supports this claim that came to us from a Walk-In Tub manufacturer with a stellar reputation for excellent customer service and superior products, Bliss Tubs of Covina. The following has been taken from an informational flyer of theirs that I felt is worthy of our blog: GUIDANCE FOR ASSESSMENT OF HOT WATER REQUIREMENTS FOR WALK-IN TUBS The customer’s hot water heater should be assessed during the walk-in tub planning process. For a regular size Bliss wlk-in tub such as the B3052 and B3054 models, many Bliss purchasers have been happy with the hot water delivery from their existing 40 gallon tanks. However, as discussed below, major hot water heater manufacturers recommend a 50 gallon water heater. In addition to the current heater’s capacity, the heater’s age and location can affect the amount of hot water that can be delivered to the walk-in tub. As water heater’s age, their performance declines. Location of the hot water heater relative to the location of the walk-in tub can also have an impact. Tank Heaters For a regular size Bliss walk-in tub as the B3052 and B3054 models, the recommended minimum tank size for electric or gas tank water heaters is 50 gallons. Normally one can assume a 70% hot water output from any tank heater (tank heater manufacturers can provide specifications and reccomendations.) A 70% output should provide roughly 35 gallons of hot water from a 50 gallon tank with the thermostat set to the industry standard of 120...
by Toby Pykles | Apr 1, 2015 | Uncategorized
Walk-in Bathtubs are new, emerging products coming to the bath remodel world and Pykles is happy to share our expertise in installing and maintaining these tubs with our clientele here in San Diego. To get started in explaining why a walk-in tub may be the right thing for you and your family, we’d like to first dispel any misconceptions or myths regarding these tubs, their usage and ease of accessibility. The first common question our customers ask regarding Walk-in tubs is: How long do walk-in tubs take to fill? How much water does a walk-in tub require? The answer to these questions is simple. Walk-in bathtubs have roughly the same footprint as any standard size 30″ x 60″ bathtub, with the obvious exception, of course, to their height, which usually measures around 38″. Taking into account the displacement of water of any bather, along with the shape of the bathtub’s seating area, any standard size walk-in tub will use between 30-35 gallons of water per bath. Pykles understands that this can make bathing not only a large time commitment, but a large use of water for any home as well. This leads us to our next question, which is: 2. “Won’t my bath water get cold by the time my walk-in bathtub finishes filling?” and, “Do I have to use my walk-in bathtub as a bathtub?” Pykles is happy to say that the answer to both of these questions is NO. The great thing about walk-in tubs is that most models come with air-massage features such as jets or a bubbler. These features use electric motors coupled with in-line heaters to...
