Wheelchair Ramp

Well done! Must have set a land speed record. Did you have help? Lotsa hard work, but oh so worth it. I’ve built some ramps for my wife and others, and I like the sturdy framework that you used.

Great Job! Especially good explaining your reasoning – often left unmentioned.

As for the squirrels learning anything from your post, I wonder who their internet provider is?

Bob

-- Bob www.singularengineering.com - A sideline, not how I earn a living

My son in law helped where he could, he tries but is not real good with the tools, and my daughter, where she could (they helped with the railing posts). I used a combination of screws/lag/carraige bolts and galvinized #10 nails, the screws to keep it together and the nails for shearing strength. Between the two combinations, it is holding up well.

One more note – my daughter’s wheel chair has pneumatic tires – having nails stick up invites problems, especially when shovelling snow and ice off a good shovel can remove the head of a rusted nail.

This year, if I have time when I am there, should get it painted. I am told that an inspector stopped by after we were done and liked the results.

That squirrel doesn’t care much, for the others – they have access (they keep chewing on the fibre).

-- David in Damascus, MD

sorry to hear your daughter had to be in a wheelchair didn´t knew it
or catsched it if you have mention it before
one heck of a job you had made there and well planed
looks like myou have hit the right angle of the gradient
both for a helper and the user of wheels

well done
Dennis

The angles meet our federal disabilities act with a level platform to turn the corner

-- David in Damascus, MD

I did noticed the platforms , here in Denmark the officiel angle is actuly too steep
as I have noticed both when I used wheel in the early aighty´s after an accident
both for a user but allso for the pusher and a lot of the comunty´s even make them steaper :-(
it´s just a thing I have noticed over the many years I have drived wheelchair Taxi (all kinds of handicap)

one time I did see a vlever thing a local carpenter did add to a ramp
(and know you proopebly think it can´t be possipleto buy it as I thought)

he glued and nailed somethings that looked like sandpaper just one meter wide and very very long role
to the ramp I think it was corser than grit 10 compared to sand paper
realy a big help when the ramp was wet and slipery in autumn and winther times

take care
Dennis

When you paint a ramp, tell them to add silicates to the paint to make a non skid ramp. The railings should be at a height that the person in a chair can use to pull themselves up in bad weather. If the ramp is 10 degrees (never more) then there should be a level platform in about 3 meters (10 feet) so the person can rest, if it is 5 degrees, the distance can be more.

Been doing this for 15+ years.

-- David in Damascus, MD

The only thing you can do to make it a non skid surface is to put galvanized diamond mesh down. When the treated wood shrinks you can chisel it down between the boards at the ends. I use 1/4 crown galvanized staples to hold it down. It works the best for frost and snow. It also makes it much easier to shovel.
Silicated paint or any kind of non skid material is rendered useless with very little frost or snow.
I have tried them all.

-- Ain't better or worse than any other woodpecker in the woods.

good job
I have built a few ramps myself and that one you made is fine.

-- Emmett, from Georgia

Very nice job on your ramp. One note about slip resistant materials. The slip resistant tape intended for snow and ice areas is very course. I’ve used it here on Long Island on a ramp with a plywood deck and it has worked well. If it has a southern exposure even better, although my location is on the north side of the house and gets no solar energy. The owner uses the ramp for her large old dog with mobility problems and applies pet friendly ice melting chemical to the surface.

-- John, Long Island, NY

This ramp does not have it. The stuff I have used was about the same as in the navy, like liquid road surface.

-- David in Damascus, MD