Building Ramps for Getting to a Porch or a House

dipat2005
dipat2005 Posts: 1,290 ✭✭✭✭✭

It just came to my mind that I choose to walk up a lot of ramps. It does take a little bit of engineering to be sure because otherwise it is much too steep!

My husband built me a ramp from the driveway onto the porch so I could get into the house safely. His father was an engineer and he had studied engineering.

This particular ramp was easy to navigate and it was a gradual incline.

How do you build ramps and do you use recycled boards?

Here is a link to a handicap ramp: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mWxY_uNd2UY&t=23s

Comments

  • Michelle D
    Michelle D Posts: 1,465 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Thank you for sharing this! I have been looking for something like this for my aunt. I already have a carpenter that can do the job!

  • Sharie
    Sharie Posts: 276 ✭✭✭

    What kind of wood is that? It's so pretty! Living in the tropics we don't have rings in our trees like up north. I hate stairs. I'm only going to have ramps in my new home!

  • Monek Marie
    Monek Marie Posts: 3,539 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Thank you. I will be needing to add a ramp here soon.

  • dipat2005
    dipat2005 Posts: 1,290 ✭✭✭✭✭

    After we sold our house and after several years I moved into an apartment. I was not very happy when I went into the front door the first time, I literally fell in the door. The step was so steep. Now I go out the front door backwards and the back door frontwards. If that isn't funny!! I even had a very kind onsite manager who would have made the front step better but it has been fine if I go out the front backwards. I actually do go back in frontwards. Silly me.

  • dottile46
    dottile46 Posts: 437 ✭✭✭

    @Sharie looks like pine to me.

    @dipat2005 LOL! I had to read that a couple times. Almost tongue tangled.

  • dipat2005
    dipat2005 Posts: 1,290 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @dottile46 I wondered about the word tangling myself as I was in the midst of writing it.

  • karon
    karon Posts: 10 ✭✭✭

    a good alternative is 1/2 height steps. I found a set as a fluke some 20 years ago at a store closing sale and bought them on the spot without a particular need but some things you know will prove valuable and you won't have an opportunity to find such a good bargain again...at 90% off. Still not exactly cheap but they proved their worth within a month or so. My husband and I were visiting his grandparents and saw his grandfather couldn't walk up the stairs in their townhouse without stopping after each step. Next visit, a couple weeks later, we brought the 1/2 hight steps and set them up in less than an hour. Ours are metal and link together with an L bracket so they can safely be used on carpeted (velcro grippers) and non carpeted stairs (additional double sided tape would be good but can safely be used without). Anyway, his first try going up he was able to go up the full flight of stairs without stop. For safety reasons he always walked up and down stairs facing upward.

    I just did a quick internet search and found StairAide.com has a wooden made version available for individual steps or pk of 14.  The U.S. distributor of the brand I bought stopped selling them shortly after I bought my set.

    There is also a portable walking stick style available (used much like a cane to go up/down stairs) - https://www.hammacher.com personal care/health management it's called half step stair climbing aid

    These basically half the rise of the stairs so those with knee/hip/other health concerns can take each step with less effort. A handy person could make a set fairly easily just make sure they are well secured. The stairaide.com site has a video showing how to maneuver the stairs with their product, the hammacher.com only has pictures but it's basically the same concept for both.

    Hope this info is helpful for others as it's been for our family.

  • dipat2005
    dipat2005 Posts: 1,290 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @karon thank you so much for the two links. This is very helpful as I have a partial hip replacement and two bad knees.

  • dottile46
    dottile46 Posts: 437 ✭✭✭

    @karon that's pretty cool. I think I like the cane one better as it could go anywhere with you. Thanks for sharing that.

  • flowerpower *
    flowerpower * Posts: 258 ✭✭✭

    I am interested in this subject because if one suddenly goes into a wheel chair we are then locked out of our own homes! Plus the options for places to live become very limited. Wouldn't it be nice to have affordable, home like, natural health focused hospices? Maybe those of us interested in this could start hospices: facilities intermediate between a hospital and being home alone.

    I think having handicapped access in our homes should be added as a welcoming feature for us, or others. Along this theme are wide hallways, doorways, lock designs, beveled ledges leading to doors, accessible cooking, bathrooms and so on.

    I know people find the ramps to be ugly so that leads to them being torn down. I think if an arbor or visual barrier was placed a short distance in front of the ramp that would beautify the view.

    I have seen steel ramps that were extremely durable and they had grates in them so that they shed snow and ice.

  • Monek Marie
    Monek Marie Posts: 3,539 ✭✭✭✭✭

    As someone who cares for her mother its brings home the fact we all age or have issues that may change your life. I think its best to be prepared for as many situations as possible sop that you can live comfortably and safely.

    I think with planning a ramp could look nice, even inviting. I like your idea of an arbor or visual barrier@flowerpower * I was thinking of a ramp combination deck.

  • dipat2005
    dipat2005 Posts: 1,290 ✭✭✭✭✭

    I like the idea of an arbor and thought that if you could find something like wisteria or grapes. An arbor would be very useful that way. Also it would keep our heads drier longer! I really appreciate every one's thoughts.

  • flowerpower *
    flowerpower * Posts: 258 ✭✭✭

    @Denise Grant My dream is a lot more "accessible" homes with support for aging in place, and homes we can live in even if we are on scooters or in wheel chairs. Not all alone, of course, unless that is what we prefer.

  • flowerpower *
    flowerpower * Posts: 258 ✭✭✭

    @dipat2005 Wisteria is lovely on arbors. My current climate limits my choices to winter hardy plants. Also, I have fond memories of Clematis, so I wanted to grow that on the arbor which dressed up the front view of the ramp.