wheelchair ramp help
 

My FIL is coming home in a wheelchair in 4 days. My husb. wants to build a ramp for him. But do you think it's reasonable to get a portable one for now? Can we get one in a few days? I read that to build one it is to be 1 ft long for each inch of height (like, if porch is 24" high then ramp should be 24 ft). Can you tell me anything else? Does he need a permit to build? I wonder if it has to be real good, lasting & 'beautiful', he might use a walker in awhile. He can use a walker a little bit but someone must be with him in case he falls backwards. As a matter of fact, he lives alone. My husb. is going to stay with him for the 1st week.

Lor, is his condition temporary or permanent? Is the ramp for long-term or short-term use? Is your FIL a vet or a Lion, or a member of the Elks? Does he expect to remain in this home for a number of years yet to come? Will he go on living independently?

Start a list of all the questions you can answer and depending on your answers to those questions, the next steps will get clearer to you.

A couple of my friends in MI had to have building permits to add wood ramps to their deckworks. I think it may vary by location. Home improvement stores have designs and estimates on file in the lumber/building areas.

His safety should always be the top priority!

Your local mobility company may offer rentals. You could call to check that if he's not staying long and you have no need for a permanent structure. We needed permits here in Illinois to build wood ramps.

We have two sets of portable ramps, one 7 foot, one 9 foot that we bought. I found the 7 foot ramp on Ebay for about $240 and they work well. We have to help Jim up sometimes due to the pitch but overall they do the job when we have to go somewhere stairs are. The 9 foot ramps came from a mobility store but they were far more expensive, I think about $800 but they are much more sturdy.

And yes you are right. You must have a 1 foot pitch for every inch your structure is, in your case the porch is 24 inches. Mine was 18", so my ramp is 18'.

Thankyou guys. AfterMyNap, thanks for telling me to start a list of questions, thats a good idea. I think my husb wants his dad to have a kinda luxurious looking ramp but his condition is likely just temporary (he will soon use a walker then maybe a cane we think). He is 80 yrs old too.
But he does have to learn how to use it himself (no one to push him) because he lives alone.

Something else...my hubby said he is not going to get a building permit cuz it will "just be in the backyard".

This was very helpful to me. My husband is planning to build a ramp. But I hadn't even thought about there being portable ramps. That sounds like it might be a more practical idea.
Thanks!:)

We had a redwood ramp leading to our front door. It widens out at the door so its almost like a small deck. I think Sandy has a ramp that opens into a deck...not sure. We have a portable one for when we go to see his folks. They just made it out of plywood and removable so they can put it away after we go home. We also have a set of portable ones the kinda telescope out to fit up over at least three steps. We keep this one at our best friends home so we can just put it up and roll on in.

I just google everything...you never know what you might find. Also when we built the ramp we did look into what supplies needed to be used to bring it to code. Not building code but to be able to handle the weight of his scooter and him. A place here in Utah called Options for Independent Living helped us to work out the design.

Good luck...you have been given some pretty good advice...

I am planning to build my wife a wheelchair ramp. The problem is that I can't find any good plans. On a positive note...

Those of you building ramps might be interested in a link I found. You can probably find it by Googling adaag.htm#4.8 . Since I haven't done 10 posts to this forum I can't add the entire link. The link gives the ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) accessibility giudelines for ramps.

Have a great day.

I'm not sure, but think rule is 1 foot long for every inch of height total. I have what I affectionately (?) call Ramp of Death. DH built and it is way steep and not ADA compliant at all (looks good off deck though). And ends 6 feet from built in pool!!!!!!

Home Depot and Menards. Just measure your the height and what width you want and take that to them. They can print up exactly what supplies you need, how much it would cost and how to do it. Good luck, I am sure your wife will love it. We hired a handyman for the job rather than hiring out of the "box" store. It was cheaper that way if you don't want to do it yourself.

Can't help with the ramp, but building permits are not that hard. I was building a shed, replacing my fence.


I had to ask around - where to go? They had all the info I needed at my library. your town may vary. Went to my *public affairs office*, which is where I pay my electric bill lol. Small towns.

Paid 10 bucks. Drew my lot, buildings to scale on their paperwork, answered some questions and turned it over.


Waited about 2-3 days, an audtior came and measured my yard. Stapled her measures to my paperwork, got my permit in a couple days.

Even though my shed was in my back yard and my fence was in the same place as always, the permit came in handy. Made it all legal when the neighbor across the street, who had no business complaining, but did so anyway - he started trouble, I just said take it up with the city. They validated my permit.

There was nothing the neighbor could do to stop my project.

I don't know what his beef was anyway. My shed is really nice, so is the fence. Way nicer than the old one.

None of my adjoining neighbors had a prob with what we were doing.

We have a few of those apparently. No one has had the nerve to come and say anything to me yet. :p Maybe because before I did anything and was getting to know my neighbors I made it clear that I do not do well with neighbors who try to stop me from doing anything on my property. When they are paying my mortgage they can have that right. :D

I got lucky with the ones I "click" with. They love what we've done to the house. The "others" :cool: mind their own business. ;) Maybe they don't say anything because they see Jim in the wheelchair and don't have the nerve to ask us not to put in ramps and such. :)

Yes kicker, 1 ft long for ever inch high.

John's bro, John & I built the ramp in two days (and it was hot and exausting). (The place didn't tell his kids that he was to go home, till that week). They did the ramp & I did other stuff, like take old carpet off the porch & lots of digging. It's in the backyard (where he always enters) thus John said we didn't need a permit. It's OK for about 15 ft then turns & makes a kinda steep slope. They didn't want to make it longer cuz to do so they would have to "take up too much yard". I keep telling John to put up rails so his dad can go up without help.

Wow! That sounds great. I will have to check Home Depot. We have one right across the street from Costco. :eek:

Ramp
 

We had a ramp in Arizona...16 foot and the deck was about 3 feet high from the ground, needless to say, it was pretty steep, but that's what was there
when we moved in.....here in Washington, there was a ramp built in and its a nice long one with a u-turn so its not just straight down....there is a railing which is also nice...only problem is, the ditz who designed it didn't put ANY bracing under it for where the plywood joins the next sheet....now its threatening to buckle right there! We have a 6 foot folding ramp that we have on the front steps and hubby is brave enough to right the scooter down but not me....I walk down the steps beside the ramp and guide it down. That ramp is REALLY steep but it is attached at the top and we'll use it till the wooden one gets bracing under it....the manager said he'd get us some wood but it is up to us to put it in.