wheelchair ramp

[Kathy]

I want to build a ramp up the two steps to my front door so that I can bring my mom into my house. She can't walk and she is too heavy to carry. I know I'm not the first person in this position. I am capable of designing and building the ramp; I just don't know what angle to make it. Space is not an isse. I've been carrying a tapemeasure around with me in the car so I could measure the ramps at other places but they are all commercial places and the ramps are way long with a small grade. I was just wondering if anyone else has done this that would share the experience so I could get a clue. T.I.A. Kathy

[SQLit]

2 steps??? assuming 16" rise. Make the ramp 8-10 times the rise. The shorter the ramp the steeper it is for the rider. Better check your front door before starting.

[Mark and Kim Smith]

Doing a Yahoo or Google search brings up a lot of info. I had to do something similar for a coworker one time.

[John Hines]

Maximum slope in a ramp is 1 in 12. That is a 12 foot or longer foot ramp to rise 1 foot.

The info is available on line, you need to google for wheelchair ramp design, and wade through the 60,000+ results.

The first of which is

[PaPaPeng]

Since you are the one who will push her up the ramp its easy enough to do a few experiments yourself. The ramp can be steeper than the grade recommended for public access ramps where the wheelchair user has to propel himself. You may even want to use parallel metal channels that the wheels can run on instead of a permanent ramp. The channels can be stowed when not required.

[Brad Bruce]

Contact your local zoning board ASAP. They have the answers you need. It's not going to be easy, but if the inspector finds out about the ramp after the fact it will be much harder.

I had a co-worker who needed a ramp for his wife. The requirements seemed ridiculous, but there wasn't a single one that didn't make sense when explained by a friendly inspector.

Brad

[bumtracks]

While I don't know your strength or moms weight, something to consider might be make a ramp suitable for just the first lower step so the ramp won't be really long and then you can manhandle backwards up and sort of wheelie and lower the real wheels down a single step without great difficulties.

We have a marine plywood ramp here 4.75"h x 72" which equals about 1:12 rise and anything steeper an elderly person is going to risky rolling down alone. Rolling down alone was the major consideration here in case of fire. Nailed

2x2 edger except where the door swept across to try to contain it, 2x2 is a too high or not high enough mistake .. wheelchair hand grips roll on top of it perfectly lifting the wheels off the ramp, he sits there and freewheels one wheel wondering whats wrong ;)

[Pop]

That's really odd: I built my own ramp (knowing I'd be needing it in the near future) and there were no, zero, nada, local or national requirements for a ramp on a personal residence. Well, there was one requirement; the footings had to go down 4 feet into the ground, a foot farther than I expected. What I did was go to a disabled access gov site & used their specs for info & design. The ramp is almost finished; another day will do it; and the permit expires next week. Only part I really needed info on was handrail height; which I found easily at the gov site, using their specs. Now, if you were to put a roof over it, then there would be requirements; but a ramp? No.

What state/locality are you in? Just curious.

Pop

[George C. Fahrlender]

1" in 12" is the requirement for a ramp.

[Douglas Johnson]

I built one for my daughter while she was recovering from an accident. Internet research showed that 1" of rise in 12" of run was the maximum, with 1" in 20" being better. I built a 1 in 12 ramp. She could not get up it using her hands on the wheels, but could back up it by pushing with her good leg. She was 30 at the time and in good condition. It was mildly difficult for me to push her up.

In summary, I'd recommend a 1 in 20 ramp if possible.

-- Doug

[Brad Bruce]

Hamilton NJ (The one near Trenton)

Brad

[Kathy]

You Win! This is the idea I'm going to go with. And weld a round bar under the end to catch the step.Maybe a stop on each step to help line them up. Perfect. I'll set a brick in my front yard to rest the bottom. I already figured I could drive up to anywhere on the front lawn that the ramp comes to and drop a piece of plywood for a solid surface. Alas, her chair is not built for 4-wheeling. 8 foot long channel would make it about 10-1/2 degrees. Pretty steep I think. I don't want to dump poor mom out of her chair! I'm going to make some calls tomorrow. Thanks.

[PrecisionMachinisT]

Hi, Kath.

My Aunt Mae was in a wheelchair till she passed away last spring in her early eighties, she was a polio victim since her mid 20's.........

Im thinking she was able to easily scale about a 2/12 pitch ramp all by herself.

And if she had a helper then a 3/12 or even 4/12 wasnt really a problem either, though on the steeper slopes you will probly wanna pull her up backwards rather than push.......