Background: SWMBOs mobility has sadly deteriorated, and whilst inside our bungalow she is able to manage OK (grab handles *everywhere*), she has started to struggle a bit with getting in and out of the bungalow - front and rear.
The main problem is that the bungalow is slightly lower than the road, and within that aspect, is slightly raised with respect to the ground.
REAR: currently the patio door is 300mm (1') above the level of the ground outside. 3 years ago we had a platform with a ramp built with slabbing, however because of the limits of the area, the ramp is about
1in3 - far too much for unassisted hand powering. SWMBO was able to push herself up using her legs, but that's now not possible.FRONT: The building has 2 front doors. About 260mm (10") of the ground. they are about 11.5m apart, and the "main" one has another 3.5m to the left, which runs towards the path to the pavement alongside the lounge window.
Currently both surfaces are slabbed.
My current thinking, is to use decking to provide a level platform out back from the patio door. Hopefully this is the easy one: - it's a straightforward rectangle, so 5.4mx3.2m = (c) 18m2. A quick google shows that there are sites that have calculators to give a total kit price (c. £500).
The front is a little more challenging. Currently there's a 1.2m paved path all around the bungalow. So basically I want to deck over it, with a slight slope from the main front door to ground level. That should be a drop of 260mm over 3500mm or 1in13.5 - (well within the recommended
1in12).My main worry is creating the slope - will I end up having to cut joists, or are there subtler ways ?
Once I've got the requisite shopping list, I'll scour for reject/seconds, since appearance is secondary - especially as I may end up covering it with some sort of gripping felt.
So, is this a good/bad idea ? Pitfalls ?
Obviously if anyone has any suppliers they could suggest, I'm all ears :)