Tips on How to Build a Wheel Chair Ramp At Home
At home you may be having someone using a wheelchair and it is impossible for them to use stairs. A solution to help your family members on a wheelchair to move easily is building a ramp at home for them to use.Wheel chair raps are built with different materials and designs, you just have to choose the best. According to your need, you can choose to build a permanent or a temporary wheelchair ramp at your home to serve you. It is not simple to make a decision on the type of ramp that you want to build from the many options that you have, but you can follow some guidelines. The following are some things to keep in mind when building a wheelchair ramp at home.
Measure the distance between the building and the ground to see the length of the ramp. Look at the space you have for building the ramp length that you have found and then decide what design can fit there well. The ramp should be located at a convenient place to where the user needs to go to make sure you choose a convenient location.
Get building permits and approvals from the authorities.Read the requirements on the wheelchair ramp buildings and make sure to follow them.
Make an estimate of all the cost you will incur during the ramp and plan for it to know where you will get the money. Aluminum is a bit expensive compared to wood but consider also the installation cost and see which one to use.The cost is also influenced by the length of the ramp.
Consider the time that you have to install the ramp. For wood ramps, it takes a little time to cut down the materials and treat it form damage.
Look at the cost of maintenance on the wheelchair ramp at you home.For wood ramps in extreme weather conditions like snow, it is hard to manage since they will rot and you have to replace them from time to time.
When you need ramps for a certain period to consider the resale value after use. Aluminum ramps are thus the best on resell value but this should not restrict you to using the materials you want.
Build a ramp with handrails and guardrails to protect the ramp users from accidents.Use materials that are also not slippery to protect your loved ones.
Consider building the ramp in bits, so that it would be easier to make changes when they arise.You should also consider including landings on your ramp.