If you have building wheelchair ramp plans, there are some important things that you have to keep in mind. You can build the wheelchair ramp yourself, but it should meet the requirements of ADA in order to keep it safe for the user. For somebody in a wheelchair, going up the staircase is a difficult thing to do which could require the assistance of family or friends to raise them up or down.
However, with today’s modern technology, it’s possible to build a wheelchair ramp that would require lesser help or nothing at all in doing simple errands. A type of building plan for a home intended for a handicapped person depends on the structure of the home, the available space, the environment, the materials to be used, and the specifications required in making a proper wheelchair ramp.
The building wheelchair ramp designs specify that the ramp should not be very steep; otherwise, the disabled person will have the difficulty of ascending and descending on the runaway. Therefore, it should be designed in such a way that it has 1” of an inclined area for every foot. Moreover, you should also consider the width of the ramp in order to prevent falling off from the edge, or getting stuck while sitting on the wheelchair.
You should follow the standard width in making the ramp which is about 3 ft. Following the measurement of the width is not really a big issue, but the problem lies on having the correct length at times. This is because most of the homes do not possess enough space in their yards to construct a ramp leading to the door.
Because of this, many wheelchair ramp plans include switchbacks on the design. This switchback refers to a structure needed to facilitate the rising of the ramp in 1 direction, and switching back to go up in the opposite way. However, 1 major setback of having several switchbacks is that they don’t look pretty in your home.
So, you have to construct something that will not destroy the beauty of your home. When you make the ramp, it is usually made of wood, and having nice-looking rails to exude a better look. While a ramp ascends to a deck, another ramp located on the opposite side of the deck extends itself to your home. In the case of wood ramps, expert makers advice you to add sand to the amount of varnish coat that you will apply in order to make the ramps attractive.
At times, in wheelchair ramp plans, you can use a cement ramp for accessibility. But in this case, you’re not free from some concerns. The fact that the cost of cement is high, a ramp made of cement may not be solid at all. In constructing this, you have to establish a temporary frame, along with barriers located between the ramp and your home.
When you have poured cement to the base, you have to add filler usually made up of compacted dirt. Then, the wheelchair ramp plans are completed when the cement has been added to the ramp.