Wheelchair Ramp Plans
Wheelchair Ramp Plans Demystified
If you’re a do-it-yourself kind of person, or if you know someone who can assist you in building a wheelchair ramp, then a ramp will give you easier access to your home or garage. There are a few things to consider when building a wheelchair ramp. First you should try and contact the wheelchair manufacturer to see if they have plans available for your specific chair, otherwise you can use the internet to search and download plans specific to your wheelchair.
This is one of the more popular plans: free wheelchair ramp plans
Local hardware stores or do-it-yourself stores may be able to help you find what your looking for. They can also offer some suggestions to make this project easier. Keep safety in mind when doing any woodworking project. Get help if you need to.
When building your wheelchair ramp consider a modular style making construction of the ramp in a garage fairly simple. Once built you can move it to the site for easy assembly on-site. Treated lumber, NOT PLYWOOD, should be used if wood is the material of choice. Make sure you follow the plans carefully and use ADA codes to insure the ramp will meet the needs of the wheelchair. Use of plywood and other types of laminated building materials can become dangerous in wet or icy conditions and deteriorate quickly with exposure to poor weather conditions.
Select the plans and materials you want to use for your ramp, choose the location and make sure the plans you’re using correspond in size and space to the needs of the wheelchair. Don’t forget the necessary landing space needed to allow the wheelchair to move freely for ease of use and carefully measure the space being utilized for the door to accommodate the wheelchair.
It’s also important to choose wheelchair ramp plans that allow for a maximum slope of no more than 1:12, and preferably 1:16 or 1:30 to allow for a manual wheelchair, there is much less strain in moving from one landing to another with less of a slope. Remember that landings are necessary for turns and rests for the user, and that you will need a landing at the entrance door and also at the base of the ramp. It’s easy to overlook in the initial calculations for your ramp to fail to include the landings when you are deciding how many modules will be needed to cover the desired slope. The landings don’t move the wheelchair closer to the ground, it just offers the user a rest spot as the wheelchair is moving down the necessary slope. Don’t overlook while finalizing your wheelchair ramp plans that you check with your local building department to conform to current and applicable codes for the plans you’ve selected for your project.
