Ramp width recommendations

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Re: Ramp width recommendations

Postby flagman1776 » 02 Oct 2018, 17:02

Lazy SOBs just use the ADA. The mistake is telling them it's for HC.
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Re: Ramp width recommendations

Postby ex-Gooserider » 09 Oct 2018, 00:36

flagman1776 wrote:The building inspector insists on a rest landing if the ramp is over 30 feet in length... per ADA. Putting a landing mid ramp would put the end in the middle of the driveway. It pisses me off that my choice is taken away by rules... and people who will never use one. We are redrawing the deck plans to run down 2 sides with a turn to get the section length under 30 feet. Widening the ramp to match the required 5' x 5' landing size which will be better for turns.

If I need mobility indoors... I'm sure a WC will be better. For distances outdoors, a scooter is better.


Insist that the building inspector show you WHERE it says the ADA applies to private homes - hint, it doesn't.... Then demand that he show you a LEGAL basis for the rest requirement.... You might also try calling your state disability commission and ask them to explain the rules to the inspector...

The inspector is on solid ground when requiring that the ramp be made in structurally sound ways, but has no basis for insisting on ADA unless it is either a public building, or one that is shared (ADA would apply to an apartment house...) The ADA is quite specific in stating that it does NOT apply to private dwellings....

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Re: Ramp width recommendations

Postby flagman1776 » 17 Oct 2018, 01:52

Goose, you are right... as I already knew. I don't dare fight the building inspector because that would stall construction. In the end, I need it done. Footings to be poured this week.
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Re: Ramp width recommendations

Postby flagman1776 » 10 Nov 2018, 02:42

The PT wood frame for the deck is in place. A mock up of the first leg of the ramp is in to spot for the rest of the concrete footings. There will have to be a landing where the ramp bends but the contractor wants to avoid another the unnecessary landing. Just as I originally wanted.) He's doing a really good job. I can't imagine being unhappy with his work.
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Re: Ramp width recommendations

Postby Burgerman » 10 Nov 2018, 02:45

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Re: Ramp width recommendations

Postby flagman1776 » 10 Nov 2018, 17:20

I'm not building a suspension bridge, :lol: :roll:
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Re: Ramp width recommendations

Postby flagman1776 » 06 Dec 2018, 21:38

I'm watching 'her' deck & 'my' ramp construction. Deck boards going down on the ramp as we speak. Not half way yet. Contemplating relocating charging station from lower level to upstairs once construction is complete. There will be quite an evolution as coats & shoes usually stay downstairs too.
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Re: Ramp width recommendations

Postby rlnguy » 06 Dec 2018, 22:26

couple questions-
What decking material are you using?
Is the ramp located such that it will dry off, during the day?
I had one, on the north side, so always shaded-got very slippery, after a year or so due to some kind of algae/moss like buildup.
It was only 6 feet long,. but impossible to get up-as bad as ice.
Current one dries off during the day, but does get slippery when wet-both used PT wood.
LOML wants to replace it with composite.
I think that will be just as bad-maybe worse.
I rolled a roll of granulated roofing down, to get through winter, but I expect she won't be happy, and I'll have to do something different in the spring.
Considering adding some paint additive to the stain, next time.
Fortunately, it is not our primary means of entry/exit.
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Re: Ramp width recommendations

Postby Burgerman » 06 Dec 2018, 23:07

Lay thin porous block paving on top.
Or the grippy tiles used around a pool for safety.

Image

But anything will get slippy with algy or moss. So pressure wash each spring to be sure.
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Re: Ramp width recommendations

Postby flagman1776 » 06 Dec 2018, 23:14

Yes, the deck is PT. I was warned that the composite decking is much more expensive & slippery both. We're informed the PT is not to be treated for a year. The exposure is South West. We have a lot of afternoon sun on that side. Wife is expecting to push shovel it over the side. The slope had to be toward the North. :( Rhode Island does get snow but most years it'll reduce & even melt off in between... then there are years it doesn't.
From my experience around the water... algae is indeed VERY slippery. People fall into the sea often... with disastrous results... if they get in the black/brown algae covered rocks with wet feet or sea spray. Power washing might remove it but a 10% bleach solution in a hand sprayer will kill it on boat waterlines (and your grass) allowing it to be washed off fully.
Our non-connected balcony faces fully South & has not gotten algae in nearly 30 years.

I've seen rubber mats advertised with heat wires installed... only turn on when it's snowing. I wonder how they would work on a short ramp?
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Re: Ramp width recommendations

Postby flagman1776 » 07 Dec 2018, 14:51

I've had experience with the fine grit sold for paints as 'non-slip'. Frankly it wasn't enough, required multiple packages & we decided the grit was too fine, disappearing into the thickness of the pain on a boat deck. We tried using fine sand blast sand which is just run through a strainer. That worked better. A newer blast medium might be better still.
I don't think it would work at all on the preservative stains... as they are designed to soak in. I'm not up on the latest seal coating or if there is anything suitable.
I have some pieces of old conveyor belt... once repurposed as horse trailer floor covering... wonder if the from or back of that might be suitable. The local horse supply store sells thick rubber mat (stall floor covering) that have a molded in surface. Durable & acid resistant.
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Re: Ramp width recommendations

Postby flagman1776 » 21 Dec 2018, 00:47

The project is complete... her deck, front & back stairs, my ramp.
Image
Front view.
Image
The plywood sidewalk is only temporary. We have already added a final little ramp to the new driveway. Will need paving come Spring.
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Re: Ramp width recommendations

Postby Burgerman » 21 Dec 2018, 01:08

Looks good. It is very low angle. A powerchair can do a fair bit steeper. But I suppose rules... Needs dark stain to protect and blend in. And a few bags of grass seed. :thumbup:
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Re: Ramp width recommendations

Postby flagman1776 » 21 Dec 2018, 01:22

The angle is exactly ADA spec per a PITA building inspector. I have it in writing from a state agency that ADA doesn't apply to private residences but arguing the point would have stalled construction. As it is, the crew had to shovel snow off a couple of times.
They did a good job. Kept the ramp as wide as possible, didn't install round hand rails, some creative work on the inside corner to max the turning room.
No over coatings for a year on this P.T. lumber. Yes, it needs grass. It's not going to grow now anyway.
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Re: Ramp width recommendations

Postby Burgerman » 21 Dec 2018, 02:17

I might have been tempted to make the top deck as long as the house. Useful to keep stuff, fit a sofa, have a workbench in summer etc. A cannon or two. Some flags. A freezer. BBQ. Bar. Swing seat for your misses. You could add a roof to part of it. But cost...
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Re: Ramp width recommendations

Postby flagman1776 » 21 Dec 2018, 02:22

Deck is big. BBQ, yes. Wife refuses to let me mount the cannon on 'her' deck. I can't imagine why.
Image
Image
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Re: Ramp width recommendations

Postby Burgerman » 21 Dec 2018, 02:23

Dont ask.
Cannon good. Loud, smoke, smells. Cant go wrong!
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Re: Ramp width recommendations

Postby rlnguy » 21 Dec 2018, 15:10

Very nice, looks like they did a great job.
I'm sure it will serve you for many years.
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Re: Ramp width recommendations

Postby foghornleghorn » 21 Dec 2018, 18:56

That looks really nice :thumbup:

flagman1776 wrote:I've had experience with the fine grit sold for paints as 'non-slip'. Frankly it wasn't enough, required multiple packages & we decided the grit was too fine, disappearing into the thickness of the pain on a boat deck. We tried using fine sand blast sand which is just run through a strainer. That worked better. A newer blast medium might be better still.
I don't think it would work at all on the preservative stains... as they are designed to soak in. I'm not up on the latest seal coating or if there is anything suitable.
I have some pieces of old conveyor belt... once repurposed as horse trailer floor covering... wonder if the from or back of that might be suitable. The local horse supply store sells thick rubber mat (stall floor covering) that have a molded in surface. Durable & acid resistant.


Have you considered wire mesh like https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B06XK ... dbf7df4708 I have a wooden slope down to the grass from the drive which is shaded by trees so was getting very slippery during the winter and a layer of wire mesh across the top made it much safer. When it was icy I slid all the way down sideways a couple of times with no grip at all when it was just bare wood :shock:
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Re: Ramp width recommendations

Postby Burgerman » 21 Dec 2018, 20:28

"Chicken wire?"

Copyright Blues Brothers...
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Re: Ramp width recommendations

Postby flagman1776 » 21 Dec 2018, 21:12

This IS the sunny side. Admittedly, I am relying on the wife to clear any snow. After that, let the solar work & ice melt. There are/will be days I can't go out. Can't go out until the driveway is plowed anyway. We are planning to asphalt the driveway extension & sidewalk. The dark color is quite effective in drawing heat. It remains to be seen how much of problem this temp plywood sidewalk is. If the weather permits, a quick paint job with dark paint might be helpful for this winter.
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Re: Ramp width recommendations

Postby Burgerman » 22 Dec 2018, 02:47

Fence or garden sprayer sat near the door, with either weak glycol (car antifreeze) mix. Or a drop of 10% methanol/water. Or just salt and tap water. Clears snow and ice pretty fast. Quick dusting at 8am and all gone by 10. And it kills slimy green growth, or moss as a side effect.
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Re: Ramp width recommendations

Postby rlnguy » 22 Dec 2018, 22:09

Be aware, car antifreeze is very toxic, if an animal (wild, or pet) ingests it.
The antifreeze used to winterize RV's would be safer.
I think the methanol/water mix, while also poisonous, would evaporate faster.
Salt may damage the wood, I think most snow melt products are OK, though.
Staying home also sounds like a good idea to me, if you have that option.
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Re: Ramp width recommendations

Postby flagman1776 » 23 Dec 2018, 04:06

I wouldn't use regular E/G antifreeze. As a former mechanic, I know how toxic it is to pets. Wife would be very unhappy if i poisoned her kitty. Wife also knows about antifreeze.
We have looked into salt vs other deicer & are getting conflicting answers. I had a concrete doorstep on a rental house ruined by the tenant using rock salt that was a problem to repair... he denied it of course. We usually use non-salt deicer if necessary.
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Re: Ramp width recommendations

Postby foghornleghorn » 23 Dec 2018, 10:53

I wouldn't use salt unless you want to keep replacing boards like you are maintaining a fishing boat. It dries the wood out and ruins it.
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Re: Ramp width recommendations

Postby ex-Gooserider » 01 Jan 2019, 06:49

Wood ash (from stove, bbq grill, etc.) can be a very good ice melter, but is messy... The chemicals in it are reasonably non-toxic (some use it as a garden fertilizer) and the dark color increases the effect - however it does get all over stuff and makes a mess on tires for you to track inside...

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Re: Ramp width recommendations

Postby flagman1776 » 07 Jan 2019, 02:36

After refusing my suggestion to retrieve some old industrial conveyor belt**, now the wife has decided to move it (as suggested) to along side my car. It's a fairly smooth hard black surface... free of tripper uppers. Better footing than the after construction ground underneath.

** Formerly recycled as deck covering on a commercial fishing boat & later as flooring in my horse trailer, still later as a place my farrier shod my horses...
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Re: Ramp width recommendations

Postby Burgerman » 07 Jan 2019, 02:52

I read shot my horses twice before I saw shod... :ak47
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Re: Ramp width recommendations

Postby flagman1776 » 07 Jan 2019, 18:22

Ha! Ha! I wrote it right! I thought the word farrier might be a clue...
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Re: Ramp width recommendations

Postby flagman1776 » 09 Sep 2019, 16:28

The driveway extension has had nearly a year to settle. I found it best to back onto the grass so my car door would open towards the plywood "sidewalk". I was making ruts in the grass and the thick recycled rubber conveyor belt was good but had tripper upper edges.
We had the excavation contractor come back, dig out the grass where I was parking and replace with a bed of processed gravel. After compacting with a roller, the parking and driveway extension was top coated with crushed asphalt (from highway construction) and then compacted again. The crushed asphalt has proven to be a a durable driving surface though it needs replenishment every 5 years.
We only had one piece of the plywood "sidewalk" put back as a ramp to grade. Wife is off shopping for a thin rubber backed entry mat to span from the plywood to my car door.
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