Wheelchair ramps are necessary in every business. It is extremely important that businesses be accessible for all people with any sort of handicap. Many people do not realize they should also make their home accessible for their friends and relatives as well. If you have an existing porch, you can easily add a wheelchair ramp with very little effort. However, you will want to be very aware of any requirements your area has adopted in building ramps. If you visit your localized permit office, they can provide you with the specifications.

There are several types of ramps you can build, three to be specific.

• Straight – This type of ramp will lead right into your yard or sidewalk • L-Shaped – This type of ramp connects from the house and makes a turn either left or right • Switchback – This type of ramp has a landing section that sits near the middle of the ramp

It is extremely important that you put a lot of planning and thought into building a wheelchair ramp. You will obviously want the ramp to be safe for all users. When you begin to plan for a ramp addition to your home, survey your land and your homes exterior and know all code requirements.

When you build a wheelchair ramp, you should consider a number of factors, you should definitely consider the following:

• Length of your chosen ramp • Ramp Weight capacity for users • Width of your chosen ramp • Rise of your wheelchair ramp

This will all provide a safe way of travel for the handicapped user. Additionally, you should consider if you want a permanent wheelchair ramp or a non-permanent one. A permanent ramp is a permanent fixture and never moved, these are typically found in businesses, houses, or apartment buildings as these buildings generally never move. A non-permanent ramp has the ability to move if the user must move. Non-permanent wheelchair ramps come in three types, threshold, folding and telescoping ramps.

Threshold ramps are typically used for rises that are small, for example a doorway. Folding ramps are extremely useful for a wheelchair user that travels often, these have the ability to fold for easy transportation. Telescoping ramps are the type that you typically see on vehicles or vans. These easily contract to allow for easy storage and helps with extremely high rises.

When you have planned how you want the wheelchair ramp to look and connect to your porch, it is time to consider the actual construction of the ramp itself. The first thing you will want to do is accurately measure from the base part of your doorway to the ground, doing this will allow you figure out the elevation that is required. A good rule to remember is that for each inch of elevation that is required, another foot of ramp is needed. The slope of the elevation must never go above a one to twelve ratio.

There are certain criteria you should follow when building a wheelchair ramp. Here is a short guide to help you understand specific elements of a ramp.

• You should plan for your ramp to be at the very minimum thirty-six to forty-eight inches across.

• Make use of post made out of concrete, this will allow you to position your supports for the ramp, specifically onto a grade, or without the need to pour concrete or dig holes.

• The height between the surface to the rail should be thirty-six inches.

• Any landing you provide, should be about a five foot square or sixty inches all around.

• The ramp threshold should at most be a half an inch.