For many people, the challenge of transitioning from one level to another is difficult or even impossible. Handicap ramps can help, but they’re typically constructed of wood and often don’t look like the rest of your home’s exterior. They also usually require quite a bit of space and can be expensive to install. An alternative that you might want to consider is building a concrete ramp. Concrete ramps are not too difficult to build yourself if you have some basic tools and know-how, but it does require getting down on your hands and knees and working with lots of heavy materials. Concrete ramps have several advantages over wooden ones:
Introduction
A ramp is a structure that connects two surfaces at different heights. They are important because they enable people who cannot walk or use stairs to move between levels in their home, for example. A ramp can also help you get around when you have a disability.
To build a ramp yourself, you will need the following tools:
- Shovel
- Wheelbarrow or other container for transporting the concrete mix and gravel to your work site
How To Build A Ramp Out Of Concrete
This guide will teach you how to build a ramp out of concrete.
- Measure the distance from the ground to the bottom of your wheelchair. If this measurement is greater than 3 feet, it’s best to have someone help you with this project.
- Make sure that your ramp is level by using a level on it regularly as you build it.
- Ensure that your ramp is straight by using a straight edge on it regularly as you build it.
- Remove excess dirt from around where you will be pouring concrete using a shovel or hoe, being careful not to dig too deep into soil above any pipes or wires underground (you can always call an electrician if necessary). Then use another tool such as trowel or spade and smooth out dirt so that there are no bumps or dips in places where people may step while walking up/down stairs later on down road–this would create trip hazards.
Materials Needed:
Materials needed:
- Concrete forms for the ramp
- Concrete (mix)
- Cement/cement sand (cement and cement sand must be used together to make concrete)
- Water
Instructions For Building A Concrete Ramp
- Measure out the distance of your ramp and mark it on the ground with chalk. If you’re building a long ramp, measure out several sections so that you can make sure they’re even.
- Use a level to make sure that your chalk lines are perfectly straight across the area where you want your ramp to go, so that it will be level when finished and safe for people who use it.
- Dig a trench for each section using a shovel or pickaxe (if there’s soft ground) by pushing down on one side of the line until there’s enough room for concrete to fill up in between them without spilling out over any edges once finished; then go back over those areas again with another tool such as an old rake handle or garden hoe handle before filling them up with liquid cement mixture made from concrete blocks mixed together with water until both sides are covered evenly–this step takes some time but makes sure everything looks nice once done!
- After all trenches have been dug out around each line drawn onto surface below ground level surface area where each section meets another part
Measuring And Leveling The Ramp
Now that you’ve chosen a site for your ramp, it’s time to measure and level it. You will need to precisely know how far from ground level the door starts, as well as how high up the door sits at its highest point inside the building.
Measurements for these measurements should be taken with a tape measure:
- Measure between your garage door and the edge of your driveway or sidewalk (this is called “ground gap”).
- Measure from where you plan on placing your ramp down until it meets with your garage door (this is called “spillway”). This measurement must be accurate because if you don’t get enough spillway distance between where we place our ramp and where our garage floor meets up with our driveway/sidewalk then water could leak through cracks in wall where they meet which would cause damage over time like rot wood structure around house etc…
Concrete ramps are a great way to provide wheelchair access for people who need it.
Concrete ramps are a great way to provide wheelchair access for people who need it. Concrete ramps are sturdy and affordable options for wheelchair access, as well as being easy to maintain and long-lasting. Concrete ramps can be built in a variety of styles and sizes, accommodating the needs of many wheelchair types. They’re made out of concrete, which is a durable material that can withstand heavy weight loads such as those put on by wheelchairs or motorized scooters.
To build your own concrete ramp, you’ll need some basic tools: a sledgehammer (or other large hammer), an electric drill with bits sized appropriately for the screws you plan on using (you’ll also want something like duct tape if you plan on making your ramp permanent), square leveler (which will help keep everything straight), mason’s string line (to mark off distances along which your ramp will sit.
Final words
We’ll go over each step in detail below, so you can learn how to build a ramp that will last you through years of use.
