Back in mid to late July, 2019, my bride was having difficulty ascending our front steps due to her right knee giving way and decided to build a wheelchair ramp. 

We had an appointment to see an orthopedic surgeon in Monroe, NC on August 13, 2019 and I really had to "step it up and go" to get the wheelchair ramp at least operational and do the finishing touches as needed at a much slower pace.

Below is a pix of the finished ramp taken on 12-14-19 and I will detail with pixs and some narrative comments to the construction of the wheelchair ramp:

GETTING STARTED

This project required some research as to the ADA (American Disability Act) code requirements for a wheelchair ramp along with local permits and other ramifications for the same.

After gathering the required information and purchasing the required materials, of which I found about everything I needed locally except the safety steel grab bar tubing and mounting cast iron brackets.  The brackets were located on line from Steel Supply, L.P. in Houston, Texas and the galvanized steel tubing was obtained from Lowe's in Rockingham, NC.  The wood components, screws and Quikrete cement mix were obtained locally from the Wadesboro Lumber Barn.

I will not go into all the required ADA specifications for the ramp, but the in ground posts were required to be twenty (20) inches deep with the post sitting on top of a piece of cement cap type block or brick.  Also, for each one inch of elevation at the start of the ramp, you have to extend the ramp out horizontally one foot.  The elevation required to our front porch was nineteen (19) inches and I extended the ramp out 20 feet and also added a horizontal landing at the end of the ramp to access the driveway from the side of the wheelchair ramp versus the end of the ramp.

I started the construction on July 30, 2019 and my friend Robert Webster of Hamlet, NC was over earlier and we discussed some material issues.  Robert stated, "After you get the preliminaries done, give me a call and I will help you."  To me that meant, getting the holes dug and the posts in the ground, etc.  Robert did come by after I got the posts in the ground and the support runners in place for the decking wanting to drive some deck screws.  NOTE:  After all the serious manual labor was completed and told him, "I didn't need him and would finish the ramp myself".....grin if you must!

THUMBNAIL PIXS

I used 2 x 8 x 10' for the beams aka floor joists and butted them end to end, placed glue and a scab 2 x 8 x 24" on top and used a generous amount of deck screws to secure the scab to the joists.  I used a total of three (3) beams aka joints for the decking support consisting of six 2 x 8 x 10' boards. 

The posts were 4 x 4 x 8' treated and the decking material was 5/4 treated decking boards.  The connection between the beams and the posts were 3/8 steel bolts.

DIGGING THE HOLES

I should have used some mechanical help; e.g., gas engine auger to dig the holes, but did it the hard way with brute force.  I had a post hole digger, but the ground was hard as a rock with an under layer mixture of silica rocks and red clay below the top soil.  Using the post hole digger, you would need a steel breaker bar to help break up the rocks and hard packed soil, of which I did not have.  I did much better with a round point shovel, however the holes were much larger than needed, required about 18 to 20 eighty pound bags of Quikrete.  The temperature during the post hole digging was in the mid 90s and it took a toll on myself of which I will relate. 

By August 12, 2019 I had the ramp operational as far as the posts set in Quikrete, decking and bottom rail in place and porch ramp.  On August 13, 2019 while returning from taking my bride to her orthopedic surgeons appointment in Monroe, NC, I was having severe pains in my right lower side and back thinking it was a kidney stone attack for sure!  The pain got worse and I had to make a trip to our local ER facility on the early morning of August 18, 2019 and their tests didn't indicate what the problem was....a band-aid visit for sure, although they did the best they could with the technology they possessed, CAT scan, blood work, etc.  They gave IV fluids for dehydration and prescriptions for two pain killers and/or muscle relaxers that only made me drowsy and endured the pain.  Luckily, it wasn't a kidney stone attack, of which I have had one removed in 2000 or 2001 and it was a level 10 of pain.

As evidenced by the last few pixs above, we had a heavy rain and most of the post holes were filled up with water.  The hard packed red clay definitely would not perk for a septic system in this area.

I used a couple concrete anchor systems for anchoring a 4 x 4 post onto the steps which worked pretty good.  After the two side joists aka beams were bolted to the posts, it was time to add Quikrete to the holes.  I did it the hard way and mixed the Quikrete in a wheel barrow; most just pour the dry mix in the hole and add water.  BTW, I used the end of a plastic container and dipped out most of the water from the holes that were water logged from the heavy rains we had.

ADDED HORIZONTAL LANDING

I added a horizontal landing at the end of the ramp to access the driveway which required two more post holes and 2 x 8 framing aka joists to tie it together with 3/8 inch diameter bolts.

ADDED CENTER JOIST AKA BEAM

After the posts were installed for the horizontal landing, I started the layout for the center joist aka beam which required the usage of a concrete anchor on the steps and of course more 20 inch deep holes to dig.

RAMP FOR THE PORCH TO THE LIVING ROOM

I built a ramp for the porch to the living room access using 3/4 inch exterior plywood with taper sides and center and glued and screwed it together and later stained it.

INSTALLED CONCRETE PAVERS

With the wheelchair ramp completed enough to use it, concrete pavers were added from the horizontal landing to the drive way.  There was still much to do, but needed it operational for usage on August 13, 2019 for an orthopedic surgeons appointment and didn't have another day to spare....cutting it very close on this one.

CONSTRUCTION CONTINUES

The next order of business was to cut the upright 4 x 4 posts to the proper length and at an angle parallel to the tapered ramp.  If I was proficient enough, a skill saw would be the easy way to cut the posts, but I rarely use a skill saw and was out of the question. 

I went on line an found a very simple and inexpensive jig that allows the usage of a reciprocating saw.  It was a pain to get both sides parallel, but it worked out great.

With the 4 x 4 posts cut to length and the upper rail added, it was time to cut the upright pickets to length.  The standard lengths available locally are 36 x 48 inches in length if my memory is correct.  I needed them cut to a little over 29 inches in length and made a fixture for the miter saw to cut them to length and the 45 degree end at the same time.  A fixture to pre-drill the holes using the drill press for the screws since wood is prone to crack or split close to the end without a pre-drilled pilot hole.  Even though the deck screws has a drill point for such, a proper diameter pre-drilled hole is a safer way to go when near the end of a board.  Most contractors would not pre-drill any holes on deck or wheelchair ramp construction in my humble opinion because of the extra time involved which means money!

HAND SAFETY RAIL REQUIRED

The ADA requires a hand safety rail inside the ramp and specifies the height from the deck, width between the two rails, diameter and distance from the support member.  Of the wooden wheelchair ramps I viewed locally and on line, I rarely saw a safety rail installed which is required by code.

I located cast iron safety rail supports aka brackets from Steel Supply, L.P. in Houston, Texas and spray painted them aluminum to match the galvanized tubing rail member.  The galvanized rails were about impossible to drill holes with a hand drill and I finally marked them and drilled the holes using the drill press.  I used my miter saw with a friction blade to make the forty-five (45) degree angle cut required for one of the rails.

STAIN APPLIED

I used a cedar oil type based stain TWP 100 from SealandProtect.com and used my spray gun to apply the sealant to the pickets and used a roller for the balance of applying the stain.  On the cap rail, I used 2 x 6 x 10' members and routed a radius on both top edges and sanded it with a belt sander.  I also used biscuits, glue and deck screws on the forty-five (45) degree connection of the cap rail.

In closing, it took two (2) weeks to get the wheelchair ramp operational by myself on August 12, 2019, but I took my time and finished the ramp on September 20, 2019.  I had a couple mistakes, nothing serious and was easily corrected and this was a learning process as well.  As evidenced by the trip to the Emergency Room on August 18, 2019, I should be well aware that I am no longer a "spring chicken."  Those eighteen or twenty 80 pound bags of Quikrete took its toll on myself along with digging eleven (11) holes in the hard packed red clay soil with a shovel and the temperature in the mid 90s.  While digging the holes, I would dig about 5 minutes and rest about 5 to 10 minutes and losing more fluid in the form of sweat than I could replace with water and Gatorade!  With our Lord's help, I was able to finish this project being a success!

NOTE:  SealandProtect.com is no longer a distributor for TWP Products, do not order from their website!  Their landline telephones are not in service either!  With my recent order of August 2023, I had to have my credit card company refund my money because of their inability to ship, whereas SealandProtect.com is still taking orders on line....bad business for sure!  

You can order TWP Products from world of stains.  

This wheelchair ramp is SN 78.....grin if you must!

WHEELCHAIR RAMP PIX TAKEN ON 12-14-19

Web published by Bill aka Mickey Porter on 12-13-19 and updated on 12-14-19.

LEAVING ON A SPIRITUAL NOTE

If you do not know Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, please take this moment to accept him by Faith into your Life, whereby Salvation will be attained.   

Ephesians 2:8 - 2:9 8  For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: [it is] the gift of God: 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.

Hebrews 11:1 “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”

Romans 10:17 “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”

Open this link about faith in the King James Bible.