How to build a household wheelchair ramp
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 5 ก.ย. 2024
- This video offers useful help on building a removable, inexpensive and simple wheelchair ramp for home use.
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The ramp depicted is for a rise of 16 inches or less.The one piece ramp was built with under $50 in materials and weighs just under 60 lbs,
For text and still pictures of this procedure see: www.originalmec...
This is just the sort of DIY, doesn't-have-to-be-perfect help I was looking for. My Dad is coming to our home soon and needs help getting up stairs. Not in a wheelchair (yet), but stairs are hard. This video gets us started on solving the problem. Many, many thanks!
You're very welcome. This design would work well as a walking ramp. Good luck!
boy tough crowd here in the comment section. I believe you did the best with what you had to serve a need. thanks for sharing and giving ideas.
You're welcome. Thanks for the considerate comment.
That's what I was thinking too. Come looking for help and then they are the expert. sheesh.
Seriously. Do people just grab their clipboard and their "TH-cam building inspector" hardhat to look for flaws?
This ramp is perfectly fine for occasional use. It is sturdy and as far as I could see in the video, it doesn't shift at all during use. Good job! Viewers should understand that a ramp at this slope would be less desirable for everyday use, especially if the person who has to use the wheelchair is quite heavy. Perhaps you might want to change the title to make it quite clear that this ramp is removable or temporary. Kudos to you for showing that even a very sturdy item like a temporary ramp can be conceived and built by a caretaker with basic carpentry skills.
+lynnepear Thanks for the thoughtful comment. I did build it for occasional use and you're right, it may be too steep for self use by a heavier person.
I'm gearing up to build a ramp for a neighbor so I will probably watch this video about 50 times! Thanks
You're welcome and I hope your generous project comes out great!
I am getting close to starting and just wanted to make sure I am building it with enough strength to support the weight. Is there a reference anywhere as far as how much weight on what sort of supports? Joists that are approximately 10 inches apart with a sheet of 3/4 inch plywood on top enough supporting structure?
This is a home project so there is no weight rating. All I can tell you is it supported a wheelchair with a hundred and twenty pound woman as well as a 200 lb man pushing her. We used it that way for 3 years with no problem. If in doubt use heavier joists or maybe more of them spaced closer together. My goal was to make it light enough to be removable by one person and yet strong enough for this amount of weight. I hope that helps and I hope your project goes well.
Thanks, I'm just trying to make sure it's sturdy. Don't want any mishaps.
ADA guidelines call for 1” per 12”, not 2”.
Makes a big difference in safety and preventing roll backs.
I never asserted that this ramp was AMA legal for public use. This was a ramp built only for household use, with the wheelchair bound person always pushed up and down the ramp by a capable person.
Great video. Great little ramp. I would suggest making the rails taller and beefier. That would be a heck of a tumble, rolling of the edge.
Thanks for the help! Got some good ideas off of you. I have to make a ramp for my step father who uses a walker. This video will come in quite handy!
Thank you so much for this video, working out the angle at the foot of the ramp was very helpful 😁
It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat. - Teddy Roosevelt, 1910
Well said..
This is just what I needed. You are a good man to help us. Thank you. The measurements are perfect for our garage, too.
Nice plan, was able to complete in a few hours for $35. I found a quicker and easier way to get the angle template. Use the poster board as shown but instead of the paint just take a pencil and mark a dot on each end where bottom of plywood meets the poster. Then use a straightedge to connect the dots and cut with a utility knife. Mine was perfect on first try.
Nice work and a good idea for the angle template! Thanks for watching and I'm so glad you were able to build a ramp so quickly and successfully.
Do it 9 more times and you will be off half the time.
Thanks for your video. Built a ramp like yours today and it worked out excellent. Thx
It's not how I would make it, but it definitely is workable. I would feel comfortable sending my wife up there in her ELECTRIC chair! (Electric chair plus person = about 450lbs). As for some saying it's too steep, that's a common problem with portable ramps. The official code (in Canada) says no more than 1/12 slope (5 degrees). So for every inch up, 12 inches out. A 16 inch rise would need a 16ft ramp. That's fine with a permanent build, but a portable ramp is much more limited. I have 2 wooden ramps. One 6 feet, one 10 feet. Both foldable. The 10ft I've had go as much as 5 steps high, but that's beyond safety and is impossible to use without help. One thing I'd recommend here, is put in real screws. I'd never trust drywall screws, as they are the most brittle screws there are with very little structural strength. And I used to have that exact same Black & Decker sander, and yes, it screams like a woman! Very painful to listen to.
+Kauwhaka Thanks for the detailed comment. I should mention that those are deck screws used in this video. I've learned in later videos to cut the audio level when running power tools! Thanks again for the comment.
It might be helpful to put side rails on the inside edge or outside, maybe 1/4" to 1/2" thick,, about 2" or so high above the ramp surface, to make it more difficult to roll off the sides. Especially if it might be for a wheelchair user operating independent (without assistance)
I agree. That is what I put ion there ramp I made for my wife.
This is a great start for me to plan things out, thanks! always appreciate people creating content
I built a ramp for my wife who is a paraplegic, and I never went through half the steps this video puts you through. Have used it for over 20 years, and it works better than anything the ADA would recomend.
Wolkness ...he did the best he could and it worked. I give him props for doing this himself even though some steps could have been eliminated by knowing other shortcuts. Not bashing you, just want you to realize the DIY person can have limited experience. Anyway, sorry about your wife as my ex wife was paralyzed too. It’s definitely a difficult road for both parties.
@@Hawk0827 Thanks for your response
Wish I’d seen this before I spent hours and hours creating exact stair risers to fit stairs on entrance to the house from the garage. Mine is portable as well-ramp allows me to use a long cart to unload groceries and wheel in Christmas trees. 😀😀.
I think you made a great vid. 👍
You did great. Thanks for posting.
You're welcome. Thanks for watching and commenting.
Just to make the attachment of the side rails easier, be sure to mount the outside runners flush to the edge of the plywood.
Love the ramp!
Thank you!
Thanks, that's a neat idea about using paint and poster board to get the angles correct.
You're welcome. On my latest ramp, built outside in cold weather, I used hot melt glue and a piece of paneling to duplicate the angle. The video of this build will be out soon. Thanks for watching and commenting!
Use a folding framing square. Very accurate and quicker!
I felt using a basic tape measure and/or square would be so much easier, quicker, and no paint mess.
Welp, I know one subject I wouldn't try to be helpful with, by making a video about it.
From the comment section, you'd think you were telling people
that this is the one and only correct way to do it. I don't see their videos up on it. lol Thanks.
The video isn't for everyone or every situation, but always great when the right person finds it.
I am going to build this for my wife so it will be easy for to get in and out of the house thank you.
You're welcome.
great video, very informative
Thanks for watching and commenting.
My landlord is having a wheelchair ramp permanently put on to my apartment. But, one thing I noticed about your ramp that is "deadly" is the lack of siding on each side of the wheelchair ramp. My friend accidentally drove his electric wheelchair right off the ramp and he died on the scene. A ramp needs to have some kind of rails or side barriers that would stop a deadly accident. My other quadriplegic friend has really good side rails. It saved her from zooming over the edge. She injured her toe, but it did not cause a fatal fall.
Terrible accident. Sorry to hear that. I used this ramp to wheel a person who could not do it herself. You're right, the side rails should be much larger and of a heavier material for a self propelled chair.
wow great nice good idea buildings builder wheel chair ramp
Some clever ideas here, nice video!
Very good idea wheel chair ramp ,,,
Thanks for watching and commenting!
Wow good idea wheel chair ramp
Thank you, I appreciate the guidance.
You're welcome. Thanks for watching and commenting.
The correct ratio is 1"@12", anything more can be very difficult to roll yourself up. Try it yourself on a bad day and you could be stuck in the garage for the day.
You are right. I built this for a relative who suffered a devastating stroke. I am the one who pushes her up the ramp. The ADA requirement (one inch of rise per 12 inches of ramp length) is needed for manual chairs or even motorized chairs. I made this video for those in similar home-based situations. It is not universally appropriate.
The Original Mechanic Sorry to hear about the stroke, I hope they are doing better. My dad had a few strokes years ago and I understand. As long as you are pushing the ramp will work fine.
Thanks. I appreciate the kind thoughts.
@@TheOriginalMechanic I’m about to build one in my parents garage for my father. I’m pretty much 16” high like you. Was planning on 8’ length due to the limitations of the lares. 2” slope per 1ft. Just line you did. My dad will not be pushing the wheelchair. My mother will. She’s about 5’10” woman. She gets around pretty decent, but not nearly as stony as she use to be. Point is, she’ll be the one pushing my dad up/down this ramp, how difficult is it to push up the ramp or prevent the chair from running away when going down the ramp. I guess going down she could go backwards for better control. Your opinion would be much appreciated. Otherwise I man need to make longer ramp.
@@kennethmacdowell211 I had no difficulty pushing my mother-in-law up the ramp and I went backwards going down. The one thing I would recommend doing is putting on a higher, sturdier side rail than I did on this ramp. This was my first effort and I later built a couple of 10 foot ramps. I would recommend that for safety especially if an older, lighter person is doing the pushing as in your case. Thanks for watching and I hope this helps.
u r a Genius.
Hi David, thanks for the great help. I was wondering how you applied the outdoor carpet to the plywood? The usual glue scares me a little because of replacement problems. I'm guessing it would be all but impossible to tear up and replace if glue was used. I also wondered if the carpet ever gets too slick when wet? Thanks again for your help.
Hollis Sundberg I stapled the carpet on there and it's still holding on. I use this one in a garage entry, so it's out of the weather. I did build one for outside use and painted it before attaching the carpeting. I also suggest putting a tarp over it before rain or especially snow (thank goodness that's no longer an issue now), Thanks for watching the video and I'm glad you found some of the ideas useful.
thanks for this helpful video
You're welcome and thanks for watching and commenting.
Nice ramp hope you are close to help ne build one for my son..thanks
thanks this is so helpful! I like it
You're welcome!
Sorry to say you are wrong. You must have 1 foot of ramp for each inch of rise. You said 2 inches per foot. ASAsays 1 inch =1 foot.
Unique idea for your ramp...didn’t buy until the end of video.
very helpful
You should visit woodprix website if you would like to make it by yourself I think.
Pure awesomeness
Additionally ADA requirements are for a 60" landing at the top.
The ADA has no jurasdiction in how you outfit your own home,. Dweeb.
@@tendervittlesdoobiestein2145 Dickhead
Thank you for posting your wheelchair ramp design! I'm not sure how you attached the angle pieces to the top of the ramp? I don't see any screws? Also, how did you attach the boards to the steps?
The angle supports were screwed to the top underside of the ramp. The ramp just rested on the step with the weight of the ramp holding it there.
David, I know you are trying to help people who have needs, however, you are misleading people with some of your assumptions about the slope of the ramp. If you build the ramp as you suggest, the ramp would have an 9.6 degree incline. This degree of incline is approaching dangerous territory. ( user tipping over ). There are a couple of problems with this incline
1. Most people in a chair do not have the strength to push the chair up that steep of incline on their own. They will always have to rely on someone to help them.
2.The max incline for a manual chair is 7.2 degrees, this is stretching it for most people, and most, if not all users would have to have a helper to make this work.
3. Even a temporary ramp should have at least a 4 inch rail on each side. This in the min to insure that the wheelchair does not fall off the ramp.
In order to have a safer ramp., it needs to have a 1 to 12 ratio, This means that for ever inch of rise,
use your 16 " for example, the ramp would have to be 16 feet long. These are guidelines used the ADA , and those are used in all public buildings. Remember that the steeper the incline the harder it is to use the ramp, either by the user or helper.
I know you said that this is an removable ramp, but it really should have some way to attach it to the home so it won't slip.
You can easily make a bracket that would affix to the home that you could drop the ramp into.
I did not see any kind of no slip material on the bottom of the ramp that you made. It is too easy for the ramp to get dislodged and fall.
I see that you have chastised some posters saying that their concerns are overblown. Making sure that someone is safe is never an overblown statement. Have a nice day
Thanks for your very thoughtful and detailed comment and critique. I should have mentioned that the disabled relative I built this for is not able to propel the chair themselves. Nor is it designed to meet ADA requirements for public buildings. In the two years since I built the ramp we have used it many times with no slipping. You're right about the side rails. My materials were not as robust as they should have been. I hope viewers of this video will consider your concerns before deciding if this type of ramp will safely meet their needs. This design has helped us host our disabled relative in our home on short notice...and safely.
Thank you for your respectful reply. Best of luck to you and your relative.
doowop lover
1 inch of rise per foot of ramp is 8% and that is the recommended slope.
2:12 is fine, 1:12 is recommended for businesses and anywhere public to pass inspection. He’s at home and that slope is fine if he’s going to punch himself.
wouldnt a jigsaw be better to make the spines?
correct slope is 1 in 12. Handrails and side guards should also be built. My city requires a permit for a wheelchair ramp and this design would not be considered safe.
How long did this take you to make? I like it! Simple. Durable. And "portable" :) Nice job!
I built it over about a week. I never built a ramp before so there was a learning curve, especially on getting the angles right on the runners. Total actual build time was maybe four or five hours of actual work.
dear, do you have any simple idea to convert stairs to ramp, for 2nd floor ?
No, that's beyond any simple solution.
Use circular saw instead the saw sall
Where can I find the runner?
Your inches in height IS how long the ramp should be… divide by 2 and well, you’ve got 1/2 a ramp… Ramps for chairs need landings…
How did u determine where to spray ur mark
With the surface board in the final resting position,
the paint is sprayed on a piece of material set against the floor end of the board. This line is then used as a template to transfer the angle to the support 2X4s.
Great to see that woodprix has new instructions to save my money and energy to build it.
How thick is the plywood you used?
I used 3/8". On another, longer outdoor ramp I used 1/2'. Since this design is portable I wanted it to be light, but the more robust the better.
why make the cut harder by using a sawzall??? circular saw would have been perfect for these cuts........
Right you are. My circular saw was broken and I used what I had on hand.
Ever hear of a Circular Saw ? lol
How about learning How to use a Tape measure and Straight edge to cut support runners Just a thought 👌
Do you always blurt your thoughts out loud not caring if you look like an ass🕳️?
If you enjoy woodworking plans, you will love woodprix. Get inspired by all the endless possibilities of furniture plans and other wood projects to build, for both indoors and outdoors.
Is this for real???
This ramp, now retired, helped us host my mother- in-law in our home during the last three years of her life.
what the???
I don't understand the poster board thing just seams like Xtra money it's like nobody knows there math get a tape measure WOW PEOPLE
I checked a lot of woodworking handbooks. Those from woodprix are the best I think.
it didn't work for me
+Twirlzzz Sorry to hear that.
I check a lot of woodworking handbooks. These one from woodprix are the best.
Hmmm... I finally followed Ann's advice and took Woodprix. It's great for beginners and has some advanced stuff too.
I created something like that thanks to the stodoys instructions.
I'm sure the best wood makers instructions is on woodprix website.
That's dangerous as fuck
ADA requirements are 1 foot for every inch
I pointed out in the video that this is for temporary home use only, where ADA requirements are not in force.
There is something for everyone on Stodoys website.
skilsaw
Wrong way to measure, wrong way to mark a cut line, wrong tools.This is backyard carpentry not at its best. And no, I am not just being critical to be critical- this isn't a birdhouse or a decoration, it's a wheelchair ramp and it should be designed and built correctly.
Great advise Matt. I need to make one this week. Wondering if you could send me your video to watch so I can make it correctly. I sure don't need another birdhouse...you know what I mean Matt. Thanks a lot, your the best!
Yes you are being critical just to be critical. Otherwise you would link a video or page showing the correct way, in your opinion, to build a ramp. The ramp works just fine for what he is using it for.
Dude, I just sat and watched your video, 1st let me say, your idea isn't bad. The way you constucted it, is another story. I do hope that you do not build as your living. Did a rabbit did in your way when you cut that line on the plywood. Then you used a saw-all to cut the stringers, then had to use a beltsander, which by the way, isn't a normal tool for a framer, you could have just used your circular saw, and been done with it. As for saftey, weight......wouldn't hold for long.....not a good choice if you care who is using this ramp......I rate your work in the low 5's........SMH...
+Richard Kulpa I do it my way. That's why I named the channel "The Original Mechanic." I used what I had at the time (my circular saw was broken). I contest one point you made: This ramp is very sturdy as built. I've had over five hundred pounds on it one time. Thanks for watching and commenting and have a great day.
Wow...... I hope you don't leave constructive criticism on people TH-cam page for a living either because if you do.... Some may say that your kind of a 🐓🍭.
All good ideas and results but this is sure not a safety video. Lol. Wow. How many screws did he drive in , where the smallest slip would have drove that drill nose right into his hand. No matter if you have driven in millions of screws without a miss ........you can still miss!!! Lol. And driving that sawzal as hard as you could toward your knee/shin. Great work , but, presentation? Don't try this at home kids. Lol
Wow.... too narrow, too steep, bad lip (tip hazard) at beginning of ramp, should be a 5' square landing at that door, for an out swinging door especially , the strips of whatever it was along the sides are too short and weak and won't stop diddly. but hey you can jump on it and its cheap so it's all good. Granny's expendable amiright? If you are watching this... DO NOT build a ramp like this. Spend 30 minutes longer in planning, and a few bucks more in material and do it right.
+Bill Price Wow, you're exaggerating the flaws. Tip hazard? For what, a battleship? Grandma weighs a hundred pounds and has enjoyed a quite a few visits to our home on this ramp. Thanks for the comment, though. I just think your concerns are overblown. Have a good one.
you did a good job for a residential ramp. it never fails that no matter how good you do you will always have the "experts"?? that want to be critical of every little detail. i had to build a couple ramps in my inlaws home after he was in an accident which left him wheelchair bound and after researching it i came to the conclusion that unless i tore the house down and re-built it there was no way i could be ADA compliant without having ramps that took up the entire rooms i was trying to get him into. anyway after using what you had available you did a great job.....regardless of what the nay sayers say....ha!
Thanks for the comment. If I worried about pleasing everyone, I wouldn't share a video until I spent 5 years developing it, carefully considering every potential flaw or weakness. Instead, I just plow ahead and do the best I can and look forward to comment's like yours.
+Bill Price Share your expert video so we can see how to do it the correct way
Hey Bill, I think most if not everyone knows or is able to research ADA ramp requirements. ADA requirements are for "permanent" ramps and are mainly for "non-assisted" wheelchair access. And making a 5 foot landing at the door would be larger than the whole ramp this man made. He made this so "he" could push his grandmother up and into the house and not be a permanent structure. But if you feel better now that you looked up ADA ramp codes and let everyone know how smart you are then I guess that is ok. Did you also show your comment to your friends/family/wife and let them know how dumb this man was and how smart you are? They must be so proud of you...I know I am. I bet when this man was a child and rode his bicycle he never even wore a helmet. Your my hero Bill! Oh...and how high should the top rail be to meet ADA code Bill? Just asking so I don't have to google it myself.
I think that you made this much more complicated than it has to be. You used every tool that you could find when you could do it all with a circular saw. And you left off safety features like side rails to keep the wheelchair from rolling off the side. Poor Video Dude.
I agree, the side rails were a weakness, which I easily remedied with more stout materials later. The tools used were never suggested as "the only way to go." I think the portable design of the ramp and the way it accurately fit the step were the strengths of the ramp. Thanks for watching and pointing out the flaws so that others who may need to provide home access for a disabled friend or relative can decide how to build a ramp.