Many people attach wooden wheelchair ramps to their homes. There are a few things you should know to ensure you use them safely. This article will give you a few safety tips for using wooden wheelchair ramps.
Type
You need to be careful about the type of wood used to construct the ramp. Wooden wheelchair ramps should always be constructed of quality wood, especially pressure-treated wood. Many wheelchair users make the mistake of having ramps constructed from plywood because it's very cheap. However, plywood isn't a very durable material and will rot quickly rendering the ramp unsafe.
Width
You should also pay close attention to the width of wooden wheelchair ramps. You never want to use a ramp that is too narrow. A narrow ramp will increase your risk of falling off to the side while ascending the ramp. It's best that wooden wheelchair ramps are at least a foot wider than the width of your wheelchair.
Slickness
One of the common problems with wooden wheelchair ramps is their slickness. If they are made of the incorrect tread, they may become too slick. The wheels of your wheelchair will have a hard time gripping the surface of the ramp if it is too slick. You can avoid this by using pebble-grained paper to make wooden wheelchair ramps less slippery. Another option is to paint the ramp with paint that has sand added to it.
Steepness
If the area you need to access with wooden wheelchair ramps is high, the ramp may have to be steep. However, steeper ramps are more difficult to ascend, especially if you don't have a motorized wheelchair. Steep ramps also present the risk of you tipping backward as you climb the ramp. If you need to use wooden wheelchair ramps that are very steep, you need to make sure it is longer to make up for the steeper angle.
Drainage
One of the last important things to consider about these ramps is how well it drains. If water is allowed to accumulate on wooden wheelchair ramps, it will rot the wood and make it unsafe to use. Therefore, you need to make sure your ramp allows water to drain from it easily.
These are a few safety tips for using wooden wheelchair ramps. You should use pebble-grained paper to make sure the ramp isn't too slick for the wheels to grip. If the ramp is very steep, it needs to be that much longer to make up for the steep angle.
how to build wheelchair ramps
Digg relaunches as a general <b>news</b> site
The new Digg has just been relaunched and is now available for everyone. The new website displays all contents on the frontpage with no option to dig deeper.
Digg relaunches as a general <b>news</b> siteThe Daily Lays Off a Third of Its Staff - AllThingsD
News Corp. officials have publicly defended The Daily, which News Corp. CEO Rupert Murdoch thought would serve as a template for newspapers' transition to the tablet era. Murdoch's team worked closely with Apple and its ...
The Daily Lays Off a Third of Its Staff - AllThingsDCrossroads GPS: "<b>News</b>" - YouTube
Tell President Obama: for real job growth, stop spending and cut the debt.
Crossroads GPS: "<b>News</b>" - YouTube
No comments:
Post a Comment