How can I make a temporary walkway to accommodate a wheelchair??
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During our post Harvey home repairs my husband fell and broke his leg. He's now pretty much wheelchair bound. My stone path needs to become wheelchair friendly to enable him access to some of the backyard and visitation to his farm animals. I'm an avid diy-er (doing most of Harvey repairs myself), thinking something wood as cement structure is way out of my budget and skill set. The walkway would be coming off of a cement porch. Thanks for any suggestions!!
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Oh my! I am so sorry about your husband. You have my sympathy.
Best bet would be a paver or concrete stepping stone walkway. You can easily do this yourself.
https://www.inchcalculator.com/paver-calculator/
https://www.homedepot.com/c/how_to_install_a_paver_patio_HT_PG_OD
Considered palettes? Cannibalise a few to fill in the gaps of others or completely rip them down.
Quickest way would be to use a couple of lengths of 4x2 to create a walkway. If your footpath is really uneven, you could use a few of the planks to create legs. level off each end & screw legs to the 4x2 to support along the length.
My mom once put dry cement on a small stone and brick patio. She then sprayed with a gentle hand with the garden hose to wet the cement. When it dried, it was much firmer and safer. My only suggestion would be to temporarily put a board beside the path-just to keep the wet concrete from running past edges until it dries. It was an inexpensive and easy fix.
Thick plywood would last at least a year for the ramp and the walkway. ADA requires no more than a 15% grade on ramps, so you should stay close to that for the temp ramp. Stack concrete blocks, pallets, or even broken concrete steps under all the plywood. Use strong nails or hinges to attach the top of the ramp to the porch because that’s where most of the pressure will come from, plus where two sheets of plywood meet to form the ramp, which will be longer as your porch is higher. I realize you may be draining local church and service groups that might build you a ramp, but think of people you know in other areas who may have connections to help you. Or create a Go Fund Me account when you know how much you actually need for a specific type of ramp and tollway. It will cost you a small %. So,figure it out by yourself from wood; get plans from the internet; seek funding for a more permanent ramp; or try to get a service group to build it. Best wishes. ☺️