"Charlie S." wrote in message
news:Xz4hg.2726$F%3.2683@trndny07...

Looking to make a four foot handicap cement ramp at the end of the
house
walkway. The walkway is about 3 feet wide. There will be about a 5
inch
drop in those four feet. I am going to remove the last 4 feet of level
concrete before I begin.

I was thinking of making a form with 2x4's on the long sides and
thinner
plywood at each end. Then, nail a piece of plywood over the top. Pour
cement into the form and let it harden.

Couldn't find much on how to actually make this type of ramp. From
what
I
read, it didn't say anything about putting a top piece over the form.
Rather, (if I remember correctly) it said to make the mix somewhat
firmer
and start pouring at the lower end.

Which way would be better? Or, should I look at this project
differently?

Other questions:
Should the flooring be level and just the surface angled? I plan to
add
some small stones before pouring.

We live in New England. I bought the cheap $3.00 a bag Quickrete
Concrete
mix from Home Depot. Should I have bought the better mix for the
colder
weather?

Way too big a pour for quickcrete. Unless you have lots of helpers, you
will
never get it mixed, placed, and screeded in time.

Better solution, and less of a turnoff to buyers, is to replace entire
sidewalk, and modify yard grading, to make the ramp vanish. If the rise
is
over the whole length, it will barely be noticable. If that isn't in the
budget, just do the upper 7 or 8 feet- four feet is way too short for a
5-inch rise, especially where ice is common. Bust out the existing walk,
form up the ramp, with thick edges on the bottom, and maybe curbs on top
if
there is a dropoff, and get the concrete delivered. I'd use 4" fabric in
the
slab, to resist cracks and frost heaving.

I haven't looked in a few years, but ADA and AIA used to have brochures
about recommended standards for retrofits like this.

aem sends...

Didn't think about the icing. I'll do 7-8 feet minimum. Would call in a
truck to dump some in if I went that far. The whole walkway is about 30
feet long. If I did the whole thing it could turn into a 2-3 week
project.
Not what I had in mind.

I could hire someone, but don't want to spend $1000 to have it done. May
get a couple quotes and find out what they want for this type of walkway.
Thanks for the advice. Didn't think about the length of time it would
take
to mix it myself. I was planning to rent a mixer.

Just to make sure I understand. You wrote, "form up the ramp, with thick
edges on the bottom." By the 'bottom', you are referring to the lowest
part
of the ramp?

No, to the bottom surface of the new slab. The edges should be thicker to
resist cracking and frost heave, and so you don't have a visible gap under
it if you don't regrade the yard up to it. This is especially true near the
top of the ramp, where the visible edge may be 5-8 inches thick. The part up
the center of the ramp doesn't need to be as thick. Is anybody pouring
sidewalks near you? Look in the hole- it is deeper at the edges near the
form boards. If you have never done or seen concrete work before, I'd buy a
DIY book, or look on some web pages. The pictures will make it all a lot
clearer.

aem sends...