A New Wheelchair Ramp!

We're both delighted to report that I now have a sturdy, safe and comfortable new wheelchair ramp off our deck.  The carpenter arrived last Wednesday and by late Thursday we had a new ramp.  The master carpenter we hired really knew what he was doing!

Our old ramp. a flimsy metal affair that bounced under the weight of my electric chair, is removed.  And the wood is ready and waiting for construction.  We felt the old one was actually unsafe, and Mrs. F.G. wouldn't let me use it, though it was there in case of emergency.

By the end of day one the frame had been built, with patio tiles installed as a landing platform.  And the posts for the railings were in place.

Then, suddenly at the end of day two it was done.  Solid, secure and totally safe and it looks good too.

I have Mrs. F.G. to thank for the railings.  I had worried about the ramp structure, having done some building myself in the past, but Mrs. F.G. got on Pinterest and sought out pictures to share with our carpenter.  We ended up with a ramp very much like the example she chose and looking great!

The view from below - I can tell you it works just great!  Our carpenter used the fancy 'invisible' screws to hold the deck boards down, so no screws show on the surface.  Next year we hope to have wheelchair height planter boxes around three sides of the deck.

And the railing turned out very nicely.  Riding down it gives me a comforting feeling of being enclosed safely, very different from the old ramp.  It's good enough that Mrs.F.G. will let me go in and out, up and down on my own now, so a big dose of new freedom.

Anyone want a local carpenter recommended, just ask.  And this cost less than I expected.