What Type of Wheelchair Ramp Is Right for Your Home?

For those who rely on wheelchairs, walkers, or mobility scooters to maintain independence and high quality of life, a wheelchair ramp in Baton Rouge, LA, can be critical. After all, no matter which mobility device you use, if you can't gain access to your home and the outside world, there's still an obstacle to independence and free movement that must be conquered. Wheelchair ramps provide a reliable, low-cost method of allowing the mobility impaired easy and safe egress into and out of their homes.

However, every home is different, and the routes for access are likewise diverse. That's why there's a diversity of styles and configurations seen among wheelchair ramps, as they must be customizable to accommodate many architectural details, varying positions of approach, and divergent grades. With all these options, how can the average person decide which wheelchair ramp is best for his or her home? Keep reading to learn the primary types of wheelchair ramps to consider when you're deciding which one is right for you.

Wooden Freestanding

Freestanding ramps are by far the most stable and sturdy of ramp options for use with wheelchairs. They are also intended for long-term use, so if you expect that your use of a wheelchair will be ongoing for the foreseeable future, a freestanding ramp probably provides the most permanent option. Typically, freestanding ramps are made of either wood or metal. Wood ramps can be built and assembled on-site from raw materials, which means there are no premanufactured components that must be purchased to construct the ramps. To construct a wooden ramp, all you need is a basic workable plan, lumber, and a few carpentry tools. They are built to suit the design of the home and the available space, which makes freestanding wooden ramps the most customizable and permanent ramp style. While wood is less expensive than metal, the cost of labor for constructing the ramp makes freestanding wooden ramps the most expensive variety in most cases.

Metal Freestanding Ramps

Other freestanding ramps are made of metal. In most cases, such ramps are prefabricated off-site, with the modules or components being snapped together at the home to construct the finished ramp structure. Usually, metal ramps are made of aluminum or steel, and the homeowner purchases purpose-built modules to suit the need. Metal ramps are extremely durable and sturdy, and while they may not be as customizable as freestanding wooden ramps, there is still a degree of flexibility in accommodating different types of homes. Aluminum ramps are cheaper than wooden ramps because less labor is involved in construction. They are also more resilient and low maintenance than their wooden counterparts.

Portable Ramps

Portable ramps, as the name would indicate, are meant to be moved to any location where a ramp may be needed. They can be used to cross curbs, traverse entryway stairs, or to provide access to vehicles. The key feature of portable ramps is that they can be moved from place to place, and as a result, they can't be used to ascend significant heights. Many portable ramps fold into compact packages and have hand grips, both of which are designed to make moving them simple and convenient. Most portable ramps are made of metal, and the price point for portable ramps is usually lower than permanent types of ramps.

Threshold Ramps

The smallest and least expensive type of wheelchair ramp is the simple threshold ramp. These ramps only allow for a few inches of ascent and are useful for allowing access to rooms where they may be a few inches of rise between rooms or from a front porch into a residence. While they can be moved easily, they aren't built with the portability features of portable ramps. Because they're small and limited in uses, they're the most affordable type of ramp.

Before you begin investigating wheelchair ramps rental in Baton Rouge, LA, consider the different types of ramps that are available and match the capabilities of each style to your needs. To learn more about choosing the right type of wheelchair ramp for your needs, contact K N Enterprises at (504) 715-6658.