A ramp can have a perfect slope, proper landings and handrails on both sides, and still be dangerous, because the surface is slick when wet.
Surface is the detail that gets least attention and causes the most trouble.
What the standard asks for
The Access Board requires ramp surfaces to be slip resistant and stable, firm and slip resistant along accessible routes generally.
Slip resistant is a performance requirement rather than a material, which is why the same ramp material can pass or fail depending on its finish and condition.
The materials
Extruded aluminum with a punched or perforated surface
The modular standard. The perforations let water and debris fall through rather than sitting on the surface, which is the main reason these perform well wet.
For: excellent drainage, consistent grip, no coating to wear off, light, and it comes apart so it can be moved.
Against: hot in direct sun, noisy underfoot, and small casters can catch on some perforation patterns.
Aluminum with a grit or coated surface
Solid decking with an applied non-slip finish.
For: smooth ride, quieter, no caster catching.
Against: the coating is a wear item. It wears fastest exactly where it is needed most, along the walking line, and it needs recoating eventually.
Timber
Common on home-built ramps and the one we see fail most.
For: cheap, matches a deck, easy to build.
Against: smooth timber wet is genuinely slick, and in shade it grows algae which is slicker than ice. It needs a grit strip or a non-slip coating applied and maintained, and most home-built ramps have neither.
If you have a timber ramp, this is the thing to check this week.
Concrete
For: permanent, no maintenance, good grip if the finish is right.
Against: the finish is decided once, when it is poured. A smooth trowelled finish is slippery wet; a broom finish across the direction of travel gives grip. Get that specified before the pour, because afterward it means grinding or coating.
Composite decking
For: low maintenance, does not rot.
Against: some composites are very slippery wet, and performance varies enormously by product. Ask for a slip rating rather than assuming.
Shade is the real enemy
Any surface in permanent shade grows algae, and algae defeats every material on this page.
A ramp on the north side of a house, or under trees, needs cutting back where possible and washing before growth establishes rather than after. A stiff brush and a household cleaner twice a year is usually enough.
Checking one you already have
- Walk it in the rain, deliberately, holding the handrail.
- Look for wear along the walking line, particularly on coated surfaces.
- Look for green or black growth, especially at the edges and in shade.
- Check where water collects, usually the landings rather than the slope.
- Check edge protection is present along the full run.
Our outdoor guide covers the seasonal maintenance and our slope guide covers the geometry.
Threshold ramps indoors
Different question. Rubber grips well wet, stays put by its own weight, and suits interior thresholds. Aluminum is lighter and usually needs fixing down.
Both ship free from our online shop, and our ramp types guide covers which suits which situation.
The cheapest safety upgrade
Non-slip strips or a grit coating on an existing ramp, applied along the walking line and across the landings.
It costs very little, it takes an afternoon, and on a timber ramp it is the difference between usable and hazardous. The CDC puts surface conditions among the environmental factors that matter in fall prevention, and a ramp is where the consequences are worst.
Grit strips, applied properly
The cheapest fix on an existing ramp, and it is worth doing properly rather than sticking a few strips on.
Cover the full walking width rather than a strip down the middle, because people and wheels do not travel a consistent line. Continue across the landings, which is where water collects and where somebody is transitioning between surfaces.
Pay attention to the last two feet at the bottom. That is where somebody steps off onto a different surface, and it is the highest-risk point on the whole structure.
Edge protection is not surface
Separate requirement and frequently confused. Edge protection stops a wheel running off the side of the ramp, and it is required along the full run rather than at intervals.
Check it is present and continuous on any ramp you inherit. A missing section is a genuine hazard and a cheap fix.
Handrails and wet hands
A handrail that is slick when wet is not doing its job. Powder-coated or textured rails grip better than polished metal, and a rail in direct sun gets hot enough to be unusable on a Southeastern afternoon.
Both are solvable with a sleeve, and our outdoor guide covers the seasonal picture.
Ask for it in the quote
Surface material and finish, edge protection, handrail material, and any coating with its expected service life. A quote that names a material and not a finish has left the most important decision unstated.
Replacing a surface rather than a ramp
On a sound timber ramp with a slick deck, replacing or coating the surface costs a fraction of rebuilding and addresses the actual hazard.
Get the structure checked at the same time: fixings, handrail movement, footings, and whether the slope is what it should be. Our slope guide covers the arithmetic and the Access Board publishes the requirements.
Salt and metal
Avoid rock salt on aluminum, which accelerates corrosion. Use a product rated for metal, or clear mechanically with a plastic shovel. Non-slip matting and threshold ramps ship free from our online shop.
Testing grip without guessing
Wet the surface with a hose and walk it in the shoes somebody actually wears, holding the handrail. Then do the same with a wheelchair or scooter if that is the equipment.
It takes five minutes and it is the only reliable test. Everything looks adequate dry, and a surface that is slick wet has to be found out deliberately rather than accidentally.
Put it in the maintenance calendar
Twice yearly: wash the surface, check for growth, inspect coating wear along the walking line, check edge protection and handrails, and look at where water collects after rain.
Fifteen minutes, and our outdoor guide covers the full seasonal list. Threshold ramps and matting ship free from our online shop.