Can anyone recommend a company to install a level/low threshold patio door and an aluminium ramp?
I spoke to an OT from the council Accessible Homes Team yesterday and it’s a 9 month waiting list to have them do the work, with a possible Disabled Facilities Grant. We probably wouldn’t be eligible for the grant anyway as we have low income but high savings. (I will get a benefits assessment organised as someone recommended the other day)
My mum has offered to pay (she can easily afford it) so we would like to get level wheeled access for my husband sorted soon, so he can wheel out with his rollator or wheelchair, and is safer when he wobbles out using just a stick.
1 Like
HI @Hazel_yorkshire , most building firms could do the job. I would ask them to put the ramp in but as cement as most alunminium ramps can’t always take the weight of the wheel chair if a person is over a certain weight. Have a look on Ebay as it gives you an idea of weight for ramps. You could ask the OT for a strong ramp. They gave us one that they use on the railways and that is strong but a pain to move around and store. I would speak to a builder 1st before doing anything else.
2 Likes
Thanks Michael. The front door is too narrow to be accessible. We have a patio door with a high threshold of about 4 inches then a couple of steps. So we need to replace the doorway with a lower threshold. I guess any door company could do that part.
One company eho were here for another job estimated £12,000 to do the work. I’m sure other people would do it for less.
My husband weighs about 15 stone, but I guess we need to consider the weight of any future power chair he might use. We had a try of one (in the garden) that weighed 170kg!
1 Like
@Hazel_yorkshire you could try ringing Age Uk. They may know of companies they could recommend. £12,000 sounds a lot but i don’t know. If your having a new door and ramp and a firm to do it. You could google the doors and ramps and see how much they cost to buy. I also don’t know if your local citizens advice bureau would know of any companies. But I would try Age Uk first. I do know that council assessable home schemes have long waiting lists cos everyone wants them. You could type into Google council disability facilities grant criteria that would tell you the criteria for getting one and then you would know if you would qualify or not. Did the OT lady not know anywhere. I hope this helps.have a nice day.
@Hazel_yorkshire go on this website and have a look if anything is suitable manage@home.co.uk look up mobility and access ramps. See if any are suitable.as you say you have patio doors threshold of 4” and then a couple of steps I don’t know how high the steps are or the total height of threshold + steps. It may be to high .this is the parent company to medequip .where hospital and social services loan equipment from. Manage@home is where people can buy things for home to.also you don’t pay vat on anything. Can I ask who quoted £12,000. I’ve looked at the cost of doors and ramps and yes there’s labour. But i think that is expensive. Was it someone you know. Or someone who knew you were desperate to get it done.
1 Like
@Teddybear Thank you for your input. I had forgotten that Age UK have a list of trusted tradesmen.
It’s not a straightforward ramp because we need a square platform then to turn 90 degrees and go down about 18 inches.
The estimate was from a mobility company who mostly do bathrooms but also do doorway widening etc. I had asked for advice about maybe widening the front door, but they said that would be much more expensive.
1 Like
@Hazel_yorkshire Ok hazel. Hopefully Age uk may know some places . I would get a few quotes. And you could also ask about the front door to and then decide which you thought was best having done .the patio doors or the front door if it’s not that expensive. Also the council may also have a list of trusted tradesmen. Something else I thought about but I don’t know how these grants work. If you look up the disabilty facilities grant you could look at the criteria and see if you would pass the criteria or not. If you would with them being so busy and it’s important that it is done if you qualify you could see if you could get the grant to use for someone else to do the work because you don’t want to wait all this time. I don’t know a lot about them but there is no harm in enquiring and asking. Let me know how you get on .have a nice evening and you and your husband take care.
1 Like
@Hazel_yorkshire hiya hazel I hope that you are ok I wondered how you are getting on with the doors and the ramp. Have a nice day.
Hi. Thanks for checking in. The new low-threshold doors should be fitted later this week, which will be helpful. I found a company who were recommended on my local Facebook community group.
The local Age Uk didn’t have any recommendations for ramps.
The ramp needs to be 5 or 6 metres long, and heavy duty, as we want it to work if we get a heavy power chair in the future, so it needs to be no steeper than a 1:12 gradient. I have had one quote for a modular ramp of about £5000. I’m waiting to hear back from another two ramp companies. My mum offered to pay for the door and ramp, happily.
1 Like
@Hazel_yorkshire hiya ,that’s good that you have managed to get the doors sorted and they are being fitted this week. Have you looked on the manage@home.co.uk website that I wrote above when I had a quick look on there for you they had ramps on there. They are the parent company for mediquip who supply equipment for hospitals and council. And the manage@home.co.uk is where people can buy things themselves for home. You could look on there see what they have on the website and you could ring them up and chat with them.they sell mobility scooter and power chairs and ramps they may have something suitable and cheaper. Don’t forget you don’t pay vat if for disabled person incase you forget.
1 Like
Thanks @Teddybear I have used Manage at Home and Medequip before and been happy with them.
I found some ramps they do via Enable Access which look they might be suitable, and the price is very reasonable. I have sent in an enquiry.
Thanks again
1 Like
@Hazel_yorkshire your welcome hazel , A lot different price that £5,000 .you have to watch some of these places and you don’t have to pay vat either. I’m glad things are working out. I also noticed they sell powerchairs etc if you ever need to get one of those in the future. And if you type in citizens advice bureau into google and put the area where you live it will bring up your local citizens advice bureau and if you ring them they will go through yours and your husbands benefits with you to make sure your getting what your entitled to. Also if your husband has an illness where he has a mental impairment you can get council tax exemption. You have to fill form in apply for it. Mention that to the citizens advice bureau and if you ask them they will also help you to apply for these things.
Also if the council assess as needing essential equipment or minor home adaptions , like grab rails, hoist if you need anything like that you can get them up to the value of £1,000 for free from your local council.regardless of income or savings. You ask the council needs assessment they will send occupational therapist to come out evaluate which would be best. I didn’t know if you knew that. If you don’t you may be able to use the money towards a ramp as it’s an essential piece of equipment home adaptions. It’s worth asking, take care.