Storeyed buildings are currently the best choice to maximise your available ground space when putting up any construction design. One of the key elements with this choice is your vertical access. In the past, the only options for vertical access in storeyed buildings lay in elevators or stairs. While these are still the leading choices available today, you also have ramps for your building’s vertical access.
People generally associate ramps with commercial buildings and homes that have an individual who uses a wheelchair. However, there are now multiple staircase design options with incorporated ramps, which will give you the best of both worlds for disabled and non-disabled people in your building. This choice will take up minimal space since you do not need to have considerable space for your vertical access to build a ramp and staircase separately. The material of your ramp is one of the elements that determine the functionality of your indoor ramp and its look. Here are the material options for indoor ramps.
Wood
This is considered the least expensive and yet aesthetically pleasing solution among the available materials for indoor ramps. Although these notions are all true, wooden ramps will need a high level of care and professional installation to guarantee that they will deliver the benefits they have been touted to. You will, for instance, need an anti-slip finish on the wooden ramp to maximise its slip resistance when exposed to moisture. This is also the best choice for a ramp that matches your stair treads as most treads are wooden.
Concrete
Most people assume that this option suffices for only public and commercial spaces where many people use the ramp. In residential spaces, however, concrete ramps will also suffice and can form a continuous design element with the concrete surfaces on your building’s lower floors. Although costly, these ramps are virtually maintenance-free and offer numerous alternatives for the customisation of their design to match other elements in your home.
Steel
This material is used for a modular ramp. With the increase in metal stairs currently and their different designs, you can have a steel ramp to match the metal treads. Steel ramps are heavy, and they will last much longer compared to other options. Still, they are not rust-proof, so they may not be the best choice in areas exposed to different levels of moisture.
Aluminium
This is your ideal choice if you have metal stair treads or balustrades and are looking for a modular metallic ramp to match them. Aluminium offers a less industrial look compared to steel, so it matches a home with a modern or laid-back interior design. Ramps made of aluminium are lightweight, so they are easy to install, they are durable, they are rust-proof, and they will not need much maintenance.
Everyone wants their property to stand out. The material options mentioned above for your ramp combined with a staircase are the best ones if you are looking for a unique indoor look. Do not assume that ramps are a preserve for homes with disabled residents. They will also be a comfortable and hassle-free choice for times when taking the stairs is too exhausting or you need to get bulky items to your upper floors.
