Concrete step

Hm! Might have to get the hammer out and visit B&Q for some wood!

So... (and this is really going to show that I'm a girl!!) should I just do it with a sheet of wood over two wedges then?!

[dirtydog]

That's what I did except I used 3 wedges and some 18mm exterior ply. If you want to be flash you could also screw some checker plate to the top for grip as the wood does get slippy in the wet

Hmm... you're definitely giving me ideas! Maybe I could make a short bit for the 2" drop too that could stop short of the drain hole cover.

Where's a handiman when you need one!!

you dont need a handyman, you've got an org at your disposal.
Dirtydog speaketh sense, if you're happy with removable ramps then no reason not to build your own and it'll be a damn sight cheaper than £400.
tbh the timber and tools you'd have to buy as formwork for the concrete would prob cost more than what it'll cost to build the ramps from timber yourself.

If you do go the concrete route, look up concrete ready mix in your yellow pages and you'll find a local company (they're everywhere) who'll come with it literally ready to wheel barrow straight in for you. Costs a bit more than buying the bags of sand, cement and agg and then mixing it (which is also a PITA) but its a thousand times quicker.

lol so which org member's handy with a hammer then?

thanks for the suggestions leedsmatt & dirtydog - definitely makes sense building my own if i'm going down the removable ramp route. now just need to figure out how!

[keith_d]

A few treated beams and handful of bricks and some deck boards would make a nice dry area to store the bikes on and you could adjust the level to match the step. If you've got some mates nearby who know one end of a saw from another it shouldn't take too long to build, and I think Wickes have an offer on deck boards at the moment.

Hopefully there will be enough left over to make a portable ramp you can put down outside when you don't fancy bumping the bike over the kerb.

Just another option,

Keith.

Originally Posted by keith_d

A few treated beams and handful of bricks and some deck boards would make a nice dry area to store the bikes on and you could adjust the level to match the step. If you've got some mates nearby who know one end of a saw from another it shouldn't take too long to build, and I think Wickes have an offer on deck boards at the moment.

Hopefully there will be enough left over to make a portable ramp you can put down outside when you don't fancy bumping the bike over the kerb.

Just another option,

Keith.

Hm... interesting! I did think about getting a raised platform at one point to keep the bikes off the ground and away from the wet. But would this need foundations of some sort, or would it be alright just sitting on top of existing soil and gravel? Basically, the landlord doesn't want anything that isn't easily removable...

normally you would want a foundation of some sort to stop the decking sinking in the rain with the bike on.

simple solution head to your nearest builders yard ask if they have a foot of 8"x2" cut it down diagonally you then have two ramps and a job done!

[keith_d]

Originally Posted by darkdreamsgal

Hm... interesting! I did think about getting a raised platform at one point to keep the bikes off the ground and away from the wet. But would this need foundations of some sort, or would it be alright just sitting on top of existing soil and gravel? Basically, the landlord doesn't want anything that isn't easily removable...

The handful of bricks are your foundations. You just sink a line of them into the ground underneath the beams. This serves two purposes, to keep the beams dryer and spread the load so it doesn't sink into the ground.

So, the wooden part would be very easily removable, unscrew the deck boards and lift up the frame. The bricks would take a little longer but since they're not on concrete footings it would just mean an hour or two with a spade levering them up.

The biggest barrier to taking it up is that, providing it looks good, the landlord will want to keep it that way.

Looking for some checker plate online without success - sites seem to sell in bulk or charge alot for delivery. Anyone have any ideas where I can get some (in person)?

Also, does the thickness matter? Seems to range from 2mm to 10mm.

Thanks