Info on very basic wooden walkway


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Old 10-01-19, 04:54 PM
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Info on very basic wooden walkway

how’s it going ?

Looking to build approx 30 ft x 3 ft wide wooden walk way for my 93 yr old grandmother , so she can get her wheel chair across her front lawn.

Not really looking for a “ deck “ but was wondering if anyone built something similar To this ?

Maybe some 4x4s buried to almost ground height with boards going rite across the top of grass ? Very basic stuff.


any help is greatly appreciated ?
 
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Old 10-02-19, 03:12 AM
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The closer the wood is to the ground the sooner the ground moisture will rot the wood. Your plan should work although it would be best to carefully inspect it periodically. Should be good for a few years. Are you sure 3' is wide enough? doesn't give a lot of room for going off course.
 
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Old 10-02-19, 03:13 AM
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I've made temporary walkways very much like that a couple times and it's worked very well. If you use 2x lumber for the walk surface (a full 3' span), it'll be a little bouncy, but not too bad. Just keep in mind that wood can be quite slippery when it gets wet or covered with frost or snow. Especially if there's any amount of slope to it. Something else you may consider is a "curb" on each side so a wheelchair wheel can't accidentally go off the edge and tip the wheelchair over. A curb could be as simple as a 2x8 on edge that's screwed to the walk structure and is 4" above the walk surface.
 
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Old 10-02-19, 04:53 AM
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I've made several semi-temporary walkways. The construction varied depending on how permenant and how solid I wanted it. At one end of the scale I drilled holes through the ends of planks and ran a rope through. Stringing many boards together created a walkway that could be rolled up or dragged out of the way when mowing.

More sturdy is something like a long narrow pallet. I made it in 8' and 12' long sections so I had less cutting and it kept the weight of the sections somewhat reasonable so they could be dragged around as needed.

Most permenant is sinking something into the ground. 2"x lumber is not treated for ground contact. Most modern treated lumbers can withstand 5-10 years on the ground but that's about it. Warping could be an issue as 2x4's on the ground could warp and the walkway won't be heavy enough to hold it down. Using 4x4 or 4x6 for the runners might help, but will cost more and be heavier and more difficult to work with.
 
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Old 10-02-19, 08:27 AM
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Just be aware there are some pretty strict ADA guidelines regarding ramps, I would assume some/many would apply to a "path" also.

This is something you dont want to really skimp on, being in a wheelchair with an unstable base could create a very bad situation!

https://www.adawheelchairramps.com/w...uidelines.aspx
 
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Old 10-11-19, 07:40 AM
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Thanks everyone. Sorry for late reply.

There was a typo which should of said 4’ not 3. Also with all the rules regarding the “ deck/path” with town . I am now leaning toward making the path out of 24x24 concrete blocks.

Thanks for all the information and ideas !! Great key appreciated
 
 

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