Choosing a Wheelchair Ramp for a Sliding Glass Door

If you have a patio or deck you want to enjoy in the warmer weather, or if a sliding glass door is the primary means of entry to your home, finding a wheelchair ramp for a sliding glass door can be tough. This is because the sliding glass door threshold is unlike other doors, so the exact type of ramp you’re looking for won’t look like other ramps. In fact, you may not even be sure of where to begin. However,  wheelchair threshold ramps for sliding glass doors are readily available and will quickly solve your problem, allowing you to enjoy your deck or patio or gain easier access to your home. Read on to learn more about wheelchair ramps for sliding glass doors and how to begin the search.

Wheelchair Ramps for Sliding Glass Doors: How to Measure

In an ideal world, the patio doors’ threshold would be much lower, and you wouldn’t need handicap ramps for patio doors. In fact, most building codes specify that thresholds should be fairly low. It would still require a small handicap ramp for a sliding glass door to get over the rise. 

To find out what size ramp you need, you must:

1 – You need to measure the distance  between the top of the sliding doors’ threshold and the inside of the door. 

2 – Measure between the top of the threshold and the outside (exterior) of the door. 

3 – You’ll need to measure the opening of your door to determine the width you’ll need for your wheelchair ramp for your sliding glass door. 

Wheelchair Ramps for Sliding Glass Doors: What Do the Measurements Mean?

The last measurement (the width) is the width of the wheelchair ramp for the patio door that you’ll need. The other measurements are important because there is usually more of a “dip” when you go outside than when you go inside, so you want to make sure that you find a wheelchair ramp for a sliding glass door that accounts for this. A ramp that is even on both sides will tip and won’t do. 

Wheelchair Ramps for Sliding Glass Doors: Selecting a Threshold Ramp

A wheelchair ramp for a sliding door is called a threshold ramp, but there are different types. Once you have your measurements, which are your most important variable, there are some other things to consider. The different types of threshold ramps include:

• Rubber. These are the most inexpensive, are safe and slip-resistant, can carry a heavy load, and can handle uneven surfaces. However, if you’re dealing with a high rise, a rubber ramp can’t be adjusted to meet the need.
• Alumunium. These threshold ramps can usually be detached and taken for travel, lightweight and adjustable, and can carry a heavy weight load. If you have a high rise, you can adjust the legs of these so that it can meet the need.

Both types of threshold ramps work well, but an aluminum ramp is perhaps the better option if you have a particularly high rise.

To learn more about wheelchair ramps for sliding glass doors, or about other mobility products that can be life-changing, such as power recliners or stair lifts, contact Williams Lift Co. today. We want both our caregivers and their loved ones to live their best lives.