Now that the snow has melted, I was able to finally take pics of the dog ramp. Boy, did it come in handy during the heavy snow!
For those of you not up to speed, this was the old “ramp”:
4’x8′ top section, mostly flat with tilt due to crooked porch
4’x8′ bottom section. like the top, it is/was plywood. it was kinda sorta connected to the first section but that connection kept breaking as did the 2×4″ support “joists”. because they ran up/down this section (gotta run or you won’t make it) it always wore down first.
And this is the new one:
5’x10′ top section
bottom sections. both are 8′ long. first is roughly 4′ wide; second is roughly 3′ wide.
Mucho bettero, eh?
5 4×4 posts, one 8′ and the others 6′ with one cut in half for the bottom section
9 2×6 joists, 3 were 10′, the rest were 8′
Strongtie brand hangers and brackets (strongly recommend these things)
8 “dek-blok” cinder blocks under the posts (we likey lots!)
Umpteen 5/4×6 deck planks
Blue Million screws
No clue as to cost. Way more than we expected and slightly more than we could afford but, frankly, it is going to last a long time. That was the goal. I think we accomplished that.
Whoa! Looks great! You tried rolling down it yet?
Thanks! We worked hard on it! The dogs really like it. The boys tend to run up and down it, chasing each other with Sam jumping on and off. We’ll be putting up a railing on the first section just so I feel more safe up there. I’m not too good with edges.
And no, I’m not going down it in my chair. For one, it is too steep. I’d need a spotter. And second, have you seen all that mud?! Just a few feet from the end of it is The Mud Pit they’ve created over the years. It is where they turn from the side yard into the back yard. They’ve managed to lower that section by a good foot or more. The problem is poor draining from the lack of gutters on that part of the house, dogs running hell bent for leather around that corner, and the general swampiness of that section of the yard. It is yet another project we need to take care of.