Paene Finitur Posted November 24, 2022 Share Posted November 24, 2022 (edited) I've had the Building Control chap over, and one of the issues that he noticed straight away was that our front door is not level with the ramp outside. I must admit, with everything else, I hadn't noticed it, until it was pointed out. I can't really blame the contractors as the sloping path was laid before the door arrived (project manager should have picked it up though) Anyway, it now looks as if the entire path will have to be pulled up and re-laid, at huge expense unless there's another way I can deal with this. To be honest, looking at it, it doesn't even look like I can raise the path to the level of the door without hitting the line of the render. Has anyone got any bright ideas? I asked whether I could construct a wooden ramp but he said it has to be permanent. Edited November 24, 2022 by Paene Finitur Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roger440 Posted November 24, 2022 Share Posted November 24, 2022 29 minutes ago, Paene Finitur said: I've had the Building Control chap over, and one of the issues that he noticed straight away was that our front door is not level with the ramp outside. I must admit, with everything else, I hadn't noticed it, until it was pointed out. I can't really blame the contractors as the sloping path was laid before the door arrived (project manager should have picked it up though) Anyway, it now looks as if the entire path will have to be pulled up and re-laid, at huge expense unless there's another way I can deal with this. To be honest, looking at it, it doesn't even look like I can raise the path to the level of the door without hitting the line of the render. Has anyone got any bright ideas? I asked whether I could construct a wooden ramp but he said it has to be permanent. Cut diagonally as per my pic. Raise the centre section then angle the side bits so no contact with render will take place Can be 100% from your pic, but it looks like the path is running uphill to the door alread? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterW Posted November 24, 2022 Share Posted November 24, 2022 @Paene Finituris there another accessible door..? One that has a less visible path..? Doesn’t have to be the front door that is Part M compliant. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeSharp01 Posted November 25, 2022 Share Posted November 25, 2022 Are you allowed to make a wooden (same material as door)/ metal ramp the shape as indicated by @Roger440 and then fix it down to make it 'permanent' . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paene Finitur Posted November 25, 2022 Author Share Posted November 25, 2022 9 hours ago, Roger440 said: Cut diagonally as per my pic. Raise the centre section then angle the side bits so no contact with render will take place Can be 100% from your pic, but it looks like the path is running uphill to the door alread? Thanks, yes the path slopes up to the door. As I understand it, the slabs would have to be level with the top of the sill, which is a 2.5-3 inch rise. I don't know if I could slope the sides at that height without cutting into the render. Perhaps if I leave the side triangles as they are, though that would leave rather a rough edge on the stone. Might be the best (i.e. cheapest) thing to do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paene Finitur Posted November 25, 2022 Author Share Posted November 25, 2022 9 hours ago, PeterW said: @Paene Finituris there another accessible door..? One that has a less visible path..? Doesn’t have to be the front door that is Part M compliant. Sadly not. 😟 I'm not sure why, but I was talking to a builder who was working on a new development in Brighton. He said every single one of the houses had two steps going up to them. Sure enough, when I checked locally on a new build estate, many of the houses appear to not have level access. I wonder if they only have to provide a proportion? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jack Posted November 25, 2022 Share Posted November 25, 2022 22 minutes ago, Paene Finitur said: I wonder if they only have to provide a proportion? As I understand it, all houses require it. It's possible there's level access around the side/back where you can't see it - it just needs to be accessible from a parking spot. There's no requirement for you to maintain level access, only for it to exist at the time it's signed off. Do something cheap and temporary. Get hold of some bits of wood and build a ramp on top of what's there. Or lay plastic over your existing ramp, and lay down some cheap (even second hand) pavers in a weak concrete mix (or even just siliconed/glued to bits of wood of the right thickness underneath). Be creative - you might do it for something close to free. We did something similar with ours when the inspector noted the absence of level access on his final visit. We bodged something up with some concrete council pavers we had lying around, sent him a photo, then dismantled it as soon as we got the certificate. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Redbeard Posted November 25, 2022 Share Posted November 25, 2022 If you want permanent I'd have suggested something similar to @Roger440 but not splayed. Cut the slabs in front of the door in line with the joints in the last slab leading up to the brick paviors. Pack up the slabs to meet the cill-top and fit a little upstand (could be stone; could be 'sacrificial' timber) for the edges. Stop the upstand 20mm away from the wall and there's no interference with the render. Agree the temporary fixes will work too. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Russell griffiths Posted November 25, 2022 Share Posted November 25, 2022 I think we need to stop a bit, because we are missing the exact regulation. I was under the the impression that the section immediately in front of the door has to be flat not sloping. So you need a 1200 square dead flat before your slope. I have heard of someone in the same boat, I would cover that whole ramp in plastic sheet going up the wall, then pour a very weak mix of concrete screed on top and get the height you want. After it’s inspected smash it up with a hammer and lift the plastic. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ProDave Posted November 25, 2022 Share Posted November 25, 2022 Remember the level entry requirements stipulate a flat area in front of the door, so a wooden ramp on top of that, would have to have that flat are first before it starts to slope. That is NOT a "level entry" door. If it was it would not have an external cill like that, just a threshold strip that floor inside and ramp outside tuck under. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jilly Posted December 3, 2022 Share Posted December 3, 2022 I was very surprised to find that conversions are exempt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paene Finitur Posted April 2, 2023 Author Share Posted April 2, 2023 So just a bit of feedback. As I think I mentioned, the Building Control guy would not countenance anything in metal or wood stating that "only concrete was suitable for a new build" He also insisted on 1:10 at least which is what its' meant to be, but was a bit tricky to achieve on a path that already been sloped. Here's what my builder came up with. TBH I'm not delighted with it (though the fossilised plant on the bottom slab is quite nice 🙂) Wondering whether to put some plants down the sides for the time being. Anyway, thanks for all your feedback, suggestions and encouragement. 👍 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ETC Posted April 2, 2023 Share Posted April 2, 2023 Fill the side gaps with gravel. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Canski Posted May 22 Share Posted May 22 On this subject I have a similar entrance. 1585 mm wide and 1350 to the front. My problem is that I need to slope the path quite steeply at some point to meet the levels of the integral garage which has a floor level 120 mm lower than the house FFL. I plan to build a dwarf wall 675 mm long on the right hand side of the doorway to give me a bit more distance to match the levels up. Is there a rule stating the distance that the ‘level’ part needs to be before it can drop away at a steeper gradient ? I have become a bit obsessed recently looking at entrances on various new builds where the level part is about a metre long before a step. Photo isn’t the best but should give an idea of the problem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Canski Posted June 7 Share Posted June 7 On 02/04/2023 at 21:37, Paene Finitur said: Here's what my builder came up with. TBH I'm not delighted with it (though the fossilised plant on the bottom slab is quite nice 🙂) Wondering whether to put some plants down the sides for the time being. Did Building Control pass this in the end. I still have my problem. I came out 1200 mm at a fall of 1 in 40 and still need to dive down 150 mm to meet the drive. I'm considering a step but this seems to defeat the object. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paene Finitur Posted June 9 Author Share Posted June 9 On 07/06/2024 at 15:11, Canski said: Did Building Control pass this in the end. I still have my problem. I came out 1200 mm at a fall of 1 in 40 and still need to dive down 150 mm to meet the drive. I'm considering a step but this seems to defeat the object. Yes, Building Control did pass it in the end. I was toying with getting rid of it as I don't need it and it's a bit rough, but just have too many other jobs right now and it's been useful to get big things in and out of the house TBH. I think the rule was a 900 min square level area in front of the door and then something like min 1 in 12 slope. I think he might have let me get away with slightly steeper (1 in 10 maybe?) than that, but I'm fairly sure a step would have been rejected. The main thing he wanted was a permanent ramp, not a metal or wooden structure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnMo Posted June 10 Share Posted June 10 On 07/06/2024 at 15:11, Canski said: still need to dive down 150 mm to meet the drive. So about 2m with a fall of 1 in 12. Isn't all this detail not shown on your drawings from the architect for planning? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Temp Posted June 10 Share Posted June 10 One option might be to create a square platform outside the door with a step down straight ahead and a ramp off one side. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marvin Posted June 10 Share Posted June 10 Hi @Canski This may help: https://www.labc.co.uk/news/providing-accessible-ramped-entrances-existing-homes 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marvin Posted June 10 Share Posted June 10 (edited) Or another view.. Showing which part of the building regulations apply... https://www.rapidramp.co.uk/regulations-to-dwellings Building regulations K1 page 18 - ramps Edited June 10 by Marvin further thought Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paene Finitur Posted June 10 Author Share Posted June 10 On 07/06/2024 at 15:11, Canski said: Did Building Control pass this in the end. I still have my problem. I came out 1200 mm at a fall of 1 in 40 and still need to dive down 150 mm to meet the drive. I'm considering a step but this seems to defeat the object. I just found the part m document if it's any help: nhbc-part-m-disabled-access.pdf 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Temp Posted June 10 Share Posted June 10 This was a requirement when we built our house in 2006/7. That's 17 years ago. How can builders and Architects still not know about this? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Canski Posted June 11 Share Posted June 11 (edited) On 10/06/2024 at 08:43, JohnMo said: So about 2m with a fall of 1 in 12. Isn't all this detail not shown on your drawings from the architect for planning? that won't work 1 in 12 is 8.33 mm per m.. oh no its not is it?. brain fog here Edited June 11 by Canski Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnMo Posted June 11 Share Posted June 11 46 minutes ago, Canski said: in 12 is 8.33 mm per m. No it's 83.3mm per metre. So if you need 150mm that's just under 2m at 1:12, or longer for a less steep fall. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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