Advice needed for an umcoming small project...maybe.

[wurm]

The problem with the weekend is I start noticing things I ought to deal with. Here's one, though it's far from pressing.

I want to replace the ramp leading into our shed. While I'm at it, I was thinking of raising the height closer to the actual opening of the doorway, as right now there's about a 2.5" difference. I usually lay down a 2x4 so that when I ride the bike into the shed there's less of a 'bump'. I was thinking of raising it to be almost flush with the floor.

However when I just checked, I see that the shed doors extend down to cover that 2.5" difference, and a higher ramp won't allow the doors to close. But looking at the bottom of the doors they're in pretty rough shape. Any harm if I just saw the bottoms even so maybe there's only an inch hanging down? That would allow a slightly higher ramp.

I hope what I'm trying to explain makes sense. I don't doubt there may be some reason not to mess with it that I'm missing, which is why I'm asking here. Thanks.

[Diana]

I would think that the lower edge of the door makes water drain better and not pool on the floor or on the edge of the plywood of the floor of the shed. Even marine grade plywood will buckle if enough water is able to get to those layers.

The fact that the lower edges of the door tells me that water tends to pool there.

[wurm]

Thanks. I figured there must be a reason the guy built it that way.

[nwyaker]

You could cut it shorter and add an L flashing to direct water away from the opening. Solves two issues.

[MikeF]

Is the bottom of the cross beam on the left door above the floor of the shed or is it below? The two cross beams appear to be at different heights. You probably don't want to mess with the cross beams unless you want to rebuild the entire door. Which door is the center beam attached to? When the doors are closed, do they hit/rest against the raised floor or is there some room between the raised floor and the doors? Both doors appear to be missing pieces at the bottom -- if you haven't had water seepage by now, trimming them probably could be done. I would keep the trimmed height below the floor height.

It really depends on how much work on it you want to do and what tools you have at your disposal.

[Cary]

Looks to me like you could trim the doors. Maybe attach a pic of the inside of the doors?

You could raise the cross beam, which would allow you to raise the hinge, which looks too low, to me…

[RAMd®d]

The hinge is low to mount to the 2x4.

Another 2x4 could be added so the hinge could be raised.

I'd saw the doors off even with the bottom of the 2x4.

Then I'd rip a 2x4 lengthwise at 45º.

You could paint and leave it there to ease your ride in, until you raise the ramp.


When it's time to do that, you could get a short 1x2 or something slightly thinner, even the thin slats used for trellis work.

Cut a few a little longer the width/height of the face of your proposed ramp.

Nail three or four pieces vertically to the base of the shed.

These would be standoffs to allow a space for runoff between the ramp and the shed.

The new ramp should probably be ~1" lower than the floor of the shed.

That combined with a ~1" space between the ramp and the shed should allow for plenty of runoff without flooding the shed.

The bike will navigate the ~1" difference handily.

[wurm]

Thank you, all.

The shed has settled over time, which is why the doors aren't lined up as they were 20 years ago when it was built. I've jacked it up a couple of times over the years in order to simply be able to close the doors, but it obviously still isn't right. I really don't want to be moving hinges, or otherwise rebuilding anything, etc.

To answer MikeF's questions:

When the doors are closed, do they hit/rest against the raised floor or is there some room between the raised floor and the doors?

There's a little clearance. On the inside of the doors at the bottom are 2x4s that are actually at the bottom of the door. Those boards at the bottom of the door exterior are just 1x4 trim pieces, I believe. I'll try to grab a couple of pics from the inside with the doors closed, tomorrow.

It really depends on how much work on it you want to do and what tools you have at your disposal.

The quick answer is very little and very little. Throwing a 2x6 at the top of the ramp when I'm about to ride up in there is looking more and more practical. :wink:

[Forrest]

FYI Amazon sells a variety of 3 inch ramps made of rubber, metal or wood.

[MikeF]

Open the doors, pull this out and put down:

Slide it back in when done, close doors.

No modifications needed at all.