In the world we live in today, unfortunately not all homes or businesses are completely wheelchair accessible. Many commercial businesses in the US do not have automatic door push plates. Other places do not even have a ramp or pathway wide and safe enough for people to reach the main entrance. In an able-bodied world, it is too easy to forget that there are people who need to plan for these things at every juncture of their day. Especially as a business owner, implementing more access ramps with a rubberized flooring roll installed is a good place to start being more mindful and sensitive. According to ADA Guidelines (The Americans with Disabilities Act), both permanent and temporary wheelchair ramps in California should, at minimum, have 48 inches of clear width space between handrails. The mandatory running slope ratio should be no more than 1:12 with a cross slope no more than 1:48. After taking careful consideration of these guidelines, adding a rubber flooring roll to your wheelchair access ramps can provide more slip-resistance and increase the safety factor of the area around your business.

Rubber in itself is a material with a high coefficient of friction. Add your desired style of surface texture to a ramp rubber runner or flooring roll, and that natural slip-resistant quality of rubber is given even more traction. A rubber runner is found on various access ramps, slopes, and inclined walkways. These mats have a surface texture that provides more slip-resistance for anyone using them. A rubber runner can be available in crosshatch patterns and various corrugated patterns to help increase friction as people walk or wheel across the rubber surface. While many ramps outside businesses or homes may be made of concrete and have been constructed for that building, many temporary or semi-permanent access ramps are made of metal or hard plastic materials. Many of these metal and hard plastic ramps have textured surfaces that can aid in providing some traction, but if these ramps get wet in anyway, that helpful traction disappears almost entirely.  Although concrete ramps have a naturally rough surface that may give more traction than their metal or plastic counterparts, concrete ramps can still benefit from the safety and friction a rubber runner has to offer. It is for these reasons that investing in a sturdy, textured flooring roll made of rubber is important. These rolls can be cut to size and meet the dimensions of the ramp that you have. The various corrugations in the rubber flooring roll will provide further traction for any walking or wheelchair individuals as they utilize the access ramp.

Many rubber surface mats are also made from recycled or reclaimed materials that are excellent for outdoor purposes because they can withstand moisture from the elements and the sun’s UV rays. While many businesses and residential buildings have concrete ramps on the premises, many other homes and businesses have temporary or semi-permanent ramps that can be folded or rolled up in some way. Some of these ramps can come with their own rubber surface attached, but many have no protective surfacing. To accommodate the many places a ramp may be needed, your flooring roll should be versatile enough for both indoor and outdoor use. These portable ramps are a prime example of the need for versatility in a flooring roll cover to add slip-resistance to an access ramp. Some wheelchair-bound individuals also have their own portable ramp they can take around which can go over all types of indoor or outdoor thresholds. It is especially helpful in these situations to have a flooring roll made of recycled and reclaimed rubbers because it is versatile enough to be utilized for both indoor and outdoor ramp use.

Whether you have a permanent, or temporary ramp, the rubber flooring roll that lays across your access ramp should be thin enough to handle with ease. For temporary or semi-permanent ramps, a rubber runner is easy to install with double-sided tape or otherwise roll up and move around as needed. Permanent ramps would benefit well from a long-term rubber flooring roll installation by used adhesive. This rubber surface can be bought at the required length and installed fairly quickly once it has been unrolled. No adhesives are necessary with a rubber runner for your access ramp if a 2-sided tape is used. If you are looking for more permanent installation, however, not much more is needed for your rubber flooring roll installation.

A rubberized flooring roll is the ideal rubber surface material for your ramp, whether that be a ramp made of metal, hard plastic, or concrete. For a concrete rubber runner installation, they are useful for hiding and leveling out any small cracks or chips in the surface. Since rubber naturally has a high coefficient of friction, installing any rubber surface runner or mat to your concrete, metal, or plastic access ramp should be no big deal. Temporary installment on a portable or even permanent ramp or slope is simple. Your rubber runner simply needs to be laid out, and rubber’s natural friction can adhere to the surface. Metal ramps, even ones with some kind of textured surface can still be fairly slippery to walk on. Laying out a rubber flooring roll will certainly help to ensure safety for people walking or wheeling over the ramp.

Overall, it does not matter whether you have a temporary, or permanent access ramp at your business or residence. What matters the most is that wheelchair users have easy access to the building. To ensure the safety of all people who use these temporary, or permanent access ramps, a flooring roll made of rubber is an incredibly important feature to have handy for your ramp. Especially during the cold and wet months, many concrete, metal, and hard plastic surfaces become more slippery from rain and ice. Providing your access ramps with a rubber surface is a helpful investment that promotes safety for all.

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