How to build a temporary decking frame for raised pathway?

summitone77

Hi all, can I please can get some advise on how to build.

I need to build a temporary decking frame to place over our pathway so I can level it off against the car port (100mm one end, to 80mm the other end), as we are about to have our first child and this is the side we will be gettiung her out of the car, and i dont want any one to fall off the lip and hurt her or us. We moved the privacy screen out over the weekend as it was in the car port originally.

The deck will be 1800 long, with a 450 ramp either side (2700 total). The main/middle part is easy but I don’t know how to build the frame for the ramp. I tried ChatGPT but I kept calling out issues I could see with each suggestion they made.

Where I am stuck is how to do the frame for the ramp so it drops to the floor level and how to attach to the main frame.
I will be using 70x45 treated pine for the frame and 1800 meribau fence pickers for the boards (the floor boards at bunnings are too long for me to be able transport home, so 1800 is the max size i can go)

I read alot about packers too, to help with both the slope of the whole thing, and the ramp slope. Are these ideal?

Or am I looking at the wrong option for this all together?

Any help is appreciated for a beginner.
Thanks

JacobZ

Hi @summitone77,

Congratulations on your first child! I was in the same position as you about this time last year, where I was hurriedly trying to make everything around the home safe. It really is a magical time.

Now, the principles of ramp building are exactly the same as deck building; the framing is just angled to create a slope.

So, to create a ramp, the joists just need to be cut at an angle to create the slope. Here is a very simple example.

Basically, you would take a 450mm long piece of your framing and cut it diagonally, so the cut goes perfectly from one corner to the other. This can be done with a circular or table saw.

I have built ramps like this myself and they aren't crazy difficult but cutting angled timbers like that is not exactly easy. If you don't have a circular saw, or carpentry experience, I would probably say it isn't the right way to go.

Instead, I would build your temporary deck, then place a https://www.bunnings.com.au/pfeiffer-100-x-600mm-multi-use-handi-ramp_p1090976 on either end. They are sturdy, stable and already have the slope built into them so you won't have to worry about missteps.

Packers are great for lifting the framing up, but they won't be too helpful with the ramp. You mentioned that the concrete varies in height a bit on the flatter section. You can use these https://www.bunnings.com.au/titan-75mm-20-piece-mixed-window-packers_p0647629 to prop the frame up in areas where it is lower. They come in a variety of thicknesses, and you can double or triple them up if needs be.

Let me know what you think and if you have further questions, please don't hesitate to ask. We would be more than happy to help.

Jacob