Aluminium does not rot - the decking you choose is the real decision

What is aluminum ramp installation?

An aluminium wheelchair ramp is built from extruded aluminium sections that arrive prefinished and are assembled on site. The material argument for it is straightforward and mostly true: aluminium does not rot, does not need staining or sealing, and forms its own oxide layer rather than rusting through. The trade-offs are on the surface and in the details - decking type governs traction, noise and how much heat the ramp holds, and aluminium is light enough that the ramp depends on being properly anchored rather than on its own mass.

Signs you need aluminum ramp installation

• A previous timber ramp on the property has already rotted, splintered or gone soft at ground contact
• The house is coastal, or in a climate with long wet seasons where nothing wooden stays sound for long
• Nobody in the household is in a position to take on annual staining, sealing or board replacement
• The ramp is needed quickly and there is no appetite for waiting on weather, cure times or lumber delivery
• A landlord or an HOA will permit an accessible route only if it can be removed cleanly later
• Snow and ice clearance on the current steps or ramp has become the household's recurring winter worry
• The plan is to take the ramp with you, or recover value from it, when it is no longer needed

Seeing something not on this list? Browse wheelchair ramps problems by symptom →

How aluminum ramp installation actually works

1. 1

   Measure, then choose the decking before anything else

   Once the rise and the run are settled, the surface is the next real choice and it is easier to make deliberately than to change later. Open-mesh or punched decking lets rain, snowmelt and grit fall straight through. Solid or slip-resistant plank decking is smoother and quieter but relies on slope and edges to clear water.

   Watch forA dealer who treats decking as a colour option. Ask specifically what happens on this decking with a small front caster, and what happens with a cane tip or a walker foot.

2. 2

   Sit the layout on ground that will not move

   Aluminium ramps are usually carried on adjustable posts on pads, piers or footings. Because the structure is light, its stability comes from anchorage and from a base that does not heave or wash out, not from the weight of the ramp itself.

   Watch forLegs set on paving slabs bedded in soil. It looks fine on handover day and produces a wobble and a step at the landing after the first freeze-and-thaw cycle.

3. 3

   Assemble the sections, rails and edge protection

   Sections bolt together, handrails and edge guards fit to the frame, and the whole thing goes up quickly because the parts are manufactured rather than cut on site. Alignment at each joint is what determines whether the finished surface is continuous or has small lips at every seam.

   Watch forSmall height differences at panel joints. They are barely visible and they are exactly what a front caster catches.

4. 4

   Deal with the electrical bonding and galvanic detail

   Aluminium in contact with certain other metals or with some treated timbers can corrode at the contact point rather than across the surface. Isolation washers, correct fastener alloys and separation from treated lumber are the standard remedies and a competent installer does them without being asked.

   Watch forBare aluminium bolted straight onto pressure-treated timber, or mixed fasteners used because that is what was on the van. This is where an otherwise corrosion-proof ramp corrodes.

5. 5

   Set the ramp so it does not trap water at the house

   The top landing sits at the threshold, which means it sits at the most water-sensitive part of the building. Flashing, standoff from the siding and a clear path for water off the landing all matter more than they look like they do.

   Watch forA landing pinned tight against wood siding with no gap and no flashing. The aluminium will be fine. The wall behind it will not.

6. 6

   Test it wet, and test it in the sun

   Go up and down in the actual chair while the surface is wet. Separately, put a hand on the decking on a hot afternoon. Dark finishes in direct sun get warm, which matters for anyone who transfers by hand or steadies themselves on the rail.

   Watch forSigning off on a dry, cool morning. The two conditions you most need to know about are wet and hot, and neither shows up at handover.

7. 7

   Get the removal and resale position in writing

   One of aluminium's genuine advantages is that it comes back apart. Establish now whether the supplier will remove it, whether they will buy it back, and what condition they require.

   Watch forA verbal "we usually take them back". Usually is not a commitment, and you are asking at the only moment when you have leverage.

What does aluminum ramp installation cost?

Aluminium sits above site-built timber and below poured concrete on upfront outlay, and the case for it is lifetime rather than day-one: no staining, no sealing, no board replacement, and a structure that has residual value when it is removed. Length, decking type and handrail specification set the range. The Cost Guide has current figures.

See the full aluminum ramp installation cost guide - by material, size and region →

If the number is the problem, here are the ways people pay for it →