Curb Ramp

[Ellisimo]

Hi there, unsure if this is in the right place but I'm looking to move house but there's a slight problem with the driveway.
The curb isnt dropped and also the road is cambered where the guttering is.

So my problem is even if I spend over the odds and get the curb dropped I'll still have the problem of the front end bottoming out as the rear would go down then up before the front end. (my golf is lowered around 90mm)

So my thought is something like the Americans have (pictured) or to put some blanks of wood in the guttering so the road would be level with the curb with the addition of the wood if that makes any sense.

Any advice on what to do would be great.

Thanks!

[cooljimy84]

Ghetto it, i use small blocks of wood to get in to my garage, as even on the standard car it scraps...

[lukemk5gti]

I would pour a new screed myself.

You can't mess with ground drainage so put a 4" PVC pipe down first (if you have the space). This will allow water to flow by unless it gets clogged with leaves.

Shutter around the pipe in the shape of a triangle.

I would use fosroc conbectra GP which is a tough non shrink grout. That would sustain the impact from being driven over.

Not sure if the council would allow it is the only thing.

[Ellisimo]

thanks for the response.

Yea i am worried about the council, but then again a few houses down someone just drives their car straight up the curb which 'you're not supposed to do'. The idea behind planks of wood, would be that i can leave them in the porch and so the guttering wouldnt be affected. But i do like the idea of something always being there for ease of use.

[lukemk5gti]

I'd just go for it... If the council have a problem you could break it out with a kango in 30 mins.

If the pipe does clog then shoot the power hose through it each time you're washing down the car.

If you go looking for permission from the council you'll never get it.

Wood would be a pain. Imagine taking them out when it's raining and putting them back each time!

[olethalb]

all the houses down my street who converted front gardens into drives requested the council to fit a drop curb and they all got it, well 20 out of 24 houses have 

[Pesky jones]

I was going to say don't the council have to drop it for you?

[rich83]

I was going to say don't the council have to drop it for you?

Yep. And they pull your pants down for the privilege.

[Ellisimo]

I was going to say don't the council have to drop it for you?

Yea, but I wasnt planning on dropping it as the road itself is as high as the curb, it just drops down before the curb for the guttering, so I want something to basically make it a level run from the road to the curb without dropping it, because if I dropped the curb my car would just bottom out going down then up if that makes sense!

[Pesky jones]

In that case I'd just do as Luke said earlier and if they kick up a fuss then break it out again and then you'll have to deal with temporary ramps.

Do it quickly and discreetly and nobody might ever notice. Mix up the stuff in your garden and then quickly whack it out there.

[cooljimy84]

Blocks of wood get my vote.
Cheap,
Easy to remove,
Easy to replace,
Non permanent,

[olethalb]

actually saw some rubber ramps last night against a curb while collecting some wheels.

i can confirm we never paid for a drop curb and they reshaped the whole path to a mild slope too, although as you say this may not help you.

i'd be tempted to knock up some cement and throw it down in a ramp shape against the curb - maybe with a pipe through to allow the drainage to continue, anything like rubber ramps / blocks of wood etc may draw attention and there's always some busy body on a hair trigger ready to complain about things.

[cooljimy84]

i'd be tempted to knock up some cement and throw it down in a ramp shape against the curb - maybe with a pipe through to allow the drainage to continue, anything like rubber ramps / blocks of wood etc may draw attention and there's always some busy body on a hair trigger ready to complain about things.

And that busy body won't complain about a load of cement being stuck down?

[olethalb]

i'd be tempted to knock up some cement and throw it down in a ramp shape against the curb - maybe with a pipe through to allow the drainage to continue, anything like rubber ramps / blocks of wood etc may draw attention and there's always some busy body on a hair trigger ready to complain about things.

And that busy body won't complain about a load of cement being stuck down?

yes but it's less obvious solution 

[rich83]

Just worth remembering.

Driving your car over that kerb as it stands, and up onto your property is illegal. Also putting a fixed concrete ramp in yourself also would be frowned upon by the local council paper shufflers.

You need to make some sort of removable ramps ideally.