So I'm way busier with work and family these days than I used to be and it's getting harder and harder to find time to skate. I suppose it's finally time for me to build a ramp in the yard so I can get little morning and evening sessions in on the days when making it out to the park just isn't going to happen. Ideally, I was thinking about a 3' ramp, 6' radius on the transitions, 16' wide, 8' of flat, DIY pool coping on one side and steel on the other.
I live in the desert where it rarely rains, so standard, non-pressure treated lumber lasts pretty well outside. That saves a bit of money, but even then the cost for what I was looking at would be approximately $2500. That's a fair bit more than I want to spend, since I will probably be redoing my back yard within the next couple of years to include a concrete bowl, ledge, maybe a flatbar, and some moveable slappy curbs. (To improve resale value, obviously.)
I've kept an eye out for secondhand lumber, but nothing seems to be coming up and I'm getting pretty impatient to get this started. I've also considered dropping the width to 12' to save on some costs, which wouldn't be the worst thing in the world. Are there any other ways you folks could think of that might save costs, either in materials or design, without making the ramp shitty? Shalom in advance, pals.