Stair Lifts - What You Should Know

For many people, having mobility issues is not just a matter of inconvenience and not being able to comfortably go up and down the stairs. It is more of a complete loss of freedom and independence. Thankfully, stair lifts can be the solution to gaining access to your entire home.

When you have difficulty going up and down the stairs, a stair lift can make a big difference in your ability to be able to do so conveniently and easily. There are many different options that are available for you, a few of which you may want to look into before you make your final decision.

Getting The Help Of A Company Rep

In almost every case, someone from the company that is offering the stairway lift is going to have to come out to measure and perhaps to give you some options for what you can do, depending upon the size and structure of your home, the staircase, etc. They may recommend that you get a stair lift installed which is attached directly to your home's electrical system, but there are also times when using a battery powered lift may be a better choice. They will help you to go over either of these models, depending upon the circumstances of your home, in order to come up with the best lift for your needs.

How Stair Lifts Are Mounted And Installed

The lift itself is typically powered by either belt driven or a rack and pinion type of operation. In either case, the idea of the chair lift is to get you from one floor to the other easily and securely. Instead of being mounted directly to the wall, the lift chair is installed as part of an overall system where a track is mounted to the wall and the chair is mounted to the track. This allows for additional security, and it also allows for stair lift installation into almost any home where they are necessary.

Stair Lift Options

You also have several different options for these types of residential lifts, as some of them are a chair and others are more of a platform lift. Most of the people that have stair lifts have a chair, and you should ask the installer about different options that are available which will make this chair more or less convenient according to your circumstances.

For example, having a folding chair or a fold down foot rest is something that is optional on some of the stair lifts but it is something that many people who have these lifts installed consider necessary. Be sure that you look at all of these options before making your final decision because making changes after it has been installed may be a little bit more difficult, not to mention more expensive.

Buying New Or Used Stair Lifts

A big question that you'll want to ask yourself and plan for is whether you want to purchase a new stair lift or buy a used model? It all depends largely on your budget or if you are looking to finance the lift. New models from companies like Bruno, Acorn, Ameriglide and other manufacturers will run you from around a few thousand dollars and up.

A reconditioned or used stair lift can save you upwards of 50% off the new prices, and in many cases, work out quite well. You just need to know what to look for in a used model, which we cover in another article on our site.    

What To Do When Stair Lifts Can't Be Installed

Unfortunately, there are some types of stairs which will not allow a lift to be installed. When this is the case, instead of using straight chair lifts you may have to have some type of home elevator or vertical platform lifts installed.

You may actually find that this is a much better option than stair lifts in some circumstances, as there will not need to be a transition from your wheelchair, if you happen to be in one, into the chair that is going to take you to the top of the steps. It is also a very easy and convenient way for you to get whatever mobility equipment that you need from one floor to the other.

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