Stairlift installations

The stairlift is arguably the simplest and most effective single adaptation that can be made to a home for anyone who is mobility challenged or no longer comfortable climbing stairs.

In short the stairlift removes the massive and dangerous obstacle of ascending and descending stairs and, in so doing, it has the effect of making a two (or more) storey home feel like a single storey one.

A stairlift can be used by someone who is unsteady on their feet, or someone who uses a wheelchair and most modern stairlifts can be fitted into almost any stairwell. A stairlift can have a seat or a perch (which is a flat ground level platform on which you stand).

As adaptations go, the stairlift is a major investment in both cost and benefit terms, however it can generally be fitted or removed in a day. Testament to that is the fact that you can buy refurbished stairlifts that have been used previously.

If you buy a refurbished stairlift you need to ensure that it is refurbished and installed by a reliable company and that there is a warranty along with compliance to any relevant standards or legislation.

What is involved

Modern stairlifts are normally manufactured to order based upon a survey and computer generated assembly details. This means that a new stairlift should be smooth and trouble free and most have extensive warranties.

The average stairlift is easily fitted in a day and using the lift is made easy by a remote control that is either part of, or attached to, one of the stairlift's armrest.

In terms of disruption, the fitting of a stairlift requires the rails or tracks to be mechanically fixed to a structural wall or the treads of the stair. This is not an excessively messy job and if the lift is removed it can be patched up at a limited expense.

In nearly all cases the stair lift can be designed to come to its resting point at the top and bottom of the stair in a position that will not cause an obstruction to someone climbing the stairs normally. This normally sees the seat or platform turning around the end of the banister rail, or continuing along the side wall beyond the last tread and riser.

Fitting a stairlift is not a project to be undertaken by anyone other than a specialist contractor. Most of these lifts are sold as “supply and fit” and the warranties and guarantees are dependent up on this proviso.

Like all electrical equipment with moving parts, a stairlift does require periodic maintenance and this may be part of the warranty terms or an extended warranty contract. A stairlift will also add slightly to the energy usage of a property, however the motors are economic to run.