If you are considering installing a stairlift, then you may have little
or no idea of what's involved. Hopefully this article will throw enough
light on the subject to help you choose the correct stairlift, making
your stairlift installation a more pleasant and rewarding experience.
What is a Stairlift?
A stairlift is a motorised seat which travels up and down a rail on the
side of your stairs. The rail is normally bolted to the stairs and not
to the wall. The seat will have a back-rest, two arms and a footrest for
your feet to rest on.
How do I use the Stairlift?
Using a stairlift is very simple. You simply sit on the seat and press
the 'up' button located on the arm (or the 'down' button if descending)
and the stairlift will take you to your desired destination and stop
automatically on arrival.
How long does it take to install?
A stairlift takes between 4 and 6 hours to install.
Does it ruin my stairs?
No, installing a stairlift is a very clean process. The only drilling
involved is to drill some small holes on the treads of your stairs every
4 to 5 steps so that rail fixing brackets can be securely fixed to the
stairs. The remainder of the works involves fitting and wiring of the
stairlift itself.
What about turns and bends?
Turns and bends are not a problem. There is a standard stairlift which
fits to straight stairs only, and a curved stairlift which is
custom-built to suit the exact profile of your stairs. A straight stairs
stairlift is normally fitted on the wall side of your stairs whereas a
curved stairlift can be fitted on either the wall side or the banister
side. For example, if you live in a three storey house and you want the
stairlift to serve all levels, then it is only possible to fit the
stairlift on the banister side as the stairlift would impede doorways on
the mid-floor if it was installed wall side.
stairway lifts
Do I have options in choosing my stairlift?
Most stairlifts are available with a choice of seat colours to tone in
with the décor of your house. However there are other options that you
should carefully consider.
- Controls: The directional controls ('up' and 'down' controls) are
located in the arm and you will generally have a choice between push
button controls and joystick controls. For people with arthritic
fingers, joystick controls are much easier to use.
- Swivel seat: The seat should have a swivel facility allowing it to
turn into the upper landing making it safe for you to dismount. The
swivel facility can be manual or powered. If you have good upper body
strength and reasonably strong hands then you should not have a problem
using the manual swivel. If on the other hand you have poor upper body
strength and /or arthritic hands, then you should opt for the powered
swivel option.
- Footrest: The seat, arms and footrest fold upwards when the stairlift
is not in use in order for it to fold away neatly. The seat and arms are
easy to fold but the footrest is much more difficult to manipulate as
it is so low to the floor You should therefore ensure that a 'seat to
footrest linkage' is provided so that the footrest raises and lowers
together with the seat.
Is it safe to use?
A stairlift is extremely safe to use. There are strict safety standards
covering all stairlifts and a stairlift will include as standard such
items as a mandatory seat belt, sensors on all sides including the
footrest and constant pressure controls meaning that if your finger
leaves the control button or joystick the stairlift stops automatically.
What about maintenance?
It is recommended that you have your stairlift
serviced annually. If you adhere to this then there should be no other
maintenance issues to address throughout the working life of the
stairlift, which should be at least 10 years. However, you should ensure
that your stairlift provider offers a genuine 24 hour call out service
just in case some unexpected Gremlins should gain entry to your home and
take a fancy to your stairlift.