Stairlift - Why and What

A stairlift is a machine that is usually fitted onto a steel rail running up a set of stairs. The machine has a chair which moves along the steel rail going up and down sets of stairs. A stairlift is a very important machine for some people, there are many reasons why you may need one, these include disabilities, injuries, arthritis or anything that could stop the user from being able to comfortably negotiate a set of stairs.

Getting a stairlift is ideal if you face pain when climbing up stairs, such as having chronic back ache or being disabled. The stairlift takes away all the pain of walking and allows the user to just simply sit in a chair and be taken up and down the stairs.

There are a few different types of stairlift to choose from when deciding on purchasing one. Firstly you will need to know what kind of stairlift you require. There are 2 types, one being straight and one being curved. A straight stairlift goes up and down straight stair sets whereas a curved stairlift can go round corners and curves in stair sets. Before deciding on buying a curved stairlift always make sure that you actually need the curved one as a curved stairlift takes a lot longer to build and install than straight ones.

The reason why a curved stairlift takes so much longer to build and install is because all of your stair dimensions need to be very carefully measured and then the stairlift needs to be custom built to fit the layout of your staircase. Whereas straight stairlifts can pretty much be placed onto any straight staircase within a matter of hours.

Generally a stairlift is made up of a seat with arm and foot rests which is pulled up and down the stairs by cables which pull along on small rollers that are placed on the rail that goes up the side of the stairs. Most good stairlifts have a seat that can swivel out to the side so that when the user gets to the stairs the chair swivels allowing for easy access to the stairlift. Once the stairlift reaches the end it swivels out again allowing for the user to easily get out of the chair onto the next floor.

There are a few other types of stairlift which include replacing the chair with a platform lift. This kind of stairlift is especially good if the user is confined to a wheelchair or any other kind of disability machine.

A stairlift can climb up and down pretty much any type of staircase, they will go up and down steep staircases as well as normal ones. They allow for the user to go to parts of the house that would otherwise be inaccessible.

Remember when buying a stairlift make sure that you are getting the correct one for your needs, otherwise you could end up paying a lot more than what you really would need to.