Stair Lifts FAQs


Stair lifts are essential home installations meant to help the disabled climb up and down the stairs. These motorised seats glide on a track along the stairs so that elders and people with various handicaps can reach various levels of the house without struggling or subjecting themselves to the risk of falling.

When people realise the necessity of these ingenious devices, it is only natural they develop a high interest in acquiring them, but before making a purchase they need to find out as much information as possible in order to buy the right stair lift for their personal needs. People ask all kinds of questions prior to purchasing stair lifts, the most common ones being included in the following stair lifts FAQs.

Curiosities and Concerns Issued Prior to Purchase

One of the main inquiries people make refers to the way stair lifts work. These machines are made up of three primary components: the actual seat, the carriage, and the rail. The carriage is the component that encompasses the motor which powers the device up and down along the stairs. The rail or track is usually made of aluminium, and is fitted onto the treads of the stairs.

Another curiosity that is part of the stair lifts FAQs refers to the average cost of these machines. Stair lifts prices can vary greatly depending on the type of the stair lift, the features included, as well as the type of the staircase. Nonetheless, stair lifts are pretty expensive, the costs ranging anywhere from over £1500 to as high as £10,000.

All people prefer to use machines which are as less noisy as possible, therefore, many potential customers are curious if stair lifts are disturbing in terms of the sounds they make during functioning. Fortunately, stair lifts run on batteries that use about 24 volts in order to power up the electric motor. This makes them quiet and energy efficient.

Amongst other stair lifts FAQs, there is also the concern regarding the way in which the shape of a staircase can affect the possibility of installing a stair lift. Truth is, manufacturers offer a variety of stair lifts to fit almost any kind of stairs, including really narrow ones, L-shape staircases or curved staircases. The more complicated the design of the staircase, the more the stair lift will cost.

Stair lifts FAQs also include the one concerning the time length necessary to get a stair lift fitted into a house. This process is not complicated if done by a trained professional, the average time needed for instalment being a few hours.

When it comes to stair lifts, knowing the maximum weight they can safely carry is required if people know that the person who will be using the chair is overweight. Fortunately, most stair lifts can hold a weight of over 100 kg, but this might differ according to the type of the stair lift used. Some are made especially for overweight people, therefore the devices will safely carry a larger weight than usual.

Not all stair lifts match the needs of people with specific disabilities. Some sufferers may not be able to bend their hips or knees, therefore they require a special stair lift. This leads to another FAQ on stair lifts. The answer to that may come in the form of standing stair lifts that allows the person to move comfortably up and down the stairs.

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