Choosing the Correct Stair Lift

Climbing the stairs has been shown to become much more difficult and dangerous as a person's age increases. Often those that are older are not as resilient and do not heal as quickly, so a fall can be very hard to recover from. There are several ways to prevent falls, like avoiding the stairs or moving to an area without stairs, but these are in most cases impractical. In most instances a stair lift is the best way to prevent a fall on the stairs.

As a means of preventing falls and increasing accessibility, a stair lift ranks very high. For straight staircases, they cost much less than an elevator would be and can be installed with only slight modification to the stairs. Several self-install kits are often used, which can be installed in only a few hours and do not require any special tools.

Finding the right stair lift is important and there are several factors that you should consider. The overall length of the staircase and the weight of the occupant that is using the lift are two of the most important concerns. If the staircase is less than 35 feet, it is seldom an issue, but staircases that exceed 35 feet need a special type of lift. Most have a weight capacity that is around 350 pounds, but this varies by model. There are several available that can support a good deal more than 350 pounds, but often this is over a shorter distance.

You will need to get exact measurements of your stairs before ordering a lift, but most dealers can walk you through this process. It is, however, a good idea to get an approximate measurement of the length of your stairs before you begin looking at available models.

Those that use these lifts are able to access all areas of their home with only the push of a button and are much safer doing so.

Measuring For Your Stairlift

Sometimes health problems increase as we age. These health problems end up preventing us from doing normal tasks that we would usually do without these ailments. Throughout the years, stair lifts has provided a great aid for people who are unable to travel up or downstairs. Before buying a stair lift, it is always important to have the correct measurements of the stairway on hand.

When measuring your stairway, it is always best to measure twice. You want to be as accurate as possible so when it's time to install the stair lift, there won't be any problems. Always begin at the very top of the step and, with a measuring tape, measure all the way to the bottom. Make sure that the measuring tape doesn't sag in between the steps.

After this, measure the depth, the diagonal distance from edge to edge of one step, height, width, and depth. Doing these measurements will prove that the aforementioned measurements are correct and that stair lift will fit. The last thing you should do is measure the length of the bottom step to the closest wall next to the stairs.

Safety, Stair Lifts, and More

Using the stairs is an integral part of many people's daily routines, but for those that have difficulty walking, which is often as a result of diseases like arthritis, it can be difficult or even impossible to use the stairs. For these people a stair lift is often the best and most cost effective way to allow full access of their home.

Those that are not able to safely use the stairs might consider simply avoiding areas that have stairs and for public areas, this might be a good idea. However, around the home this solution looses its practicality. This is because avoiding the upstairs of your home means that you will have to avoid a large portion of your home. It is far better to take advantage of one of the many mobility lifting aids that are available for the home.

The stair lift is the most common type of lifting aid found in the home. This is because most homes have straight staircases and in these homes a stair lift can be installed for much less than an elevator could be. The stair lift carries a single occupant up and down the stairs quickly and safely. Depending on the model, some are capable of supporting over 500 pounds and can be used indoors or outdoors. While outdoor models are available, they cost a little more and are required to be completely weatherproof. Indoor lifts are less expensive and more common, but both are very popular.

People who have curved staircases are almost always better off going with an elevator though, because the cost will be about the same, but the elevator has much more functionality.