Stair Lifts and Curved Staircases

It was in the 1920’s that the first stair lift was implemented. It was created by a man that wanted to help restore his neighbor’s independence. Since, they have become a common way of ensuring that people can safely use their stairs. A stair lift is a medical aid that literally carries an individual up and down the stairs.

If you have a straight stair case, you can rather easily install a stair lift. Generally a reinforced aluminum track is secured to the stairs. After the track has been fully secured, a special ‘car’ is slid onto the track. This car will travel up and down the track and has a seat or small platform on it that is used to carry the individual as it traverses the stairs. In these cases the track is custom cut to fit your stairs and often comes in several pieces. While the installation is fairly easy, there are several companies that can do it for you inexpensively in a matter of hours.

A straight stair lift can be ordered and installed in a matter of days, but a curved staircase can present several difficulties. Stair lifts for curved staircases are much more expensive, because the track is custom built to your exact stair case. It is necessary to have an in home estimate to determine the proper measurements and cost of your unit. They can cost well over $15,000 and can take several months to be built and installed. The other major disadvantage is that they have very little resale value. The track will only work with your specific stairs, and because there is no standard when it comes to curved staircases, it will likely be useless in any other home.

If you are mobility challenged than a stair lift can greatly improve your standard of living. For those with curved stairs, speak with a stair lift dealer that specializes in straight stair lifts. Sometimes you can install 2 straight stair lifts in place of the curved one and in these cases you will save a tremendous amount of money.