Are you one of the lucky home owners with a straight stairway? Having straight stairs may not have seemed very important when you first purchased your home, but today as you evaluate stair chair lifts it is a huge blessing. A straight stair lift is less expensive and easier to install.
While a straight stair lift may be the simplest form of lift, this does not mean you can ignore important features and just buy the lowest cost unit on the market. You will still want to have the safest lift possible. What features should you look for on your stair lift?
One of the most important features of any lift is safety. Make sure the lift includes a secure comfortable seat with a strong easy to use seatbelt. You might look at a less expensive lift with a small seat, and feel it is good enough, but after you have ridden up and down the stairs a few hundred times you may have a big change in opinion. Being comfortable on the lift means less fidgeting in the seat as you ride up and down, which means more safely. The comfortable seat becomes even more important if you have troubles with aching joints, a sore back, or other issues making sitting uncomfortable to start with.
Another issue with your straight stair lift will be the space it takes on your stairs. Does it leave enough space for your other family members and guests to use the stairs with ease? Make sure the seat can be folded up out of the way. The space required is often dependent on the mounting location of the rail the chair rides on. Check the specifications for how the rail mounts, and how much space it requires from the wall
Your lift is either going to be powered by a rechargeable battery, or by a direct plug-in to an AC outlet. A rechargeable battery increases the cost of your lift a little, but gives you the ability to use the stair lift when the power is out. An AC powered lift will require an outlet adjacent to the lift at either the top or bottom. Most lifts which are AC powered include a feature to allow you to descend the stairs even if the power is out. This is a slow, controlled descent. Make sure this feature is available on any AC power, or battery powered lift you choose. You never want to be stranded on the stairs between floors due to loss of battery or AC power. A rechargeable straight stair lift will still require an outlet near the top or bottom of the stairs for recharging the battery.
While you or a family member may be tempted to install the stair lift yourself, do not take this unnecessary risk. While a straight stair lift is much easier to install than other lifts, the installation quality affects your safety dramatically. A poorly installed lift can come separated from the mounting locations spilling you onto the stairs. Professional installation is always recommended. With a professional installation you will have a safe, smooth riding lift which will lasts for many years. You are going to love your new mobility in your home.