Most of us think nothing of running up or down a flight of stairs. Those of us who want to lose a few pounds look for reasons to do it. But for some people, a stairway might as well be a wall. Many aged individuals have trouble with stairs. Arthritis and other bone and joint diseases can make the prospect of negotiating a stairway almost overwhelming. For some, going up and down stairs is simply impossible.
The Americans with Disabilities Act mandates that commercial and public buildings have to provide access for all people regardless of their physical abilities. Budget isn't really an issue in these situations, so the problem of upstairs access can be solved with large and costly installations of elevators or other types of lifts. Of course, access is not required in people's homes. But people who become disabled probably don't want to leave familiar surroundings just because they can't climb stairs anymore. This is where stair chair lifts for home can save the day..
Home stair lifts make it possible for people to ride up and down stairs. A side-facing chair is attached to an aluminum or steel track that runs along one side of the stairway. You sit down in the chair, press a button, and glide smoothly to the top (or down to the bottom). Even people who are able to climb stairs find that home stair lifts come in really handy when there are bulky groceries or heavy baggage that needs to be moved from one floor to another.
The very first designs of home stair lifts used a cable to pull the chair up and lower it down. In heavy-duty situations the cable was replaced by a chain. A screw-type mechanism was also available for some stair lifts. But today, almost all stair chair lifts for home use gear teeth (sometimes called a rack and pinion mechanism). Today's home stair lifts are smooth and quiet with low maintenance requirements.
All home stair lifts run on electricity. The movement of the chair can be powered by a battery pack or the motor may be plugged directly into a wall socket. Plugging into your home's electrical supply gives the stair lift dependable power that operates in the same way each time. Of course, if there's a power outage, you would have to stay wherever you were when the lights went out. Many home stair lifts include a battery backup system that can be used in the event of a blackout.
A few models of stair chair lifts for home operate on battery power all the time. Some people prefer this because they consider the power cord reeling out from under the chair to be unsightly. Of course, even battery-operated home stair lifts require an electrical supply to recharge the batteries. They usually recharge when the chair is sitting unused at the top or bottom of the stairs. All stair lift batteries should be replaced on a regular basis. Your lift's manufacturer can let you know how often this needs to happen.
If your home has a simple, straight stairway from one floor to the next, then a home stair lift will be relatively inexpensive and easy to install. Straight stair lifts can even be a do-it-yourself project if someone at home is handy with tools. Straight stair lifts can often be found used or reconditioned at outlets like Ebay.
If you have a curved stairway at home, things will be a little more difficult, but not impossible. Do-it-yourself installation is probably out of the question, and you're not likely to find any used home stair lifts that fit your stairway. Normally the manufacturer will send a representative to your home to measure your stairway and the degree at which it curves. Then they'll custom build the track so that it will fit perfectly. When it's ready, the lift manufacturer will arrange for installation in your home. Taking special care to measure and custom-build is the only way that a home stair lift will work smoothly on a curved stairway.
While installing a home stair lift is the least expensive mobility option for your residence, it will require significant time and expense. But being able to stay in a home you love and move freely up and down stairs without the need for help will be well worth it.
Stair chair lifts for home are the most cost-effective answer for people who need help getting up and down stairs