Straight stair lifts only work on straight staircases. They wont be able to turn with staircases that has curves or corners.
Though it can work with straight sections of staircases with landings. Straight Stair lifts can be installed from bottom level to the landing, and then install another straight stair lift from the landing
to the upper level of the stairs.
There are a few options when it comes to straight stair lifts.
1. Standard Straight Stair Lift (Fixed)
2. Stair lifts with moving parts to avoid creating obstructions. Generally, if there is no wall after the bottom step a tripping hazard is created because the railing will extend past the bottom step by about a foot. With the chair parked at the bottom the extension is about 18-24” depending on the model. Imagine setting a small dining room chair at the bottom of your steps that is fairly accurate of how the chair will sit when parked at the bottom.
Moving stairlifts include:
A. Powered Sliding Rail – The whole rail moves up and down with the chair to avoid creating a tripping hazard at the top or bottom of your staircase.
B. Folding rail – The first few feet of the bottom portion of the rail fold up to avoid creating a tripping hazard at the top or bottom of your staircase. This is available in powered and manual versions. The powered version would trigger automatically every cycle and the manual version would need to be lifted by hand and is more suited for those who only occasionally find the need to fold the rail up.
It should be said that the lower landing is of most concern when it comes to stair lifts. The upper landing is normally ok. In cases that are really tight at the top or have a door which will remain we can adjust the track to tailor fit this kind of install and in most cases the door can remain and operate as normal. Lastly most lifts are available with powered options such as power folding footrests that will lift the foot rest up to a stowed position when wanted. Also powered swiveling features which use a motor to turn the user at the top of the stairs to get off the chair in the same direction they would be facing if walking.
Don’t navigate these waters alone, our trusted stair lift experts can help you determine the lift that best fits your unique needs.
