Stair Lifts - the Ups and Downs

Posted by indy | 8:11 AM | 0 comments »

Stair lifts are designed to take individuals up and down the stairs with ease and convenience. They are often used by those who are confined to a wheel chair or who have bad knees or other medical issues that make stairs difficult to navigate. They may be used by the elderly and pregnant women as well. Stair chair lifts can be found in a variety of settings including public facilities, restaurants, Churches, Museums, homes, and businesses that have more than one level.

Wheel chair stair lifts are the most common type found in public. These stair lifts work in several different ways, depending on the type of lift design the facility is using. A common type of wheel chair stair lift has a chair built on the lift. This can be difficult to use as it requires the person being able to move out of the wheel chair and into the chair on the lift. Another person has to help the individual because the lift will take them to the top of the chairs, or back down depending on their need. Someone will have to carry their wheel chair up and down the stairs for them to get back in to.

A more convenient type of wheel chair stair lift allows the person in the wheel chair to push their wheel chair onto the lift platform. A safety gate will close behind them. When they reach the top or bottom of the stairs, the front of the lift will open, allowing them to wheel forward out of the lift. This type of lift allows individuals to go up and down stairs without the assistance of anyone else.

Home stair lifts are very convenient for someone who has become wheel chair bound, but who also wants to remain in their home. They are easy to install. Most plug in to a wall current just like a lamp. One draw back is that most homes don’t have back up power sources, so in the event of a power outage, the home stair lifts aren’t usable. The majority of them come with a very good warranty and can be used for individuals who weigh up to 300 pounds.

Used home stair lifts can often be purchased for a fraction of the cost from a home owner that no longer requires it. However, they do not come installed or with a warranty. Some companies that market home stair lifts are starting to offer reconditioned used stair lifts at a lower cost. Purchasing a used stair lift from a company may offer you a short term warranty as well as installation assistance.

Stair lifts are a great invention that allow those who are not able to go up and down the stairs the ability to lead a very normal life. Most businesses and public facilities offer them to be in compliance with ADA requirements. A home stair lift is a great option for someone in a wheel chair or the elderly who want to remain in the home they love and enjoy. It gives them the ability to do so.

SILVER CROSS Stair Lift Service

Posted by indy | 8:15 AM | 0 comments »

Find recycled and new stair chair lifts through an international network of precreened installation companies. ...

Stairlifts are brilliant inventions which started being sold around the 1930s and have been sold ever since, constantly improving and helping people more. A stairlift is a device that allows somebody to be transported from floor to floor on a chair that is built onto the wall or staircase. These lifts are really so helpful for people that suffer from diseases such as polio. Any kind of injury or illness that causes you pain when climbing stairs can be helped by the use of stairlifts.

These devices are produced so that you don’t have to put up with the pain of walking up and down stairs, they are also produced so that you can access all areas of your home or other building. There are a couple of different types of stairlifts but it shouldn’t be too hard to identify which type you need. The 2 types are Straight stairlifts and curved stairlifts.

Straight stairlifts are fitted onto staircases that are straight and contain no bends. The chairs are fitted onto straight rail tracks that are fitted to the steps, which allow the stairlift to glide up and down the stairs along the rail. These types of stairlifts are the cheapest and easiest to install.

Curved stairlifts are quite a bit different from the ordinary straight ones. These are a lot more expensive and also take a lot longer to install. These kinds of stairlifts take a lot longer to install because of the fact that they need to be custom built to meet the needs of the staircase. If you need your stairlift to go around curves and corners then you are likely to need one of these. All curved stairlifts are different because each persons stairs and requirements are different so the stairlift needs to be manufactured to fit. A few other stairlift types are wheelchair platform stairlifts, outdoor stairlifts and pre-owned stairlifts.

You may wonder “how reliable are these stairlifts?” which is definitely what you should be thinking because if you are paying however much money to get one installed you will need to know that it is going to last. Also you don’t really want anything to happen whilst you or anyone else is on the stairlift. These taken into consideration good stairlifts can survive up to 20 years plus.

The good thing about most stairlifts is that they come fitted with a cut-out switch which will stop the stairlift from moving if anything seems to be going wrong with it, also some stairlifts come with special sensors fitted which can tell if something is in the way of the lift, if there is something in the way the chair will stop, meaning you will not have a collision.

Another thing you must consider when getting a stairlift is what type of power supply you wish to have. You can run them from the mains or from batteries. There are a few disadvantages to running your stairlifts from the main power supply because if there is ever a power cut your lift will not be able to operate until power is restored, you can get round this by getting a backup battery supply installed into your stairlift which will help but can be more expensive. The disadvantage to running your stairlifts completely off of a battery is that the batteries are expensive if a new one is required. Therefore you need to decide which kind of power supply you will need carefully and take all the advantages and disadvantages into consideration.

I hope this article has helped you a bit on deciding which stairlifts will suit you best.


Finally, an outdoor stairlift that is both functional and affordable. The world's most versatile stair lift is also our most elegant and top-of-the-line outdoor stairlift on the market today. The Stair-Glide stair lift model offers unheard-of flexibility and choices that makes it customizable to fit your needs. The Stair-Glide

features: 300 pound weight capacity

Speed: 25 fpm (feet per minute) Drive System: Rack and Pinion Power

Supply: 115 VAC 60Hz, 3 wire grounded outlet Track Length: 16' stock, or custom cut up to 60'

Track: 2 5/8" wide steel beam 18" wide seat with fold-up arms 5 years drive train, 2 years warranty on all component parts of the lift Constant pressure up-down controls in ends of arms/call-send controls Safety sensors in the footrest Seat swivels 60 degrees, 90degrees Upholstery available in eight colors, in fabric or vinyl.

Features

* Installation Service Included
* A comfortable contour seat that swivels and locks at 60° or 90° away from the top of the staircase
* Padded armrests, which make your ride much more comfortable with the ability to fold up out of the way - giving you extra space to get assistance when you need it
* State-of-the-art operating control buttons placed on the ends of the arm rests for ease of use
* Access at the touch of a button with our remote controls, so your stairlift will always be exactly where you need it!

Curve Stairlift - Why and What

Posted by indy | 8:11 AM | 0 comments »


A stairlift is a machine that is usually fitted onto a steel rail running up a set of stairs. The machine has a chair which moves along the steel rail going up and down sets of stairs. A stairlift is a very important machine for some people, there are many reasons why you may need one, these include disabilities, injuries, arthritis or anything that could stop the user from being able to comfortably negotiate a set of stairs.

Getting a stairlift is ideal if you face pain when climbing up stairs, such as having chronic back ache or being disabled. The stairlift takes away all the pain of walking and allows the user to just simply sit in a chair and be taken up and down the stairs.

There are a few different types of stairlift to choose from when deciding on purchasing one. Firstly you will need to know what kind of stairlift you require. There are 2 types, one being straight and one being curved. A straight stairlift goes up and down straight stair sets whereas a curved stairlift can go round corners and curves in stair sets. Before deciding on buying a curved stairlift always make sure that you actually need the curved one as a curved stairlift takes a lot longer to build and install than straight ones.

The reason why a curved stairlift takes so much longer to build and install is because all of your stair dimensions need to be very carefully measured and then the stairlift needs to be custom built to fit the layout of your staircase. Whereas straight stairlifts can pretty much be placed onto any straight staircase within a matter of hours.

Generally a stairlift is made up of a seat with arm and foot rests which is pulled up and down the stairs by cables which pull along on small rollers that are placed on the rail that goes up the side of the stairs. Most good stairlifts have a seat that can swivel out to the side so that when the user gets to the stairs the chair swivels allowing for easy access to the stairlift. Once the stairlift reaches the end it swivels out again allowing for the user to easily get out of the chair onto the next floor.

There are a few other types of stairlift which include replacing the chair with a platform lift. This kind of stairlift is especially good if the user is confined to a wheelchair or any other kind of disability machine.

A stairlift can climb up and down pretty much any type of staircase, they will go up and down steep staircases as well as normal ones. They allow for the user to go to parts of the house that would otherwise be inaccessible.

Remember when buying a stairlift make sure that you are getting the correct one for your needs, otherwise you could end up paying a lot more than what you really would need to.

Advantages of Stairlifts

Posted by indy | 8:11 AM | 0 comments »

Stairlifts are part of the wide spectrum of mobility solutions that have revolutionized the lives of Americans with disability. These solutions have been required by the Americans with Disability Act (ADA) to be installed in commercial establishments. Now the advantages of stairlifts can be felt by all who’ve been benefited by the independence and comfort it offers for the elderly and the disabled.

First produced and marketed in the 1930s chiefly among victims of polio, the stairlift was first designed in the 1920s by the Pennsylvania’s C.C. Crispen to help his sick friend climb stairs. The plan was to create a chair that could climb stairs! The simplicity of the concept is probably the reason contributing to the increasing popularity of stairlifts.

• They don’t take much space, only require rails to be fixed in an unobtrusive way by the side of the staircase.

• The electric and/or battery-powered (AC – alternating current) chair is fixed on one end and travels through the rails.

• Available for all kinds of staircases – straight, curved or spiral – one of the advantages of stairlifts is that they’re the least expensive of all mobility solutions, requiring much lesser green than the residential elevator and platform lift.

Stairlifts are relatively simpler to install, with only installation for the curved and spiral staircase requiring more time and customization. The more complex the design of the staircase, the greater the costs of installation incurred and the time taken to deliver the finished stairlift. In such cases it generally takes up to 3 months for delivery, depending on the manufacturer. With straight staircases though, the complexity and costs are significantly reduced. The cost of the stairlift is directly proportional to the extent of your need.

Stairlift rails are made from steel or aluminum, with steel the choice for curved and complex staircases. With 90-degree and 180-degree swivel seats available, the user could experience more comfort and flexibility.

• Bruno Stairlifts create some of the most technologically advanced of stairlifts in the market, their model list also including the exclusive outdoor straight-ail straight lift.

• Acorn and Stannah are some of the other leading stairlift manufacturers offering a good number of features.

Let the advantages of stairlifts help your elderly or disabled loved ones experience sweet freedom.




If you are having problems climbing up and down stairs, then going to bed and getting up in the morning can be hard work. Perhaps you will decide to sleep downstairs instead. Once it has become too difficult to climb the stairs, you might decide that the house will need to be rearranged so that there is a bedroom and a bathroom downstairs, or you will decide to move to a bungalow with no stairs to climb.

Another option is a stairlift. Stairlifts can provide a great deal of freedom and independence, and can mean that there’s no need to move house to a bungalow, or build an extension, or convert other rooms in the house. A stairlift can be fitted quickly and easily in a few hours so that the inconvenience is minimal, and you can regain the use of all the rooms in the house.

Stair lifts are available in different lengths to fit different staircases. When you decide to have a stairlift fitted, a qualified person will visit the house to measure the length and angle of the stairs, and check that there is sufficient space for the stairlift at the bottom and top of the stairs. The questions asked should cover such subjects as whether you are left or right handed, whether you can lift your feet to step height, whether you have difficulties getting out of a chair at normal height, and the nature of the problem causing problems getting up and downstairs. Depending on the style of the stairlift and house, any doors and power points will be taken into consideration.

If there is a doorway at the bottom of the stairs, a standard track would obstruct the doorway, and be a hazard. A hinged track resolves this problem. With a manual hinged track, the stairlift is sent back up the staircase, and then the hinged track has to be folded back by hand. An automatic hinged track is folded back automatically using the remote control.

Modern stairlifts are quiet, reliable and are controlled by an easy to use joystick. This joystick can be on either armrest, to suit the user’s needs, depending on the make and model of stairlift. At least one remote control handset is usually provided with the stairlift, so that the stairlift can be called from either the top or the bottom of the stairs, and is ideal if there are two or more users.

The seat and footrest are comfortable, and help to provide a smooth ride. Stairlifts have a soft start and stop design, so that there is no jolt as the stairlift starts and stops. The seat will swivel and lock into place to aid getting on and off the stairlift. Stairlifts have park points which are usually at each end of the track and possibly in the middle if it is a curved track. The stairlift recharges the battery when it is on the park points, so that the stairlift is always charged and ready to use. If the stairlift is parked somewhere other than a park point, the stairlift will beep so that the user knows to park it properly.

In the event of a power cut, the built in battery back up system will ensure that the user is never stuck at the top or bottom of the stairs. This battery backup is usually enough for approximately ten journeys. The stairlift is likely to have a self diagnostic display, so that in the unlikely event of a malfunction, the stairlift engineer can remedy the fault quickly and easily, usually over the phone. This method also avoids having to wait for an engineer to visit the house, leaving the stairlift out of action for a while.



With a sit and stand stairlift, you can choose whether to sit on the seat and travel up and down stairs normally, or stand up to go up and down stairs. The option to stand might be beneficial to those who have problems bending their knees, or when there might be two or more users with different needs. If the width of the stairs means that a traditional stairlift isn’t suitable, or the user’s legs will not allow the user to sit down properly, then a perch stairlift might be more suitable. A perch lift allows the user to safely perch on the stairlift and has the same safety features. The stairlift seat and footrest will usually fold away, and a perch seat is very narrow, so that the stairlift is not intrusive for other people climbing the stairs.

Modern safety features mean that the stairlift won’t operate if the carriage hits an obstruction on the stairs, or if the seat, footrest or armrests aren’t in the correct positions, and will always stop when it reaches the top and bottom of the stairs. A lockable isolation switch prevents unauthorised use of the stairlift, which can be used when children are visiting for example.

It is important to check that the stairlift has the latest safety and technology features. For example without an overspeed governor, (OSG), the stairlift could rapidly descend the stairs in the event of a component or system failure. Other safety features include a swivel seat, so that you can get on and off safely, and DC power. DC power means there is no trailing mains cable, and so no danger of an electric shock.

Outdoor stairlifts are also available to overcome steps up to the front door or to the garden for example. As well as being especially designed and suitable for outdoor use, the majority of outdoor stairlifts are very similar to indoor stairlifts. They will also be as quiet and comfortable as their indoor counterparts, and provide the same safety features and convenience.

A stair lift for a curved staircase will often be very expensive, and it will usually be much cheaper, where possible, to have two straight stairlifts and some way of transferring between the two, rather than a curved stairlift.

A stairlift can be beneficial and make a big difference. Why not see how one can help you?