Buying A Home Stair Lift
For many, a stair lift can give them back their independence. However, buying a stair lift is an important decision. Not only is a good stair lift an expensive purchase, but you'll expect to use your stair lift for many years to come; so the stair lift you buy needs to last the course.
Unfortunately, choosing what stair lift to buy can be confusing. The consumer is inundated with stair lift reviews. Before you buy, you need to know what makes a top rated stair lift, what manufacturers make the best stair lifts, and what are the types of stair lifts that are available.
Over the last few years the home stair lift - also known as stairway lift, stairway elevator, stair glide, chair lift, and stair chair - has become ever more popular. A stair lift is a safe means of traveling up and down floors for those who either, find it impossible to do so unaided, or who find it too tiring. Although stair lifts are expensive to install, their cost is considerably cheaper than selling up and moving to a single storey house, not to mention the emotional and psychological disruption a house move involves.
So what is the price of a stair lift?
If your stairs are straight then you can expect to pay anywhere between $2,000 to $5,000 for straight stair lifts. For custom-built curved stair lifts you'll usually pay between $5,000 and $15,000, depending on the complexity of installation. Stair lift prices are expensive but they're still cheaper than moving house or care assistance.
How do stair lifts work?
There are primarily four types of stairlift drives available on the market today: cable, chain, worm or screw, and rack & pinion drives. Rack & pinion drive is the most widely used for residential stair lifts today - it's advisable to only buy this type. Some lifts have a visible gear rack, usually in the middle of the track but lifts with a hidden gear rack are more popular.
Stair lift manufacturers predominantly use aluminum for straight stair lifts. A combination of steel and aluminum is used for curved stair lifts.
Most electric stair lifts are now battery powered. The main advantage of battery power is that the stair lift can still be operated during power outages.
What about stair lift service and reliability?
A stair lift consists of cable, motor and many moving parts, all of which will suffer wear and tear. When you buy your stair lift it is vital that the company provides first rate after sales care. Look for businesses that offer 24-hour service with live representatives - phoning a real person rather than leaving a recorded message or sending an email to a website is quicker and you will generally get better service.
Stairlift Ratings
What do stair lift ratings really tell you? If you are in the middle of deciding between different brands and models of lifts, then chances are you need a little help deciding which ones are the best value for your money.