Back in the early 20th century, if you had mobility issues and weren’t able to climb stairs, you relied on someone to carry you up a staircase, or resigned yourself to living on one level of your home. The early chairlifts that were installed in homes began in the US in the 1930s and were considered revolutionary. They were also cumbersome and expensive, so were deemed a luxury. Nowadays, chairlifts are freely available and fit the budgets of most households. This has solved the problems for many people who would have had to consider leaving their homes if they hadn’t been able to overcome the challenge of a staircase.
How do chairlifts work?
Chairlifts of today are fairly easy to install. A company that offers chairlifts in Guildford will send a representative to your home to inspect your staircase and take measurements for drawings. If your staircase is straight, the cost of the chairlift will be less than a more complicated set of stairs with curves. Installation usually takes place is less than a day once the rails are manufactured and doesn’t require any drilling into walls, as the rails on which the chair operates are attached to the tread of the stairs.
Choosing the chair that’s right for you
Modern chairs come with a variety of features, so it’s good to discuss the various options with your chairlift provider. It’s ideal to choose a company that doesn’t sell only specific brands, as that way you’ll be exposed to the entire range of possibilities. You may want a chair that has adjustable height, you may need either the chair itself or the footrest to fold away, and you may choose a seatbelt for added safety. Most chairs will have a battery under the seat in case there is a problem with the power supply, as electricity is needed to pull the chair along a cable inside the rails. Some models even feature a call station so that the user can attract help if needed. This can happen, for example, when someone isn’t able to get out of the chair, or if there’s a problem with the mechanism. Most models also provide a ‘soft’ start and stop for a comfortable ride and allow the user to determine the speed at which the chair will travel.
If you are looking to buy or rent stair lift, mobility aid or chairlifts in Guildford then the team at Bentley Mobility can help.