Monday 23 June 2008

Curved Stair Lift

If your staircase is curved, turns or has obtrusions you will need to buy a curved stair lift. Unfortunately curved stair lifts are more expensive than straight stair lifts because a curved stair lift is custom made and uses more expensive materials. Also, the installation time of curved stair lifts takes anything between 4 to 12 weeks.


Aluminum is used on straight stair lifts because it is light weight and interchangeable. It is the extrusion process that allows aluminum rail to be interchangeable. However, due to its malleable characteristics, steel is used for custom made curved stair lifts. Many curved stairlifts installations will use a mixture of steel and aluminum.If you're thinking of buying a used stair lift for a curved staircase,you should think long and hard.


Curved stair lifts are custom made and your staircase is probably not going to have the same layout and dimensions of any used curved stairlift on the market. Remember that a stairlift is a specialist piece of equipment. Even if the carriage and chair can be reused, it is very unlikely that the curved rail can be. If you do decide to buy a used curved stairlift, bring along an expert fitter to look at the used stair lift before you buy, so that you can get advice as to whether it can be modified for your stairs.


One last point about curved stairlifts they will require more maintenance than a conventional straight stair lift. This isn't surprising as more stress is placed on the track when the chair moves around the corner.Buying a curved stair lift is more expensive and more problematic than a straight stair lift. There for it is really important to buy only from a reputable manufacturer. All of the stair lift companies found on this site have years of experience in designing and fitting stair lifts and are leaders in the industry.