Thursday 11 October 2012

Stair Lift - Making Life Easier


There comes a point in your life when you have to admit to things. Like your chocolate addiction that is so bad you have candy bars hidden in the toilet tank. Or maybe you admit to your irrational fear of washcloths that has plagued you since childhood. Sometimes, what you admit to can be embarrassing but you still have to do it. And, as you get older, it becomes harder and harder to own up to things that might make you seem less able. At some point, you might find that it is getting harder and harder to get up the stairs. Maybe it's time to look into a stair lift.

That's right, you don't have to worry. There's a simple solution that will make it easy to overcome this problem. You can install a stair lift. This is a mechanical device that fits onto the wall beside your stairs. It's a rail that has a chair or a platform attached to it. The chair will carry you up and down the stairs and can be modified to carry your wheelchair if you have one.

You can customize your stair lift to have a number of features that will make your stair-riding experience more fun. The first thing you can do is decorate your chair if you're so inclined. Some ribbons trailing from the seat will make for a fun ride as you ascend or descend. You can also purchase a chair that has adjustable seat height. This is good if you want to be able to decide how far from the floor you want to be. You can also equip it with a call station so that if it gets stuck halfway up, you'll be able to call for help. This is very handy in emergencies. Never assume nothing will go wrong; it's better to be safe rather than sorry. You can also invest in a seatbelt if you're afraid you will fall out of the chair. This is a safety precaution that is well worth procuring.

When you're choosing the material for your stair lift, you want to pay special attention to the rails. They're usually made from aluminum and are very durable. In some houses, the rails will cross over doorways and it is unavoidable. Your rails can come with a hinge that will allow them to be folded back when in use. Once you fold them back, you'll be able to access the doors without interference. It's a bit of a pain to constantly have to fold back the rails but it is easier than ducking under them whenever you want to go through the doorway. Before you purchase your rails, also check to see if you need straight ones or curved rails, depending on the design of your stairs. Be sure you know how long the rails need to be and if you need curved rails or folding rails before you place your order so you don't have to adjust it later or end up without enough rails for the staircase.