Residential Stairlifts
A residential stair lift is an economical way to remain in your home if mobility is becoming an issue. In Calgary and Edmonton, standard straight run stairlifts are typically stock items that can be installed in your home within 3 days of committing to the purchase.
Curved stair lifts, however, can take anywhere from 8-12 weeks to manufacturer as they are custom built to match your stairs exactly. Remote installations throughout the province of Alberta sometimes require greater coordination and lead times.
Stair Lifts Have Many Names
Stair lifts are sometimes referred to as chair lifts, stair chairs, or stair elevators, but they all fundamentally work the same way.Your lift will need to have a rail with a rack secured to the stairs, which allows the stairlift to ride up and down. This system is called a rack and pinion drive.
When installing a stairlift, a technician will have to mount several brackets to your stair treads to support the stair lift rail. These brackets are screwed down with 3/8” lag bolts through the carpet, tile or hardwood floor.
The rail runs the length of the stairway and typically takes up about 5 inches of your stairs. When the stairlift is folded up it usually will take up about 14 inches of the staircase.
Remote Control Stairlifts
Your stair lift will come with two remote controls that allow you to call or send the lift to the top or bottom landing. This is a nice feature as it allows the stairlift to have multiple users. These remotes can also be utilized to store the lift away from points on congestion.
What If The Power Goes Out?
A common question we get is “what if the power goes out, will my stair chair still operate?”. The answer is yes; a stairchair purchased from Uppercut Elevators and Lifts will operate utilizing a sophisticated battery system. The stairlift will automatically receive a charge when not in use. The charger then senses when the batteries are fully charged and turns itself off.
A stair-lift charger typically draws only about 3 amps, so the power consumption is minimal. This “trickle charger” plugs into a standard household outlet and is required to be within 10 feet from your stairlift rail. The plug can be at the top or bottom of the stairs.
Stairlift Service
Once you have your stair lift installed you want to be assured that should you need service, a technician is available. Since Uppercut Elevators and Lifts has offices in both Calgary and Edmonton you can have the peace of mind to know that service for your stairlift is only a call away. We suggest clients google “ stair lift reviews “ to find out what products are supported in the area where you live.
What Brand Do We Use?
Although we have access to several stair lift products, our Calgary and Edmonton offices stock and supply Bruno stair lifts as we feel they are the most reliable, cost-effective and have stood the test of time. I have personally been dealing with Bruno Stairlifts for close to 20 years and find them to be an excellent stair lift supplier to deal with. We offer free in-home consultations to ensure you get the correct product for your unique situation.
More information on Stairlifts can be found here.