How to Install a Home Stair Lift

Stairlifts have been around for many years, but home lifts are becoming increasingly more affordable and popular. Instead of hiding them away in a cupboard or putting them in the corners of rooms, there are now plenty of examples of people making them centrepieces in their house and garden.

How They Work

There are various different types of home lift, but we’ll be looking at two; the through-floor lifts and the platform lifts.
•  Through-floor lifts can be placed in the home and simply run along tracks that go through a hole in the floor. Contrary to popular belief, they are actually very quick and easy to install, requiring minimal building work. Some models are designed to replace a stairlift and some are designed to be able to carry wheelchairs (like the VE Enclosed Home Lift?.
•  Platform lifts can work in a variety of different ways, but they often use a scissor-lift like system that works in the background to slowly raise the platform up. They are versatile and can usually be placed indoors or outdoors, and help a user get up a front step or set of stairs for example (the Wessex LR takes people to a height of 1m, inside or out).

The Benefits

Through-floor lifts enable you to access the upstairs of your home. You will also be future proofing your domestic dwelling and could even add value to it. They can make great futuristic pieces of furniture and can even be used to help you carry goods upstairs! Platform lifts are great inside and outside the home. They travel up a short distance, but can be just as useful as the through-floor lifts, in terms of allowing the user to overcome changes in level in the garden or in the house.

Making Them the Centrepiece

Here are just a few of the ways you can have a homelift installed to make it the stylish centre of attention in your home;
•  Place it in the centre of the room. This is certainly possible, especially if you have a nice open space somewhere. Put it right in the centre of the room, or in a corner but facing diagonally outwards for effect.
•  Custom colour. This is probably the easiest way to make your lift stand out from the crowd. Make it big, bold and unapologetic, or make it subtle. Platform lifts, outside, can fit into their surroundings by selecting the same colour as rails in the garden, for example.
•  Optional extras. There are often many changes that can be made with the interior of through-floor lifts, including things like adding your own design to a seat and more; almost anything is possible!
•  Get it wrapped! Just like cars, the outside of through-floor lifts can be wrapped, with colours, textures or images.