Overview

Helping you decide:

If you have difficulty getting up and down stairs you are not alone. Every year thousands of people look for a solution to the problems posed by the difficulty they have using the staircase in their home.

Using a stairlift

Unless you know someone who is already benefiting from using a stairlift you may be a little unsure of what is involved in owning and using a stairlift. It is a popular misconception that stairlifts are fixed to the wall. This is rarely the case with domestic stairlifts which are usually fitted directly on to the staircase itself. A stairlift has three basic components. Firstly, a track is fitted to your stairs and a power pack (the drive unit) is fitted to the track, then the seat that most suits your needs is fitted to the power pack.

All stairlifts are operated by a switch or toggle that is held in the direction of travel to make the lift move. When it is released the lift will stop moving.

Whilst stairlifts are very simple to use they are mechnical devices and do require annual servicing and maintenance.

Choosing a stairlift to suit your staircase

Stairlift tracks fall into two basic categories: straight and curved: it can be a little confusing to know which type you need for your staircase.

Straight Stairlifts

Straight tracks can only travel in straight lines, they cannot turn a corner or go around a bend.

These type of stairlifts are only required if your needs are to travel in one straight line, from the hall to the landing – see diagram A.
London Stairlifts offers a range of straight stairlifts to suit your needs: the Simplicity Series and the Minivator

Curved Stairlifts

Curved Stairlifts have tracks that are specifically designed to suit staircases that turn corners or are spiral: the staircases shown in the diagrams B, C, and D are examples of the type of staircase that curved stairlifts can be used on, but there are many more. All our curved tracks are made to order following a survey of each individual staircase.

We have a versatile system with some of the tightest track bends available; it can accommodate a wide range of staircase configurations and will hug the edge of your staircase. The twin rail system provides a safe and smooth ride and whilst available in two colours as standard, light grey or gun metal, it can actually be supplied in any colour to match your décor.

London curved stairlifts can travel around corners, across intermediate landings and even up spiral staircases! They are designed for your individual staircase so you know the track will fit snugly while giving you a smooth ride.

London Stairlifts offers a curved stairlift: the Minivator 2000