4 Questions to Ask Before Buying a Chairlift

Chairlifts in New Orleans

In the modern era, there are more ways than ever for people with mobility problems to live to the fullest. Even if you need a wheelchair or a walker to get around, with chairlifts you can get upstairs or around uneven areas in your house. Although the technology to make mobility problems less pronounced is convenient, choosing the right system for you and your home requires some careful research. The specific construction of your home and your needs should be looked at when choosing chairlifts in New Orleans. We can give you insight into the typical questions that need to be addressed to make the best choice about which mobility aid to get in your life.


How Typical Is My Stairway?

Many people buy chairlifts for their stairways. Stairs, especially of long length, are dangerous for people with compromised mobility. It takes a lot of strength and balance to climb narrow or steep stairs, even for young people. Putting in a rail with an electronic chair makes it easy to get up and down. Some of the considerations you should think about when buying a chairlift for you stairs are:


How long are the stairs that you will need to fit? A lift over stairs is more expensive the longer it is.


·         Is the stairway curved or oddly shaped? If your stairlift needs to be customized significantly, it will cost more and take longer to design and install.

·         If you are investing in lifts for your stairs and other parts of your home, keep in mind these elements when creating your budget.


How Powerful Is the Lift?

When choosing lifts, including ceiling lifts, there are different types that are more or less powerful. You will want to take into account how much the person who is going to need the lift weighs, plus any additional weight being carried by the person. Wheelchairs and walkers that need to be carried up with a machine need to have a space on the lift. The lift's internal mechanism will also need to be powerful enough to support the extra weight. Make sure to confer with the person selling you the ceiling or stair lift to get a minimum and maximum range of weight that the mechanism can support.

Chairlifts for Stairways

Battery-Powered Lifts or AC

The 2 power sources for lifts are batteries or a home's electricity supply. A lift battery usually needs to be replaced once a year, depending on how much it has been used. This can be inconvenient, but if you live in an area with frequent power outages, you should consider this option so that even in blackouts you will know that you can get where you need to go in your home. AC lifts require less maintenance, however, and with an AC you won't deal with running out of battery power at inconvenient times.


Installation and Equipment Considerations

When planning where your chairlift will go, you should make sure to ask about the amount of time needed for installation and whether there will be any hazardous sections of track. Make sure to get the area where your lift will go measured and checked so that there are no surprises on installation days.