If you have a very narrow staircase, or an awkward door at the top/bottom, it may be necessary to remove it to allow installation of a stairlift. However, in most cases this isn’t necessary. See also our post stairlifts for narrow stairs.
We have had some doorways where removal has been needed. Here’s a recent installation we carried out where we removed the door. In the picture below you can see the stairlift rail ending at the door hinge. Due to the width of the doorway, we removed the door here to allow the stairlift to park.
The picture on the left shows the door still in place. The image on the right shows the door has been removed and the stairlift parked at the bottom.
Do I Need To Remove A Door For A Stairlift Installation – Radiators.
We will normally discuss any potential alterations that are needed for a stairlift installation during the survey. In many cases, obstacles such as radiators and doorways can usually be left in place. However, in some circumstances removal will be needed.
Here’s another installation of ours where the radiator became the problem. This needed to be removed before the installation could be completed. See also our recent blog post on this one stairlift installation with a radiator obstacle.
As you can see below, the rail was too far out and the footplate clashed with the newel post. Once the radiator was removed, this stairlift was just narrow enough to make it work!
Do I Need To Remove A Door For A Stairlift Installation – Hinged Rails
Here’s another stairlift installation where a hinged rail was used, This was required due to the stairlift installation being on the outside of the staircase, and the kitchen door obstacle. Another option could have been to do an internal installation, with the rail on the opposite side of the stairs.
Where a hinged rail is needed, we often suggest our Flow range of stairlifts because of the drop nose rail. With the drop nose rail, the stairlift can be used close to an obstacle without needing a moving part, such as a hinged rail. Any moving part on a stairlift presents potential future problems for breakdowns. A moving rail can present a major problem with a breakdown because it can block emergency exits or useful doorways/corridors.
Here’s a couple of Flow stairlift installations showing the drop nose rail near doorways. Both these doors could be left in place.
Summary
So if you’re wondering whether you need to remove a door, the answer is it will depend on your staircase layout. In most cases, the door won’t need to be removed. But sometimes it is necessary. If you’re concerned about a door you need to keep in place, speak to our team and book a survey. We will usually be able to determine whether a door needs removing during the survey. However sometimes, if it is very close, we might only know this definitely during the installation.
Door frames can also be removed for stairlift installation, in order to create enough space on very narrow staircases.
See our page on the best stairlifts for narrow stairs for more information on this topic. You can also see some of our installations on our YouTube channel here.