Can you fit a stairlift on narrow stairs? This is a question often asked by our customers and the usual answer is yes! Most staircases will fit a stairlift, however, certain very narrow staircases will require a specific model of stairlift.
Not all makes and models will fit every staircase. Some stairlifts require a “run-on” which means a space at the top/bottom of the stairs in order to pivot the chair, for easy entry/exit. But with some households, there will be a door at the top or bottom, preventing this.
You can read a recent case study about this in which we fitted a stairlift where there was a door at both top and bottom.
Can You Fit A Stairlift On Narrow Stairs – Staircase Width
Most staircases allow the use of a stairlift, even in the case of a very narrow stairways. However, certain stairlifts face outwards. This means there’s a limit because of the leg length of the stairlift user. If the measurement from the back to the knee or toe (whichever is greater), is larger than the space plus the chair fitting, you’ll need a specialist stairlift.
A specialist stairlift such as the Flow X allows the user to face downstairs during travel which eliminates the issue of the leg length and allows more room for tight spaces.
The Flow X also has a patented technology which means it’s the only stairlift which can move and pivot simultaneously. Other stairlifts can do this, but not at the same time. This makes the Flow X the most versatile stairlift when it comes to curved staircases which are awkward and narrow.
It can seamlessly move around obstacles such as tight turns and newel posts. This is often where the most space issues arise when it comes to an installation.
What About Narrow Straight Stairs?
Narrow, straight stairs are much less of an issue when it comes to stairlift installations. A straight staircase has far less potential problems. With a straight rail and no turns, the biggest issue is the leg length measurement.
There can be other problems however. In this image you can see the foot plate is about to clash with the newel post at the base of the stairs. This was due to the radiator at the base of the stairs. The radiator position forced the rail outwards, which eventually caused another issue. With this installation, we have to return once the radiator had been removed.
Still, the stairlift was a Stannah 600 (reconditioned stairlift) and it fitted very nicely once the issue with the radiator was resolved. Stannah’s are great stairlifts and well engineered. Their build design leaves a lot of room for the legs, because the chair is well positioned back against the rail.
But certain stairs won’t allow the Stannah models to be fitted, it they are particularly awkward. In these cases we will recommend a Flow X or Flow 2 stairlift which both have the ability to be fitted on tighter stairways.
See also our post on stairlifts for very narrow stairs and the models we recommend.
We also have a YouTube channel with some of our installations on narrow staircases.
Summary
So, can you fit a stairlift on narrow stairs. I think we have shown that yes, it’s completely doable to install a stairlift even on very narrow stairs. However, the staircase width isn’t the only consideration. There’s also obstacles such as corridors and doorways to consider. Radiators may need to be removed and even with a super, dextrous stairlift there are limitations.
Give us a call to book a free assessment and we can give you a definitive answer! Call 0800 046 3438 or visit our contact page and leave a message.