Are your knees hitting the wall? If you’ve got a problem with a stairlift which is too big, or a narrow staircase, we can help! We’ve had many customers complain a stairlift is too big for their stairs. A recent case study covered an issue where one of our customers had to sit awkwardly on his stairlift to avoid his knees clashing with the wall.
Here’s a picture of the stairlift we were able to help him with. As you can see, this staircase was extremely narrow.
Not only was this staircase very narrow, but it was also a stone staircase!
He wasn’t the only customer we’ve had who’ve had a previous stairlift which didn’t fit. It’s a common theme where customers have had a stairlift installed, only to find out that it’s too close to the wall. They have often had to crunch themselves into an awkward position in order to use the stairlift – far from safe!
But once the lift is in, they also need it in order to use the stairs at all!
Knees Hitting Wall – Stairlift Too Big – Here’s The Problem (& Solution)
Here’s the main problem when it comes to the knees being too close to the wall with a stairlift. The main measurement to take with a stairlift is the knee to back measurement. As you can see in the picture below, if this measurement is larger than the minimum width of your staircase, you’ll need a specialist stairlift.
Here at UKStairlifts we specialise in stairlifts for narrow and difficult staircases. So when it comes to a staircase which is particularly narrow, we can help. So what stairlift works on a very narrow or awkward staircase?
Knees Hitting Wall – The Flow X Stairlift
The Flow X stairlift is a specialist stairlift which is often the “go-to” stairlift for unusual stairs. It has a unique ASL (Advanced Swivel and Levelling) technology which means it can be programmed to avoid difficult obstacles. It can also face the user downstairs – saving valuable space with a narrow set of stairs. A normal stairlift would struggle with certain stairs because of its outward facing chair position. So often the Flow X is the only option when a standard stairlift won’t fit.
We have installed a number of these little marvels for customers where other stairlift suppliers said it couldn’t be done!
Our Story – What Led Us To Specialise?
A few years ago we were having to turn away desperate customers who needed stairlifts for narrow and awkward stairs. We love helping people with their mobility needs. It makes the job all the more rewarding when we can help people maintain their independence in their home. So we were as frustrated as some of our former “would-be” customers when we couldn’t help them.
We began looking into more specialist stairlifts which could cope with those stairs we struggled with. We found the Flow X stairlift and learned how to install them. Since then, we have helped hundreds of people with difficult and awkward stairs. Many of them have had a stairlift installed already, but which was too tight a fit!
So if you’re struggling with an existing stairlift, or you have been turned away for an installation, give us a call! We might be able to help!
Summary
So, if your stairlift is too big, you’re uncomfortable on a stairlift or your staircase is too narrow for your stairlift, we can help. We specialise in stairlifts for narrow stairs. Specifically we will often use the Flow X stairlift, or it’s predecessor the Flow 2a stairlift, where needed.
Often these particular stairlifts are the only solution when others won’t fit. We will always recommend the right solution for you, given your needs and budget. So if a cheaper stairlift works on your staircase, that’s what we will recommend. Unless of course you particularly like a specific model.
We also use other stairlifts for narrow stairs, and offer free surveys throughout the UK. Give us a call on 0800 046 3438 or visit our contact page.
You can also see some of our installations on our YouTube channel here.