If you have a difficult staircase, you may be wondering if are there specific stair lifts for awkward stairs? An unusual staircase raises some questions as to whether a stairlift is a viable option or not. An “awkward” staircase might be very narrow or you may even have a spiral staircase? Perhaps your staircase is very steep.
Whatever you might think about your stairs, there’s likely a option which will work. Certain stairlifts are designed specifically for difficult and awkward staircases. In this post we’ll look at some stairlifts which might be suitable for your particular situation.
Stairlifts For Awkward Stairs
Stairlifts have come on in leaps and bounds over the last decade and technology has made them more adaptable over time.
Here at UK Stairlifts, we’ve installed thousands of stairlifts over the last 20 years. Some of those stairlifts have been installed on difficult, narrow and awkward staircases. Have a look at this one, which is quite a narrow staircase and presents an awkward corner.
With the traditional out-facing stairlift we generally think of, it would be challenging to fit on a particularly awkward staircase. The image below often depicts the stairlift which comes to mind when we think of one.
It’s outward facing which this leaves little room for manoeuvre when it comes to awkward staircases. How would it navigate a spiral staircase, for example? Or a very narrow one?
But take a look at this stairlift which can pivot while navigating corners to give you the most leg room possible. As you can see in this picture, the stairlift turns so that your legs face downstairs while the lift is moving.
This gives you maximum leg room and is perfect for an awkward staircase. See more about Thyssen stairlifts.
With the Thyssen Flow 2, for example, the rail can be placed very close to the wall to allow maximum space on a narrow staircase. This model of stairlift can navigate staircases as narrow as 61cm (24 inches) wide. They can also deal with curved staircases and even spiral staircases.
Standing Or Perching Stairlifts
Another option of stair lifts for awkward stairs is to choose a standing or perching stairlift. Standing and perching stairlifts are much less cumbersome than most stairlifts and sit flatter against the wall. This can make them a perfect choice if you’re happier to stand/perch.
However they don’t allow you to sit down. So choosing a perching stairlift would mean you prefer not to sit down while ascending/descending the staircase.
Still, this may be an option if a sitting stairlift is out of the question.
Thyssen Stairlifts
The Thyssen Stairlift range is a good option for an awkward staircase and you’re likely to still be able to choose a stairlift however awkward your staircase is! Have a look at this picture of one of our stairlift installations.
This was a particularly narrow staircase with a doorway right at the bottom. However, the Thyssen stairlift was a perfect fit with it’s drop bottom rail making it perfect to install around the door at the base of the staircase.
If storing your stairlift chair at the bottom of a staircase is the issue, don’t worry. A number of models allow you to store your stairlift anywhere on the rail. You can call it with a remote device when you need to use it.
This is useful if the top or bottom of your staircase is obstructed somehow, with a doorway or obstacle of some sort.
Narrow Staircases
Most typically we find that the most doubt as to whether someone can install a stairlift comes from having a narrow staircase. Some customers are also concerned with curved staircases which aren’t generally a problem. Have a look at this curved and narrow stairlift fitting we did for one of our customers:
Here’s another one where the chair position may have been a concern due to a lack of space at the bottom of the stairs.
Stair lifts For Awkward Stairs – Tight Corners
Another potential concern is navigating tight corners of your staircase, if you have a curved staircase. Take a look at this image from one of our fittings where you can see they aren’t a problem!
The chair (a Thyssen model) is programmed to pivot at the point of the turn so your legs avoid any obstacles. In this case the obstacle is the newel post, supporting the bannister hand rail. In a tight corner the stairlift must be able to pivot to allow free movement past the obstacle.
Modern stairlifts such as the Thyssen Flow X stairlift and the Thyssen Flow 2 offer this feature and are two of the best options for awkward staircases.
Summary
So, as you can see, there’s a choice of stair lifts for awkward stairs which solve many of the potential problems you might encounter. Whether your staircase is particularly narrow or has multiple curves in it, there’s usually a solution which will allow you to install a stairlift in your property.
See also our post on stairlift for narrow stairs and our curved stairlifts page.