For many, AmeriGlide’s straight stair lifts provide an excellent way to increase safety, without sacrificing independence. However, not everyone has a straight staircase, so it might be necessary to consider using a stair lift that is curved.
If your staircase is curved, you might be faced with the difficult decision of purchasing a curved stair lift. Curved stair lifts end up costing a lot more than a stair lift designed for a straight staircase does. This is because it must be custom fit to the curve of the staircase.
Unlike straight staircases, which typically only differ in their length, builders do not adhere to any set standard when making a curved staircase. As a result, two houses that are right next door to one another could have completely different shaped curved staircases.
Since there is not standard in regards to curved stairways, it is necessary for a curved stair lift to be custom built. The track must be made to fit the stairway, which can easily take in excess of two months. It also results in a very expensive stair lift, easily over 10 times as expensive as a straight stair lift. The installation can also take a while, since it is much more complicated and needs to be completed by a professional installation service.
One of the other disadvantages of choosing to go with a curved stair lift is that it has little re-sale value. The lift will only work in a home that has an identical curved stairway, so pretty much as soon as you buy it, the value is lost. You also can not take it to your new home unless it has an identical stairway.
One thing to watch out for is curved stair lift resellers. These companies will take an old curved stair lift and bend the track to fit your stairs. This greatly weakens the integrity of the track and can be very dangerous. A good indication of this is the cost and the length of the warranty. If they are only covering it for around a year and it is much less expensive than other curved stair lifts, you should be extremely cautious.
An Alternative to a Curved Stair Lift
On some staircases it is possible to install two straight stair lifts, instead of going with a curved stair lift. This is called a double installation and will only work if the stair case is shaped like an ‘L’ and has a 90 degree bend. It also needs to have a landing in the middle.
When going with a double installation, you will install a straight stair lift onto each leg of the ‘L.’ While this method does not always work, it is much less expensive and allows for you to have a stair solution set up in days as opposed to months.
Some Advantages of a Double Installation
- Save at least $10,000
- Can move your stair lifts to a new home
- Can re-sell your stair lifts and make a good portion of your money back
- Many feel comfortable with a self installation
- Can be up and running in less than a week as opposed to over two months
If you do not have a straight staircase, please call us or contact one of our stair lift experts. A double installation could save you a great deal of money and time.
