If your stairs are narrow, it’s easy to assume they wouldn’t accommodate a stairlift… or would they?
Older stairlifts were bulky pieces of machinery which took up a lot of space, but times have changed. Maybe you’ve been told in the past that your stairs are too narrow, perhaps by a supplier whose product couldn’t meet your needs. But don’t assume that’s an end to it.
Acorn Stairlifts are among the slimmest on the market, designed to take up as little room as possible on the stairs, and with various options or modifications available to make them suitable for narrow stairs.
Many UK homes have narrow staircases, especially in older properties or traditional terraced houses. If only one person in the household would use the stairlift, it could cause an obstruction for others walking up and down the stairs, but Acorn has worked hard to overcome this.
Firstly, our stairlift rails – made from slim but extremely strong aluminium – are designed to be as unobtrusive as possible. We use a single shielded rail, unlike some of our rivals who still use a more industrial-looking and intrusive double rail system.
Our rails are mounted securely to the stairs, positioned close to the wall on whichever side of the staircase is best suited to the job. The rail occupies only a small part of the staircases’ full width, meaning other people can continue to use the stairs without fear of knocking into it or having to tread carefully to one side.
Mounted on the rail is our Acorn Stairlift carriage – the chair which carries you up and down the stairs. We use the same slimline carriage design for straight and curved staircases. When the stairlift is not in use, the carriage seat, arms and footrest can all be folded up, keeping them neatly out of the way and maximising its space-saving capability.
When folded up in this way, the front edge of the carriage sits just a touch over 12 inches (31cm) from the wall on a straight stairlift and just an inch more (33.5cm) on a curved stairlift. A range of other options and modifications are available to maximises space saving, depending on the individual circumstances of the installation.
For example, it might be possible to add a small curve to the rail at the top or bottom of the stairs so the carriage can be ‘parked’ off the staircase when not in use. Another option could be the innovative Acorn Sit-Stand Stairlift.
As its name suggests, this model allows the user to either sit on the carriage in the conventional manner or use the lift while standing upright and using the robust additional handrails for extra support. This option is ideal if you find it difficult to bend at the knees or if the stairlift will be used by people whose needs differ.
While we can’t give a 100% guarantee that your stairs will be suitable for a stairlift, it’s very rare that our experienced Acorn home surveyors and installation engineers come up against a situation which defeats them. The key thing is not to assume your stairs are too narrow – even if another company has told you they are – because it won’t cost you a penny to find out for sure.
Just call Acorn on Freephone 0808 223 4871 or click on the green ‘Quick Free Quote’ button at the top right of this page to book your free no-obligation home survey and quote. Your local Acorn home surveyor will then call to expertly measure your stairs and outline the options available to you. Our surveyor will also provide a comprehensive quote for the work, with no hidden extras and valid for up to 12 months, giving you time to decide.
So don’t assume your stairs are too narrow. Get in touch with Acorn today and you could be enjoying all the benefits of a home stairlift within a few days.