Freedom From Stairway-phobia With The Wheelchair Stair Lift

There are so many among us who find it difficult or well nigh impossible to navigate stairways on their own. Such people are practically imprisoned to a single floor. Moving to a single-floor dwelling is an option that, at best, is a last resort, and at worst is a non-option for those who can't afford to. The wheelchair stair lift is truly a blessing for such people, because it helps them to navigate those formerly insurmountable stairs conveniently and safely. Best of all, it is easily affordable in most cases.
Basically, a wheelchair stair lift is a motorized means of carrying a person seated in a wheelchair up and down stairs. The motor is usually driven by an electric motor running off rechargeable batteries. It is installed over the stairs in such a way that the stairs can still be used in the usual fashion. There is no need of breaking down or reconstructing the existing building. It is the most affordable, and hence preferred, means of traversing stairs.
What does a wheelchair stair lift cost? The cost depends on whether the stairway is straight or curved. A wheelchair stair lift costs less than $5000 for a straight stairway, with a commonplace 12-foot floor-to-floor clearance. The curved stairways are more complex to cost because the type of wheelchair stair lift also comes into play. The contractor will have to do a physical inspection of the stairway before quoting the cost. A ballpark figure ranges from $5000 all the way to $25000.
All modern wheelchair stair lifts are driven by electric motors, which can be light-duty for individual use or heavy-duty for institutional use, and mains powered or battery powered. There are four types of drives that are commonly found on wheelchair stair lifts. The most popular one for individual use in a residential environment is the rack-and-pinion drive system.
A cable-winched wheelchair stair lift uses a strong steel cable to move the wheelchair stair lift up and down the stairway. This tends to be a little jerky, but improvements are expected soon.
Another type of wheelchair stair lift is driven by a set of running chains. A thumb on the wheelchair stair lift engages the chain which carries it up or down. Its noise and price puts it out of the popularity race.
A screw-driven wheelchair stair lift is driven by a set of screws. This is not very popular for individual use.
The rack-and-pinion wheelchair stair lift is the best type by far. It is the cheapest to install, requires no maintenance, and is emits very little noise. It is driven by a set of rotating pinion wheels which engage wall-mounted racks on both sides of the stairs.
Sometimes the rack-and-pinion system is modified to run on tracks laid on the stairway itself, instead of being set in the side walls.
Mains powered wheelchair stair lifts are going out of fashion, the reliability and safety of rechargeable batteries making them more popular by the day. Wheelchair stair lifts require official clearance before they can be installed or put to use.
The user can choose between a wheelchair stair lift that allows the chair to be turned at right angle to the axis of the stairway, and one that allows the chair to be turned right around. Modern electronic technology ensures that these systems are able to "self-diagnose" themselves, and warn the user about potential problems. This eliminates big maintenance bills for the user.
The modern wheelchair stair lift is safe, reliable, maintenance-free, and affordable. People with any form of disability which prevents them from navigating stairways on their own, can avail themselves of this marvel of modern technology and regain their lost freedom. But they'd better not knock their cigar ash on the carpet!

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For more information on how a stairway chair lift can help in your home, visit www.WheelchairLiftsOnline.com. You'll also get information on how a vertical wheel chair lift, similar to a small elevator, can also increase the mobility of those who are confined to a chair.

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