Do you have a disabled or elderly person living in your multi level home who struggles to use the stairs to access their living areas? This is a common challenge here in Hawaii where the price of land and the presence of mountain slopes forces builders to construct 2 or 3 story homes equipped with one or more staircases.
There are several choices available to assist physically challenged family members in living a normal life. The most extravagant and convenient way to deal with this problem is to have an elevator or vertical lift installed. An elevator allows large wheelchairs or groups of 3 or 4 passengers to ride with the push of a button. They are the most attractive choice being custom made to match the decor of your house and offer a variety of sliding door choices. A vertical lift can be placed anywhere, inside or outside and some are installed in the center of a room or right next to a staircase. They are controlled by a button or lever that you must keep engaged to continue moving, when you let go, the lift will stop. They come in cubicle and tubular designs and boast glass walls so you can enjoy the views. Lifts and elevators are mainly powered by strong electric motors, some using cables and others climb up and down tracks, but they can also be powered by hydraulics or even pneumatic Air. Permits are often required since alterations to your home commonly are necessary. However, many indoor lifts simply require openings to be crafted in your floors and vertical tracks to be installed. Lifts and elevators can run you anywhere from 50k to 100k or more making this option out of reach for most home owners. But if you can pull it off, they add significant value to your home.
Vertical inclined lifts travel up an existing staircase and require a strong, wide stairs. They can transport a heavy wheelchair and are mainly used in commer4cial or public buildings, and rarely in residential properties. They can be installed inside or outside a building. These are less costly than lifts or elevators and are widely used.
The most popular choice for homes is the chair or stairs lift which can accommodate one passenger and transport them safely up a straight or curved staircase, inside or outside. They are equipped with armrests, a seatbelt, footrest and all kinds of safety and comfort features. They can handle 180 or 90 degree turns, custom curves, flat landing areas, and can even park around the corner and fold up. They don’t have horns or bells, but can be called by remotes to come to you and are powered by rechargeable batteries (charging when parked) that can power your lift even when power goes off. A stairs lift can run anywhere from 7k to 25k depending on many factors. Curved and outside use lifts are more complex and therefore not as affordable as a straight indoor model.
