Buying a Stairlift in Ireland FAQs

The short answer to this question is that yes, they can. Stairlifts for curved stairs are most often designed to fit your specific stairs, which means that the rail is designed and produced to replicate the exact curve. Whether one curve or many, a landing or even a spiral, a stairlift can be manufactured to fit an entire range of requirements.

Staircase length is not a problem for stairlift installation as a stairlift specialist will come and measure your stairs before production work begins. This means that whether straight or curved, the rail installed in your home will be exactly the right size for the stairlift in question.

Another common worry is whether stairs are too steep for a stairlift. However, this is another question that can be answered during your home survey, when every aspect of your stairs is measured, giving you a definitive answer about whether a stairlift will fit, and which type of rail and chair is best to fit your needs.

Although stairlift rails only take up a couple of inches along the side of your stairs, and you only then need enough space for a chair to glide up and down without knocking your knees on a wall or your banisters, if your stairs really are very narrow, you could opt for a “standing stairlift”, which allows you to ride in an upright position, taking up even less space on your stairs. Either way, you’ll be walked through the best option for your stairs at your home visit.

Yes, as stairlift rails are fitted to the very edge of your stairs, other users will still be able to use your stairs comfortably while your stairlift’s not in use.

All stairlifts come fitted with backup batteries, so in the event of a power cut or any other type of power outage, your stairlift will deliver you safely on the landing you’re heading towards. This also means you’ll never be stuck upstairs, whatever happens.

Usually, the answer is no. However, there are some factors that may lead to you needing some work done. These include not having a plug in an accessible location for your stairlift or having a door in the way. These are problems that will be detected during your home evaluation, when solutions will also be suggested, which may include positioning your stairlift on the other side of the stairs, an automatic folding rail, or having your stairlift curve round the bottom of your banisters so that it’s never in the way.

The short answer is that yes, they are. Meticulously designed to fit your stairs and run at comfortable speeds, stairlifts are fitted to meet safety standards and rigorously tested to ensure they keep to these standards. If your stairlift is fitted by certified technicians, as they are, as standard, when bought, they’re ensured to be safe.