Stairlift – Why consider an alternative?

People who have difficulty climbing stairs at home find many solutions to this problem. Purchasing a stair lift has been one of the most common solutions. Therefore, in this article, we will look at why a stair lift is not always the best solution. And what to consider when buying a suitable stair lift.

Contents

What is a stairlift?

A stairlift is a device that transports the user between two or more floors in your home. It consists of a rail specially designed for your stairs and a seat mechanism. The seat moves slowly along the stairs, typically at a speed of about 7 cm per second.

There are stairlifts for straight stairs and stairlifts for curved stairs. There is also the option to buy a used stairlift if the costs for a new one are too high.

Treppenlift Informationvideo

How much space does a stairlift need?

Stairlifts require a comparatively large amount of space, which means that they restrict the width of the staircase for others.

The rail system of a stairlift sometimes takes up around 18 cm from the wall. (Public information for the German market 2024)

In addition, the seat unit takes up to 40 cm when not in use. (Public information for the German market 2024) As stairs often do not have enough space to park a stairlift and provide a safe escape route at the same time, the seat unit must be parked both at the top and bottom outside the stairs.

Example of the dimensions of a stair lift

  • Total height 98 cm
  • Seat height 44 cm
  • Total depth (from wall) 57 cm
  • Total depth (folded) 31 cm
  • Width of the footrest 31 cm
  • Total width 60.5 cm
  • Seat depth 60.5 cm

Escape route and Technical Building Regulations (DIN 18065)*

Introduced technical building regulations are technical rules that have been introduced by the supreme building supervisory authorities of the individual federal states by public announcement.

To DIN 18065

Excluded from the application are stairs in residential buildings of building classes 1 and 2 and in apartments.

 The following statements are corresponding to the local laws of Germany in 2023. Building regulations requirements for the installation of stair lifts in staircases of necessary stairs in existing buildings:

The function of the necessary staircase as part of the first escape route and the safety of the stairs must not be restricted by the subsequent installation of a stair lift in the stairwell. The subsequent installation of a stair lift is permitted if the following criteria are met:
The staircase only provides access to apartments and/or comparable uses.

The minimum width of the staircase of 100 cm must not be significantly undercut by the guide rail; a lower restriction of the clear space profile of a maximum of 20 cm width and a maximum of 50 cm height is acceptable, provided that the staircase flight line or the walking area is not altered. A handrail must be able to be used effectively.

If a stairlift is guided through multiple floors, there must be a sufficiently large waiting area in each floor so that a waiting area for encountering persons is available when the stairlift is in operation. This is not required if a residual running width of the stairs of 60 cm is secured next to the lift in use.

The lift must be in a parked position when not in use, which does not restrict the staircase. In case of emergency, the stairlift must be able to be manually pushed into the parked position.

During the empty trips to and from the parking position, the seat of the stairlift must be folded up. In addition to the folded-up seat, a residual running width of the stairs of 60 cm must remain.
Protection against the abusive use of the stairlift.

Stairlift must be made of non-flammable materials.
In the case of a necessary staircase in an existing building, the usable minimum tread width may be reduced by a maximum of 10 cm through the subsequent installation of a second handrail.
This exception only applies to stairs with a minimum tread width of 100 cm according to the specifications of DIN 18065.*

(Source: https://nullbarriere.de/mvv-te…)

How much does a stairlift cost?

The price of a stairlift is usually in the range of 4,000 – 14,000 euros. (Average comparative prices, public information for the German market 2024) The stairlift price depends on whether you have a straight staircase or a curved staircase. There are also price differences for indoor and outdoor stairlifts. The stairlift prices naturally also vary depending on the stairlift model.

You are welcome to talk to a personal advisor about the options in a non-binding consultation. A consultation should always be free of charge and without obligation and remember that you can apply for financial subsidies for the stairlift.

Passivized

Although technical challenges are often a reason why a stairlift cannot be installed, there is another equally important reason why other solutions should be considered first.In recent years, there has been a great deal of commitment in the field of “everyday

rehabilitation.” Everyday rehabilitation is about mastering everyday activities at home, as surveys show that most people still want to live in their own homes. This is also by far the most socioeconomically viable solution.

Keeping the body in motion has great effects both physically and mentally. Physical activity contributes, among other things, to the following:
Greater chance to remain independent and take care of oneself.

  • Fewer falls and fractures
  • Lower risk for type 2 diabetes
  • Lower risk of colon and breast cancer
  • Better memory and other cognitive functions

A stairlift, on the other hand, helps to make the affected person more passive.

Our experience often shows that people who install a stairlift at home – and then stop walking up the stairs – lose the ability to climb stairs after a very short time. Older people and people with disabilities in particular lose muscle mass when they stop climbing stairs at home and no longer move around much. For this reason, we have developed the TOPRO Step stair assistant.

TOPRO Step is a stair climbing aid that secures you while climbing stairs.

TOPRO Step was developed by former NTNU students (Norwegian University of Science and Technology) and launched in Norway in 2015.

The reason we wanted to develop TOPRO Step was that many people have difficulty going up and down stairs. Reasons for this include diseases such as Parkinson’s, stroke, and MS. However, there are a variety of people who have an increased risk of falling for various reasons.

One of the first things we saw in the development in 2012 were statistics from Statistics Norway. The numbers show that in Norway there are about 50 deaths due to stair falls every year and about 30,000 injuries.

A fall on the stairs can have serious consequences, such as hip fractures or a femoral neck fracture. Every year in Norway alone, there are about 9,000 hip fractures, and unfortunately, the statistics show that the prognosis is poor for those affected.

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TOPRO Step Senior4

How do you motivate yourself to move more and at the same time secure yourself?

Since the market launch of the TOPRO Step in 2015, 4,000+ products have been installed in Europe to date.

TOPRO Step is certified and tested by the German TÜV and is approved for users weighing up to 120 kg.

TOPRO Step Costs

As with stairlifts, the price of a TOPRO Step depends on various factors. Since TOPRO Step is a modular system, it does not need to be completely customized to fit your stairs.

The layout of the stairs, the number of curves, the length of the required rail system, the desired features, and on-site conditions such as wall material or differences in wall depth are factors that influence the TOPRO Step price.

Do you have any questions about the price for the TOPRO Step?

TOPRO Step Informationvideo

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