What Not To Expect From A Stairlift Installation

If you have purchased a stairlift, the stairlift company would have discussed with you what you should expect from a stairlift installation. Obviously certain factors such as a complex curved staircase, a split level landing or an item in the way such as a handrail or radiator can change even the best laid plans and throw up some unexpected issues.

Yet even with these unexpected problems, there are some things you should NOT expect from your stairlift installation.

Packaging and Mess

Reputable stairlift engineers should remove all packaging and clear up any mess to leave your home clean and tidy. You should never be asked to dispose of anything yourself. The engineer should not cause any damage to your existing carpets.

Additional Payment

All our engineers are paid good rates and work set hours. If a job takes longer than expected then we have a team of engineers who can step in to meet other pre-arranged appointments. You should never be asked to pay for additional working hours, for extra labour or for extra parts. The full cost of your installation would have been included in the quote.

Your home would have been assessed before the installation and full measurements taken. If this assessment was done correctly then no extra parts or labour should be needed and if they are, the company should be willing to stump up the extra costs.

Engineers to Leave with no Demonstration

Once the installation is complete the engineers should never just pack up and leave. Various safety checks should be performed and the engineer should test the stairlift for smoothness, stability and correct stopping and starting positions. You should also be given a demonstration of how everything works.

A Safety Feature to be Overridden or Deactivated

If one of the safety features fails, it should be repaired immediately and tested again. On no account should any of the safety features be disabled. They are there for the safety of the user and a professional engineer would never overlook any of them or deem any of them to be unnecessary.

Damage to Wall or Stairs

Most stairlift rails (with the exception of some curved stairlifts created by Acorn) are fitted onto your stair treads and are not attached to walls. The only damage made to walls would be if a handrail had to be removed and there may be holes left where the handrail was attached. This would have been fully explained to you before the installation procedure. Neither your wall nor your stairs or carpet should be damaged at all during the installation of a stairlift.

Staircase Alterations

Your stairlift will be customised to your staircase so no major alterations should have to be made. Sometimes an infill step is used in the case of a quarter landing with steps to the side in order to fit a straight stairlift, but your needs and preferences will always be taken into consideration and a curved staircase can usually negotiate even the trickiest of staircases without the need for alterations.

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Anne is a registered nurse and full time carer. She regulary writes about here experiences when providing full time care.