A Stairlift Helps You Enjoy Your Outdoor Space-Here's how

A stairlift gives easy access to all your indoor living space, but it can also mean you don’t have to give up on your hard-to-access outdoor space. Here are various situations for which an outdoor stairlift is ideal.

A stairlift gives easy access to all your indoor living space, but it can also mean you don’t have to give up on your hard-to-access outdoor space. Outdoor stairlifts are available from some leading manufacturers. They work on the same tried and tested principles as indoor stairlifts, but are fully weatherproofed to withstand the conditions outdoors. There are various situations for which an outdoor stairlift is ideal, including:  

• When your home is accessed by stairs or a steep incline  

• When you have a split-level garden or yard around your home and can only access part of it  

• When you have any kind of outbuilding which is tough to access.  

Outdoor stairlifts typically run on a straight rail, which is the most cost-effective option. It’s possible to buy an outdoor stairlift running on a bespoke curved rail, but they cost more and are more complex to install. With an indoor stairlift, the choice of straight or curved is determined by the constraints of the staircase and the walls around it. Most outdoor stairlifts aren’t enclosed, so it’s usually possible to fit a straight stairlift or it’s easier and cheaper to remodel the setting to accommodate a straight rail. The only other preparation work you might need to do is to get an outdoor power socket installed – a quick and simple job for a qualified electrician. Let’s look in more depth at the three main uses outlined above.  

First, if your home is accessed by stairs or a steep slope that you can’t manage safely, then you risk becoming a prisoner in your own home. Installing an outdoor stairlift could set you free.  

Second, why should you give up on your precious outdoor space? If your garden or yard features steps – may be leading to raised decking, a porch, or patio – you could be denied part of your valuable outdoor space. Outdoor steps can also be more dangerous when they become wet and slippery. An outdoor stairlift could help you regain full use of all your outdoor space.  

Finally, you might have an ancillary building separate from your main house which has some kind of access difficulties. Maybe there’s a sloping driveway to your garage with steps alongside, or outdoor stairs leading to the workshop or annexe above the garage?   

If you need to install a stairlift on stairs leading to an upper story or mezzanine inside a garage, workshop, store, or barn, you could use a standard indoor stairlift. But for the modest extra cost, you could install an outdoor model, which offers extra protection against windblown dust and debris and extremes of temperature. Your outdoor stairlift can be disabled when not in use (typically by locking and removing a key) so that it can’t be used by anyone else without permission. Most models are supplied with a fully fitted waterproof cover for the stairlift carriage, to give extra protection. For many people, being outdoors and enjoying nature is essential to maintaining a sense of inner peace and wellbeing. Reduced mobility shouldn’t mean giving up on your own outdoor space when an outdoor stairlift can let you enjoy it to the full.