The center-entrance colonial is the classic Michigan family home. You come through the front door to a staircase rising straight ahead, with every bedroom at the top. It worked perfectly for forty years. Now the stairs are the one thing that makes you wonder about staying.
Why a stair lift suits these houses
- The main stair is usually one straight flight, ideal for a standard rail
- The rail fixes to the treads, so the banister, spindles and plaster are untouched
- It is installed in hours with no remodeling
- It can be taken out later, leaving the staircase as it was
The front hall
Owners worry about how it will look. Modern lifts are slim and fold up when parked. The chair can rest at the top of the stairs, out of sight from the front door, and be called down by remote.
The door at the bottom
In many colonials the staircase ends a few feet from the front door or a hall closet. A folding rail section lifts out of the way so nothing is blocked.
Stairs with a turn
Tudors and larger homes often have a landing partway up. A curved rail made for the staircase carries you around it, or two straight lifts can be used.
The basement too
If the laundry is downstairs, a second lift on the basement stairs completes the picture.
Sharing the stairs
Family members who walk can still use the staircase normally. The folded lift takes up only a few inches.
When to choose something else
If a wheelchair must go upstairs, or transfers onto a seat are unsafe, a home elevator is the better answer.
See how it would fit
Visit our stair lifts page. Call Nationwide Lifts of Michigan on (810) 346-1037 or request a free in-home evaluation.