Nearly every Michigan house has a basement, and a good share of family life happens there. The washer and dryer, the furnace, the workshop, the rec room with the old sofa and the big television. When the basement stairs become too much, you lose all of it.
Basement stairs are harder than the main stairs
- They are often steeper
- Treads may be bare wood or painted
- There may be only one handrail, or none on the open side
- Lighting is frequently a single bulb
A stair lift fits well
Basement stairs almost always run in one straight line, which takes a standard rail. The lift is installed in a few hours and works from batteries, so it runs in a power cut.
What is checked at the survey
- Width between the wall and any open side
- Headroom under ductwork or the floor above
- The door at the top, and which way it swings
- Space to get off safely at the bottom
- The condition of the treads and stringers
Open-sided stairs
Many basement stairs have no wall on one side. That is no obstacle, since the rail stands on the steps themselves.
Make the stairs safer at the same time
- Add a handrail
- Fit brighter lighting with a switch at each end
- Close in open risers if feet could slip through
Is it worth it for the laundry alone?
Compare it with the cost of moving the laundry upstairs, which involves plumbing, venting and losing a closet. A stair lift is usually cheaper, and it gives you the rest of the basement too.
For wheelchair users
A two-stop home elevator is the alternative.
Have your stairs measured
See our stair lifts. Call Nationwide Lifts of Michigan on (810) 346-1037 or request a free in-home evaluation.