Michigan winters are long, and lake-effect snow can bury the front steps overnight. For anyone with limited mobility, getting in and out of the house from December to March is the most dangerous part of the day. Three kinds of equipment take the risk away.
A lift in the garage
Most Michigan homes have an attached garage with two or three steps up to the house. A short vertical platform lift beside those steps raises a wheelchair or walker user to door level. It is indoors, dry and warm enough, and never needs shoveling. For many households this is the best winter entrance.
An outdoor platform lift
Where the garage is not an option, a platform lift at the porch does the same job outside. Choose an enclosed or shielded model, and place it where drifting is least.
An outdoor stair lift
For people who walk but are unsteady on icy steps, a weatherproof stair lift carries them up the porch stairs seated and belted.
Before the first snow
- Have existing equipment serviced
- Check handrails and outdoor lights
- Arrange snow clearing, including the route to the lift
- Stock a de-icer that will not harm metal or concrete
Through the winter
- Clear the platform or seat before each use
- Keep plowed snow away from the lift
- Leave the cover on an outdoor stair lift
- Use the lift regularly so that it does not sit frozen for weeks
Do it early
Pads and wiring are easier before the ground freezes.
Find the right entrance for your home
See our wheelchair lifts and stair lifts. Call Nationwide Lifts of Michigan on (810) 346-1037 or request a site visit.