Can You Fit A Powered Stairlift Onto A Spiral Staircase?

A stairlift is one of the most popular forms of home adaptation, and many people looking to help make their homes more comfortable and more accessible in the New Year are looking to invest in their own future.

Since their modern invention in the 1920s, many stairlifts feature a relatively uniform design intended for straight staircases and cut to length, but not every house is designed that way, and some people wonder if they can buy a stairlift that suits their particular home’s needs.

For example, many homes have a right-angled staircase, which means that a straight stairlift would not take them all the way up to the top. However, many models can handle curved staircases, avoiding the need to painfully climb the extra step or the need for an extra stairlift.

However, whilst right-angled or even curved staircases can be navigated with the right stairlift, could a spiral staircase, with its central post, narrow design, steep steps and tight curves, be a suitable candidate for a stairlift?

Ultimately, the answer is a resounding yes, although to do so may require a very specific solution and the help of expert installers and track designers to make sure a chair can be safely fitted to the staircase with enough room for people to use it and for the operator to sit comfortably without catching their legs.

The process may require a visit from a surveyor to measure the width of the staircase, the curve and which system would work best, as well as the estimated time it may take to design any bespoke components to a spiral stairlift.

As it is a more complex, bespoke staircase, it is likely to cost more than a standard system, but this will be communicated clearly during the initial consultation, and if a staircase is so narrow that a stairlift would not be useful at all, this will also be explained.