Navigating a wheelchair around the house can be challenging, especially if you have a story house. It can be difficult to push the wheelchair up the stairs; hence you need someone to help do the job. This leads to the overreliance on human labor in the house, which is challenging, especially in busy families. Therefore, the easiest way to help someone with a wheelchair around the house is to install a wheelchair lift.
Before installing the lift, there are various factors you must consider. These factors include security features, energy efficiency, blending with the interior decor, and user-friendliness. One of the most suitable lifts might be the Scooterdirect’s wheelchair lift which can meet various qualities you need to consider when buying a wheelchair lift.
The floor plans
Before you consider installing the wheelchair lift, you need to understand your floor plan and the room necessary for the installer to install the lift. It would be best if you talked to the professional installers to determine how the lift will be fixed in position. A floor plan study will enable you to install a lift that blends with the rest of the house layout.
The installation process will also enable you to fix your wheelchair lift while saving space for other activities within the house to allow for free and unhindered movement. Besides the floor plan, you also need to understand different aspects, such as the width and the ceiling heights. The lift should not rise higher to the extent that it hits the ceiling.
It would be best to consider where precisely you locate the lift in the house. It should be located in a position that is easily accessible, and if it’s a staircase wheelchair lift, you need to find it strategically on the houses’ staircases.
The interior and exterior décor and appeal
A wheelchair lift should not change the house’s appearance; instead, it should boost the beauty and make it look appealing to observers or perfectly blend with the house decoration. Achieving the visual appeal improves the visual appeal of the lift and the ability to use it without disrupting any other interior décor.
To make it look appealing, there are additional features You can include it in the whole lift set-up. You can choose wooden, metallic, or glass doors to blend with the interior décor. You can also select the colorful buttons to operate the lift. You can also get suitable wallpaper for the ride. Ensure the charge matches the house design and that interiors are decorated to create a unique design to make it more welcoming.
The security features
There are various risks associated when using the lifts. The lifts should have different systems to keep you safe. You need to have sufficient features that accompany modern lifts with adequate safety and security features for the users. Before installing the ride at home, you need to visit test sites to see the lift in action and the process; you need to ensure it has features to respond to emergencies such as power outages. It should also have systems to reduce the risks of injury and other technical failures that may occur abruptly.
Ensure most of these safety features are automated to reduce the burden of having manual input systems that children can tamper with. The automation will also prevent any user interventions hence the system is self-sufficient.
A good wheelchair lift should also have a fall prevention mechanism such as grippers to prevent the wheelchair from freely slipping from the main rail leading to an accident. The rail should also have a stop mechanism to prevent the wheelchair from slipping off the main fence.
Energy efficiency
A good home lift should be energy conservative and should not have a massive impact on home energy consumption. To ensure an energy-efficient lift, you need to determine the appropriate size. The larger the lift, the more energy it consumes, hence selecting a medium or smaller ride that will consume limited energy.
You should also select lifts designed to meet the new sustainability standards by energy efficiency and consuming limited energy.
Lift capacity
Every wheelchair lift has a specific capacity that it can accommodate. The rides are only designed for one wheelchair and someone of a certain weight. Extending beyond the recommended weight could affect the structural integrity of the lift. A wheelchair has an additional weight plus that of the wheelchair user; hence you need to determine the appropriate weight.
While focusing on the lift capacity, you must also consider the size. A good lift for the house should have an ability for one person and should not be too large to become conspicuous. Ensure the lift has extra power for at least one additional person. You also need to consider the house design to ensure the ride does not overburden the house’s structural integrity.
Conclusion
While ordering your wheelchair lift, you must ensure it blends perfectly with the house and does not look conspicuous. It would be best if you also made it user-friendly to guarantee those in the wheelchair can easily reach the control panel and get in and out of the lift. You need to consider the energy requirements, the lift capacity, and the lift’s impact on the house’s structural integrity and design.