Porch Lifts and You

People who use wheelchairs are generally not able to easily use the stairs. Due to government regulation, most public areas either feature elevators or ramps to allow complete access, but there are still many areas that have stairs. One area that is often hard to access is the front steps of a house. To help improve accessibility, a porch lift can be installed.

Porch lifts are very similar to elevators, but they do not require any major construction to install and are self contained. They are also called vertical platform lifts and wheelchair lifts. A solid metal platform is raised and lowered vertically to allow access to areas of differing elevations.

Most often these lifts are found on the outside of a home, but they can be installed indoors as well. Additionally, businesses frequently use porch lifts to ensure that they are in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. In commercial settings the lifts usually need to be inspected before they are used, but this is generally not needed for residential use.

A porch lift provides a great way to bridge the gap between two levels of a home safely and reliably.

Porch Lifts: Opening up Your Home

A lot of people in the United States use manual and electric wheelchairs on a daily basis. For these people, and also those who use mobility scooters, a set of stairs can present a very large hurdle, which without the proper type of equipment, can be hard to overcome. The vertical platform lifts is one of the most common ways that this hurdle is overcome and can usually be installed with little or no actual construction.

A vertical platform lift shares many similarities with an elevator. In fact a vertical platform lifts is basically an elevator that is completely self contained and does not need a shaft. They are usually installed onto the front stairs of a home and so are frequently called porch lifts, but they can be installed indoors as well.

A platform is raised and lowered vertically to transport a person on a mobility vehicle, such as a wheelchair or mobility scooter. They are also used by people who have difficulty climbing the stairs and most have a weight capacity that can support multiple people at one time.

The base of a vertical platform lift is generally secured directly to a base that is made out of concrete or wood. Depending on how high up the lift goes, it also might be necessary to secure it to the side of the stairs as well. This is to prevent it from leaning and putting stress on the base, but is usually not needed unless you are lifting more that 4.5 feet.

Using a vertical platform lift can help to open up all areas of your home and will make your area completely accessible.

Vertical Wheelchair Lifts

People who use mobility scooters and those that use wheelchairs are most often not able to easily use the stairs. The stairs can present a very large obstacle and can make many homes with front porches inaccessible. To help improve accessibility a vertical platform lift can be installed, which is a very cost effective alternative to an elevator.

Vertical platform lifts are very similar to elevators, but they are completely self contained, where an elevator requires a shaft. Vertical platform lifts are often referred to as wheelchair lifts and generally do not require any major home modification. They do need a strong base though, but the base can be made out of wood or concrete, and is much less expensive and less work than it would take to install an elevator.

Vertical Platform Lifts are also used in businesses. If you want to install the lift commercially, then you should check your local building codes. This is because wheelchair lifts frequently fall into the elevator category, so might have to be specially inspected. However, this is not required for home use.

If you only need the lift for a short time or need to have the ability to easily move the lift, then a portable vertical platform lift might be a good option. The portable lifts are great for churches and schools, because within minutes they can be moved or set up.