Chair Lifts

Vertical Wheel Chair Lifts

Vertical wheel chair lifts are amongst the many wheel chair lifts that are on the market today. There are stair models and then there are the very unique platform models that give the disabled a functional way to travel between floors in a home or a business.

There are two options available that you will see when looking at vertical wheel chair lifts. Those two options are the portable and permanent vertical lifts. By knowing the difference between the two, you can make a decision regarding what is best for your home or business.

Permanent vs. Portable

There are both permanent and portable vertical wheel chair lifts and it may be hard to determine which is needed. However, they both provide the same function.

A permanent vertical stair chair lift must comply with building codes. Portable does not have to comply with building codes since the unit is not a permanent fixture within the building. You should note, however, that some of the portable units may not have the safety features that are needed. The permanently installed wheel chair lift systems require certain safety features to ensure that there are no injuries. This means that a portable may influence the safety of those using it and those around it. Nevertheless, this is mostly common amongst the low end vertical wheel chair lifts and not the higher end models.

If you are a business or a school and you are in a situation where you would have to change the location of vertical lifts throughout the facility or grounds, then portable is going to be the ideal solution for you.

As far as how high end or low end you go, it depends upon how often the wheel chair lift is going to be used. If it is not going to be used often, you can consider saving some money. If the vertical lift is going to be used often, then you may want to consider making an investment in a higher end unit because of the longevity that it provides.

Your space requirements also dictate which you purchase. You have models that take up a smaller footprint, while there are those that take up larger footprints. You must also decide if a ramp is needed. If the space between the lift and the floor is too much, then a ramp is required. There are options that allow you to not have the ramp if you do not have the room for it.

It is important to make sure that the portable lift is one that is not meant to be installed as a permanent lift. This is because this could interfere with the safety. It is important that portable lifts are used as portable and permanent vertical wheel chair lifts are affixed the way that they need to be.

As for what makes a portable wheel chair lift portable, it is because it can be moved to multiple locations if it needs to be. There are certain safety features that are utilized to ensure that there is no wobble and to ensure no tipping.

Permanent vertical wheel chair lifts can be incorporated into a building's design. A pit may be required at the lower level because vertical lifts need to be flush with the floor so that a wheel chair can easily be rolled onto the platform. Permanent vertical lifts may be contained within a tower like an elevator. In other instances, the wheel chair lift may not be contained within a tower. This works best when the upper level is not very high. But when the level is high and it must be contained within a tower, the lift may be present in the middle of a room or wherever it can be contained. Once it is installed, it is there to stay.

And, of course, which you choose is going to have an impact on what you pay. Portable will be cheaper than permanent since permanent requires construction, which is why building permits and compliance with building code is needed.

Safety Options

Fortunately, portable vertical wheel chair lifts have certain safety features. Other than accessing with or without a ramp, the unit may be boxed in so that a door must be used to access the platform. This makes it impossible to roll out.

Also, all of the internal components are not exposed. There are a number of emergency functions that vertical wheel chair lifts have such as an emergency stop and a sensor that senses whether or not anyone or anything is obstructing the lift.

Basically, vertical wheel chair lifts are a great alternative to elevators, especially when you cannot have elevators within your home or your business. Those that are disabled can have access to the areas they need to have access to and realize a freedom that would not be had otherwise.