This is one of the most common questions we get and the answer relieves people every time.
The rail fixes to the treads
Brackets are fixed into the stair treads, and the rail sits on those brackets. The wall is not touched.
That is the standard for residential stairlifts from Bruno and Harmar alike, and it exists for good reasons: stair treads are structural and consistent, whereas walls vary enormously and plenty of them are plasterboard over studs that do not line up with where the rail needs to go.
Why it matters to you
If you rent. Fixings into treads are far easier to make good than holes through a wall, and a landlord conversation goes better for it.
If you might sell. Removal leaves small holes in the treads that fill easily, and on carpeted stairs the carpet is refitted over them and there is nothing to see. We have taken lifts out of houses going on the market and the stairs underneath were fine.
If your walls are old. Lath and plaster, or a wall that has been patched a dozen times, is irrelevant to the installation.
So what does go near the wall?
The rail sits close to it, which is a clearance question rather than a fixing one. Bruno designs the Elan with a narrow vertical rail specifically so the lift sits tight and leaves open space on the steps.
Occasionally a bracket is fixed to a wall or a newel post where a landing or a turn needs additional support. That is an exception discussed at survey rather than the method.
What the treads need to be
Solid enough to take the fixings, which covers almost every timber staircase. Stone and concrete take masonry anchors. Open risers with nothing behind the tread are the case that needs a look, and they are frequently still workable with added structure.
A staircase with real movement in it gets addressed before anything is fitted, because a lift puts load into the treads.
What this means for your carpet
The most useful thing on this page: if you are replacing the stair carpet in the next year or two, do it first. Replacing it afterward means removing and refitting the lift, which is a cost nobody budgets for.
How many fixings
Fewer than people picture. The brackets are spaced along the flight, and the whole install is quieter and shorter than a carpet fitting. A straight lift is two to four hours start to finish, and our installation guide covers the day in detail.
Removal, briefly
A couple of hours for a straight lift. Holes filled, nothing on the walls.
Smaller equipment ships free from our online shop.
What about the handrail
Usually it stays exactly as it is. The rail sits low on the treads and most handrails are unaffected, so the stairs keep the support everybody else in the house relies on.
Occasionally a handrail has to be trimmed or repositioned where the lift parks, and that is a conversation at survey rather than a surprise. Do not remove one in advance.
Open risers and unusual staircases
A staircase with open backs has less tread to fix into, and it is frequently still workable with added structure. Stone and concrete take masonry anchors. Very shallow nosings need a look.
None of that is exotic. What matters is that it is seen before install day, so send a photograph from each end when you first make contact.
Load, and why the staircase itself matters
A lift puts load into the treads, so a staircase with real movement in it gets addressed before anything is fitted. This is rare and it is the one structural thing a surveyor is genuinely checking for.
If your stairs flex noticeably underfoot now, mention it. Our installation guide covers the day itself, and smaller equipment ships free from our online shop.
What the fixings look like afterward
Small holes in the treads, spaced along the flight. On carpet, the carpet is refitted over them and there is nothing to see. On bare timber they are filled and touched in, and on stone they are made good.
Nothing on the walls, nothing on the banister, and no structural alteration anywhere. That is the single most reassuring fact about this equipment and the one people are most surprised by.
If a landlord is asking
This is the paragraph to forward. The installation fixes to the stair treads, not the structure or the walls, and removal leaves small fillable holes. It is closer to fitting a handrail than to building work.