Residential elevators

By: Robert Thomson

If you you are mobility challenged, there is a good chance that you experience day-to-day problems walking the stairway of your residence. For a significant portion of these individuals, a similar situation will probably lead to the installation of a stair lift. However, if you have a narrow or curved stair case, have obesity problems or can not leave your wheelchair, having a stairlift installed might just not be suitable for your particlar situation. Instead, you might be better served by a home elevator. Having an elevator at home may sound rather extravagant, but as a growing amount of satisfied owners can testify, it may be a bare necessity to those in need. So, if it happens to be the case that your home employs a narrow or curved stairway, it might be wise to think about making a comparison of the cost and benefits of a home elevator with those of a stair lift.

A secondary advantage of a home elevator, is that having one can positively influence the value of your property. A properly maintained elevator will keep its value almost indefinately. In fact, home lifts are one of the most popular amenities offered to boost the value of newbuilt property. Thanks to modern technology and due to recent drops in retail prices, a home elevator has now become a viable solution to individuals seeking to increase the quality of their daily lives. The classic advice of 'simply' relocating to a bungalow once the stairway becomes an obstacle, simply no longer holds. Those that are still handing out this advice really forget to take into account the emotional impacts that come with moving one's place of residence.

If you are planning to purchase a residential elevator, the most appropriate time to have one mounted, is during the building of the property. However, during this phase, most home owners forget that they may one day need assisted vertical transportation. Since lifts need a foundation, a shaft, an engine and several (usually two) entry points, not all houses can accomodate an elevator without modifications. Chances are therefore, that significant adaptations are required before one is able to install a residential elevator. A number of these adaptations could have major aesthetic and/or financial impacts. To be brought up to speed on your home's suitability, you would do well to contact a local installer before purchasing the elevator. They will dispatch an engineer to check on your house for any potential issues. The report handed to you afterwards may include a price quote for having the work done by the installation firm themselves. In order to get a non-subjective view of the situation, be sure to have it inspected by different firms.

If your home has been found suitable for elevator installation, it is time to start bothering about the more subtle details of the lift in question. The most important factors that determine the price of your residential elevator are travel height, amount of stops and the lift's cabin capacity (weight). In general, the lower these values, the less expensive your investment will be. Another factor that could have great influence on your choice of elevator, is drive type. There are many types of drives, including the cable hydraulic drive, chain hydraulic drive and the vacuum lift. Every drive has its specific (dis-)advantages in noise, speed, durability, cost and capacity. So, be sure you are well-informed by your local installer, so you can make a well-educated decision. Finally, you probably want to be sure the interior of the lift cabin has all the features you seek. Things you could think about are an emergency button, a telephone jack and gate type. An accordeon-type gate is usually recommended, since a scissor gate could potentially close on your fingers when used incorrectly.

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In case you have a desire to learn more about the residential elevator, make sure to visit our website, which has guides and tips on residential elevators

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