Home elevators

A home elevator is used to offer the mobility-challenged access to all levels of the house. While an elevator at home may sound extremely luxurious, it may be a bare necessity to those that cannot ascend the stairs on body strength alone. While a stair lift may be a viable option to most disabled persons, not all staircases can accomodate a stair lift. Stair lifts for curved stair cases are notoriously expensive, almost reaching the price of a fully featured home elevator. Since a stair lift can not accomodate a wheelchair, those that are struggling or unable to leave their wheelchairs might consider having a home elevator installed instead of a stair lift. So, if you have a curved or very narrow stairway or have great difficulty leaving your wheelchair, make sure you thoroughly investigate the prices and benefits of both home elevators and stair lifts.

In these times, an elevator at home is not as far-fetched as it sounds; recent price drops have made residential elevators a viable option to those in need of automated vertical transportation. Since properly serviced elevators largely retain their value, installing an elevator will also greatly increase the overall long-term value of your real estate. Given the current state of technology, the old advice of 'moving to a bungalow or nursery home' is simply no longer valid. People that still give this advice are unaware of the emotional impact of definitively leaving one's beloved and trusted home. Indeed, they would do well to research the flourishing market of disability aid machinery.

Preparation, installation and purchase

The best time for installing an elevator is during the actual construction of the house. However, since only very few people have disability access high on their list during construction, be aware that not all homes are able to accomodate a home elevator. In fact, some houses may require modifications that could both financially and aesthetically have major consequences. Make sure you have your home properly evaluated by an expert before closing the deal. An evaluation will typically entail some careful analysis of the structure of the building. Based on this analysis, you will be given advice on what needs to be done in order for the building to accomodate an elevator. Don't rely on a single source for advice; if possble, have several installers do a survey of your home.

Once the host building is cleared for hosting an elevator, there are several factors you will want to consider when purchasing an elevator. The first and most important factor is elevator capacity. home elevators are typically able to carry anywhere between 400 to 1000lbs, with the price going up as the capacity goes up. If you suffer from severe obesity or frequently have to carry heavy loads up and down, make sure your elevator is able to safely support you. Additional factors that are of major importance are the amount of stops and the total travel height (height of the elevator shaft). Usually, a 2-stop lift with a travel height of approximately 16 feet is sufficient. Elevators with more stops and greater height are naturally more expensive. Also, you might want to take a look at the extras and accessories (telephone jack, backup battery, lift seat) included in the lift cab. Finally, make sure you buy an accordeon gate instead of a scissor gate. Scissor gates can snap on your fingers, causing severe injury.