don't have any specific recommendations but...

will likely boil down to which outfit can supply the package that meets your site conditions & design criteria.

also who YOU feel most comfortable working with.

a true elevator will have a myriad of fire codes to comply with.

talk to a rep or three and see what they recommend.

Good Luck...:thumbsup:

 

If they don’t have a landline phone they’ll need one. All elevators must have a functioning landline phone.

Can you carve out an area for the shaft?

Tom

 

In Ontario there is an exception for residential.

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the fire, mechanical & electrical codes/requirements for elevators can be daunting...

a good rep is worth their weight in gold....

 

the fire, mechanical & electrical codes/requirements for elevators can be daunting...



a good rep is worth their weight in gold....

Here they are in a commercial environment, but in residential it's a completely different ball game. Pit and framing aside, the car, mech, computer and install is only 25-30K.

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Check for how frequently the unit has to be maintained, inspected, etc., it can add up as a recurring cost.

 

I have done the foundation work on a couple residential elevators.

If I recall, the pit was about 5' square, same with framing for the shaft, so you'll need a good bit of room. A lot of disruption in an existing home due to the wood framing of headers and walls.

 

I'd do this backwards.

Find out who does service and inspection for your area and see what ones they service. It isn't like putting in a staircase where you can call dozens of carpenter's to fix it.

 

I can't add any specific info. on home elevators,other than it is a very good idea to pre-plan for one in new residential construction if possible. A possibility is stacked closets in common areas of the home,already framed out to accommodate a future installation.:thumbsup:


I think FHB ran an article on that topic many moons ago.

 

Yup, expert advice, serviceability, etc..all good advice.

Thanks for the feedback. Just kicking this around (more than once), but I will have to come up with something to solve a looming problem.

The ones by stiltz seem interesting, since they don't require a support wall.

It doesn't take much imagination before one start thinking about enough room to accommodate assistive gear like a walker or wheelchair.

 

R.S. Means estimating for remodeling????

Cheap starts with a two men stand up, but common sense demands a car that can hold an attendant and owner/patient in a hospital gurney/bed...

more stops = More $$

More doors in different directions = More $$$

Back up Power????,

Its a Billion dollar niche market as wealthy baby boomers age in place as much as possible in multi story homes....

 

A buddy of mine had one installed on the exterior of his parents beach house. Wouldn't help with the basement but maybe could work for you? Think he said cost was about 20k. Can find more info if you are interested.

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A cheaper option would be to install a vertical platform wheelchair lift. Just build closets around it. The major faults with those are they are quite slow, and loud.

 

The ones you mentioned like Stilz are simpler no pit, etc.

It's been about 25 years since I built a remodel shaft but back then I built about 20 of them( with another guy, he was the boss). We built a lot of them in churches and Legion type halls. Not as daunting as you might think. I doubt codes have changed a lot. We were working with the winding drum type(cable and motor in separate mechanical room). Double 5/8" type X on the shaft. A double (LVL) for the rail to lag to. Knocked down drywall frames for the doors. You prob need a 4' x '5' area. Dig out the pit, form up and pour foundation/pit, frame up under the floor joists, cut out the floor joists, move to next floor. Hang drywall and install doors. 2 stories and a basement is pretty easy. Now I think they offer systems with an overhead motor so no need for a mechanical room. You could always build the shaft then hang some floors in it and make it a closet for when you're ready or to break up the cost.(I think the closet idea was suggested by a member already) Prob be a good selling point for the house. We used to use a plumb bob. They would be perfectly plumb over 5 stories.

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The last one we did was a closet for several years, but just recently he went full blown elevator. The pit always likes to wick water. We started using red guard in them, and that solved the moisture problem. A laser is the way to go for plumb on these, but a plumb bob works also.

 

I put one of these in a few years back, pretty simple, works off a long acme thread. My only advice is to make the opening to their specs! Mine was a bit short and it did get jammed once because the rather large owner didn't stand directly in the middle and it cocked a little and caught the gate on the door header. Theirs went from the drive in basement to the first floor. They had to have doors to conceal it but it would have been nicer without the doors at the bottom. We also got the enter and exit at 90* option, customer support was great, assembly fairly straight forward. https://www.ameriglide.com/item/Ame...RDjARIsACDzGL2PzcqEFoU9zrXqUZ4oWjxAb-hzlrlvctdObi9QPwy7Sd1a0NbEmpgaAjvgEALw_wcB

 

I was in the forklift business for years and stayed in it a bit once I went to residential construction. I used to scrap 20 to 30 orderpickers a year basically on a pennies per pound basis and always thought that with some modifications they would make a perfect elevator base. For $1000, you get a platform and hydraulics that will go from ground level up to 18 feet or more. I hated scrapping all those perfectly good mechanicals.

I know it's not what you're looking for, but someone smarter than me should start a business repurposing old machines for residential elevators.

 

Yup, gotta agree with that, and they're available for a whole lot less than a grand around here.

 

We have a 3 stop in our building. Electric drum and cable system. The car is about 4' x 6' x 8'. Inclinator brand. 18 years now. Very few problems. 20k. Probably 25k now.

 

That's the brand we did the shafts for. Not to much to them. Install the rail, the platform , there's is a good amount of LV wiring done by the installers, then bolt the Cab together. 2 guys will install it in 3 days. Over the years I have recommended to a few Builders/HO in big remodels and NC to at least build the shaft but most have not done it. I think every one involves thinks it's too much effort, too many codes, etc. It's really not. Cost of materials for the shaft are not much either. Electrician has to bring 220 w/disconnect to the motor and a 20 amp line. If you get the shaft done at a reasonable cost it would probably be a good investment when you go to sell the house. Depends on your area. Where I live land is expensive, not too many existing large Ranches and zero(as in not one) new Ranches being built that I know of.

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Sadly I think most Americans deny they will ever need an elevator, till they do...

Thus homes with elevators are perversely underpriced......:sad:

Free Markets aren't uber smart.....individually.

 

I know plenty over the years that became limited, and none of them NEEDED an elevator. Most common was just making the 1st floor accessible and moving a bedroom to the first floor.

Making a bath that works for someone in a wheelchair can be the biggest issue.

 

Many of my customers have stair lifts. The newer ones are really nice and can go on curved stairs and around corners. I just come in to modify bathrooms.

 

Hdavis: No One needs a wheel chair, let them rot in bed, like a Dickens' Story....

If I earned the Money, I'm building an elevator to max out my freedom/privacy...

Some heirs wouldn't be allowed near me without a unrelated person present......

I am hoping the free market returns to Health Care and research, more cures and less treatments that NEVER end.....:thumbsup:

 

My pop just had a Acorn stair lift installed loves it, now the crazy part he does not own it, it's a rental forgot the numbers he paid the first six months then after it just becomes a monthly bill.

the guy installed the lift in less than 1 hour, straight stair no turns.

This is in the UK

I think a popular choice for home elevators are the vacuum type the
guy i use for wheel chair lifts etc tells me he installs s boat load of the vacuum type

 

What's the arrangement there ? Is there an open landing above - like through the ballusters or your going to have to open the framing above, etc ?

Open landing above - they have almost plug 'n play available.

Or create a bump out / landing (through a wall) above for a free - standing model.

Old thread here....

 

This is a great idea. Just remember that if you are going to install an elevator at home, you will need to constantly monitor it and carry out maintenance. And to carry out maintenance, you need to contact the elevator repair and maintenance service. I have had an elevator at home for several years, and usually, if anything happens, I turn to this company -- Lift Modernisation & Conversion in Singapore | Hin Chong. But you can look for some more options on Google. I'm sure there are a lot of similar services now. Also, do not forget to upgrade the elevator every 5-10 years because it wears out over time. Still, it already depends on how often it is used.

 

There's a failsafe issue with them.

 

modern hydraulic forklifts have a special valve that prevents catastrophic oil leaks from hoses etc....that would have to be wrenched on to allow the forks/ manlift to drop with no service pressure.