Almost late for work and you don’t want to bother yourself going down the long flight of stairs? Too tired from work and you still have to climb numerous steps before reaching your bedroom? If you’re living in a multi-story residence, whether that’s with the whole family and especially with a relative who has mobility issues, it might be time to get an elevator for your house.
But before jumping into the whole installation process, you might want to consider a few things first. After all, you’re not just buying a new doormat or a flower pot for a home upgrade—this is an elevator you’re talking about.
That said, here are tips on how to prepare your home for an elevator. Through these reminders, your elevator installation can be executed more smoothly and in a time-efficient manner.
Do some research and planning
As with any project you have to deal with, having a good plan means having a solid foundation. If you really think about it, elevators are simply stairwells with a spice, so you might want to start researching and planning to know if this is really the best option for your house. First, consider the layout of your house and if it can actually accommodate an elevator installation. You also have to plan carefully where the elevator will be best located in terms of accessibility.
You can consult contractors, workers, and manufacturers who can assist you with the whole process. Make sure that they are trustworthy, professional, and reputable since you wouldn’t want your home to fall into the wrong hands. They can start making plans for the installment, gather permits, and start collecting the necessary elevator parts.
Ask yourself, “What type of lift do I want to have?”
Ranging from a home elevator, wheelchair lifts, stair lifts, or dumbwaiters, decide which type of lift you’ll want to incorporate in your home. Some factors that you might want to consider when choosing are your budget, needs, and the available space you have. Consider also your family members or the people you are living with, especially if they have walking disabilities. In this case, a wheelchair lift can work best for them. Dumbwaiters can also be essential if you frequently transport food, dirty dishes, groceries, and laundry from floor to floor.
You can also choose which elevator type you would like to have based on its structure. For instance, roped hydraulic residential elevators are equipped with a piston and pulley mechanism connected to a hydraulic pump for smoother and soundless lifts. You might also consider commercial elevators, or a traction drive elevator system.
To give you a head start when it comes to what available elevator options you have, check out NW Lifts of Texas.
Clear the location of items
Preparing the location of the elevator installation is the hardest part of the process. For any type of elevator that you want to install, it is a must to clear the space you’ll be using. Move the furniture, pick up mats and rugs, and remove photographs, paintings, and stickers on the wall. Basically, the space for the installation should look like a clear canvas.
Multiple elevator systems are widely used for elevators, such as:
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Pneumatic
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Hydraulic
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Traction
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Winding drum
All these systems mainly have the basic parts even though they have different mechanisms such as the car, hoistway, and a system below or above the car as it moves. Additionally, hydraulic elevators require a pit and machine room. Since holes might be dug or the walls might be torn down to accommodate the installation, it’s best to clear the elevator’s future location of furniture and other valuable items.
Make the proper arrangements
If you have kids or pets, it’s best to make arrangements for where they will stay first while the elevator installation commences. Since there’s some considerable construction work to be done depending on the type of elevator you will choose for your home, it’s best to keep kids and pets at a separate place, like a relative’s home, for example, in order to ensure their safety and security. If you can’t have your kids or pets stay at a family member’s place, make sure that someone will watch over them and keep them from running around the house while the installation is ongoing. You can also choose to cage your pets for the time being.
In addition, if you’re living with a family member with mobility issues, you should also make arrangements for how they can properly go about the house while the installation is being done.
Conclusion
Installing a good lift for your home can be a pretty tedious process, but the benefits will definitely outweigh the challenges. It’s important to have coordination and flexibility with people you’re working with, as well as having a good and solid plan for the installation. Your home, aside from being a basic need, is a vital part of your lifestyle and personality, which is why you should maximize its potential.
