Home Lifts Are Taking Off
The increasing popularity of ageing in place calls for specialised features like lifts that fit smaller dimensions
One of the nicest things my grandfather did for my grandmother was to have a home lift installed. They lived in a two-storey home with the main living area and bedrooms on the upper floor. My grandmother had become frail enough that getting upstairs from their main entrance on the ground level was a daunting task. My grandparents were not wealthy people, and their home was not large – maybe 1,800 square feet. But my grandfather knew how much she wanted to stay in her home, so he put one in. Now that’s love!
That was around 35 years ago, way before ageing in place became a common term. People have always looked for ways to stay in their homes as they aged, but with the Baby Boomers’ influential numbers and recent more affordable innovations in technology, home lifts are becoming a very desirable amenity. And as loud as my knees creak when I come down my stairs, I think one of these is definitely in my future. Now I need to pick out my lift music. Maybe a particularly schmaltzy instrumental cover of a Barry Manilow song?
That was around 35 years ago, way before ageing in place became a common term. People have always looked for ways to stay in their homes as they aged, but with the Baby Boomers’ influential numbers and recent more affordable innovations in technology, home lifts are becoming a very desirable amenity. And as loud as my knees creak when I come down my stairs, I think one of these is definitely in my future. Now I need to pick out my lift music. Maybe a particularly schmaltzy instrumental cover of a Barry Manilow song?
I like the way the designer used panelling and a gorgeous wood door to blend this lift in with the home’s decor. A modern convenience doesn’t have to look out of place in a traditional space.
The second type of lift is referred to as a traction lift or MRL (machine room–less) lift, and as the name implies, it does not need a separate machine room. It works by sliding up and down a track with a counterweight. If you are retrofitting, then this type is a better bet. It still needs additional space above the top of the lift to house the equipment that runs it.
The second type of lift is referred to as a traction lift or MRL (machine room–less) lift, and as the name implies, it does not need a separate machine room. It works by sliding up and down a track with a counterweight. If you are retrofitting, then this type is a better bet. It still needs additional space above the top of the lift to house the equipment that runs it.
The pneumatic lift is the third type and the most recent innovation. This giant polycarbonate tube with a separate tube inside for the cab works with air pressure, pretty much like those deposit tubes at the bank drive-through (although, thank goodness, you don’t whiz through quite that fast). The 94-centimetre-diameter tube can be installed without any need to build a shaft or a machine room, so if you need an lift in an existing home, this may be the one for you. It needs no machine room, as the pump box that runs the lift is only 28 centimetres tall and the same diameter as the tube.
Although you don’t have to build a shaft, so this is a pretty easy thing to install, you do need to have wide enough doorways to get the tube into your house. It requires a 99-centimetre-wide opening to go through, and most doorways are about 91 centimetres or less.
Although you don’t have to build a shaft, so this is a pretty easy thing to install, you do need to have wide enough doorways to get the tube into your house. It requires a 99-centimetre-wide opening to go through, and most doorways are about 91 centimetres or less.
As you can see there are a few kinds, and the cost depends on whether you are putting one in during new construction or if you are retrofitting an existing space. The actual lift itself doesn’t include the cost of building a shaft or a machine room or running the electrical.
The cost is also affected by the number of floors served and the options you choose. You could go with a very small, simple style, as in the photo above, or…
… you can opt for rich wood paneling, stone, mosaic, mirrors, grab bars – oh, and let’s not forget lift music. Yes, some of these come with the ability to pipe in music.
Another important add-on is a telephone. Since we don’t always carry our mobile phones around with us when we are at home, I think any lift should include a phone for emergencies.
Another important add-on is a telephone. Since we don’t always carry our mobile phones around with us when we are at home, I think any lift should include a phone for emergencies.
You might create a beautiful, wood-clad central shaft wrapped with stairs. This lift shaft is so well designed that it works as an attractive architectural element, as beautiful as it is functional.
This design looks like it was part of the original house plan. If you are trying to find a spot in an existing house and don’t want to make it look like you crowded an lift inside, consider building a shaft along the exterior of your house with the doors opening into the home. A 1.8 metre by 1.8 metre addition could be enough, and it would let you preserve the look of your interior.
This design looks like it was part of the original house plan. If you are trying to find a spot in an existing house and don’t want to make it look like you crowded an lift inside, consider building a shaft along the exterior of your house with the doors opening into the home. A 1.8 metre by 1.8 metre addition could be enough, and it would let you preserve the look of your interior.
Ageing in place isn’t the only good reason to have an lift. This house has a garage on one level and a ravine between it and the house. This lift is attached to the back of the garage, and then a walkway crosses the ravine. Without the lift can you imagine the hike from the garage to carry groceries in?
Many luxury homes take advantage of precarious real estate. This home is built on a cliffside. What you’re looking at isn’t their yard, it is a green roof. The lift takes you down into the house. Pretty slick!
If you are building or renovating your home now and would like an lift someday, then think about building the shaft now. It doesn’t have to be wasted space until you’re ready to install the lift. This little office space sits in the lift shaft of this home. When the owners are ready, the desk will come out and an lift will go in.
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Do you have an lift or plans to put one in? Let us know in the Comments section.
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Do you have an lift or plans to put one in? Let us know in the Comments section.
MORE
How to Plan For an Elder-Friendly Home
Elderly-Friendly Spaces for Loved Ones who Live on Their Own
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In very broad terms, there are three main types of lifts. The first is hydraulic. It takes up quite a bit of space in your home and requires a machine room for the equipment that runs the lift. If your home is a new construction, then it is a little easier to plan the space needed for that type of lift.