In spite of the current economic crisis, elegant homes continue to be built or renovated, often with hands-on, DIY help from family and friends. However, while jobs like painting and simple carpentry are often easily handled by hobbyists, major renovations like a home elevator installation ought to be left to professionals. With so many variables to take into account, adding an elevator to your residence calls for training and expertise and should never be undertaken by a novice, regardless of how handy he or she might be. Because elevators are mainly used for transporting people from one level to another, remember that improper installation could jeopardize the security of house guests.

Installers should be thoroughly familiar with the many kinds of home elevators, including the ones that fit into closets and are designed with standard doors and cars. These are built to carry several people at a time and may be decorated simply or fitted with mirrors, wood paneling and luxurious accessories. They can also be made wheelchair accessible, which might not be a current necessity, but should be seriously considered for possible future use.

Recently a very contemporary vacuum lift elevator has been introduced. When a home layout doesn’t lend itself to the in-closet style, or if you prefer the more futuristic look, the vacuum lift might be a preferable solution. This kind of elevator can be less expensive since it works on the same principle as the tubes used by banks and similar businesses to transport cash and other small items from place to place. Another benefit is that it does not require a pit, machine room or shaft, and is completely self-contained. It may be attached within an existing building as long as there is open space between floors for it to travel. Generally constructed of clear acrylic panels, this lift fits especially well in a modern residence.

One of the more standard home elevators is the stair lift – the recognizable single chair mounted on rails on a staircase to transport those not able to climb stairs. Installation of even this relatively simple device, however, shouldn’t be attempted by anyone but a professional, since even a slight error can lead to serious injury to the passenger.

There are several other ways of lifting and lowering people and objects in one level of a home to a different one. These include the dumbwaiter, employed for centuries to boost bulky or heavy objects in one level to another. Physically operated until the 1900s, these were eventually electricity-powered and are the most common and most affordable of elevating devices. Dumbwaiters are not made to transport people and are frequently integrated into a home during construction, but they can also be an extremely useful addition to any multilevel structure.

Even a basic platform lift for motorized wheel chairs needs to be set up by a professional. In other words, no matter anyone’s skills as a handyman, adding a home elevator of any style really should be left to the experts. 

Reproduction permitted only if all active hyperlinks are included. 2010 All Rights Reserved.