Stair Lifts versus Home Elevators
Until now, if climbing the stairs was starting to become a challenge, your only option would be an old-fashioned stair lift
Times are changing and modern technology is racing forwards, particularly in the home elevator industry.
Looking at the new generation of slimline, stylish home elevators available on the market to buy right now, we can see why!
FLEXIBLE PLACEMENT OPTIONS
A stair lift goes in one location only: the stairs. It can be unsightly and overcrowds the stairway, making passing tricky and inconvenient.
A through floor elevator can be located almost anywhere. Some brands are even modular, so pass under low doorways and ceilings with ease, and they are broken down for transit and then pieced back together once in situ.
Freestanding, self-supporting elevators like the one by residential elevator specialists Lifton Home Elevators, are ideal because they do not require a supporting wall and plug straight into a domestic wall socket for power. This means no need for noisy machine room, lift pit or shaft and no need to re-work the pipes or the electrics!
There are also options available which are designed for wheelchair users. Stiltz Home Elevators recently posted this a Definitive Guide Residential Elevator Guide For Consumers which you may find useful, detailing the different types of elevators available on the marketplace.
SOCIABLE
In a stair lift you travel up slowly and alone.
In a home elevator you and a friend, and even the family pet, can comfortably travel up together. The lift moves between floors in under 30 seconds.
DECORATIVE
A stair lift comes as it is. Usually bulky, blocky and off-white.
A residential elevator on the other hand, can be customized. This is especially useful if the lift needs to blend with other décor and look like a natural addition to the room or fit in with a specific theme or design scheme.
CONVENIENT AND COMFORTABLE
Most people need assistance getting on and off a stair lift.
With a home lift, you walk or wheel straight in and you are at the controls at the touch of a button. You are fully independent.
There is almost always a folding seat, if required, and a phone can be installed as an option for emergency use.
If there is a power outage, all home elevators are designed to gently lower you to the ground level. Some even include the option of an uninterruptable power supply with allows the user to continue to fully use the elevator while they wait for the power to come back on.
Some home elevators are fully transparent meaning light floods through them into a room, and the travel experience itself is spacious and airy.
INCREASES HOME RESALE VALUE
Installing a home elevator in your property can increase the value of your home as it is a desirable, home addition that looks great and is hard-working and multi-tasking.
As well as carrying people smoothly and safely between floors, it is also fantastic for transporting heavy laundry, boxes, the vacuum cleaner and the trash.
A stair lift which is difficult to conceal and has few to no options to bespoke, does not add value to a property.
FAST INSTALLATION
Of the two, stair lifts used to be faster, easier, and less expensive to install. They are installed within three to four hours typically, and some companies make a DIY kit for homeowners.
Elevators requiring a shaft took considerably longer to install, up to three weeks. However modern, through-floor home elevators can be installed now in under a day. Meaning you can immediately benefit from the independence and freedom that a home lift can bring to your daily lives.
