Q. Why should I use McKinley Elevator?
A. McKinley has been serving California for over 60 years. We have offices and service technicians scattered all over the state. McKinley has a showroom at the corporate office in Irvine and in the Hayward office, where you can ride on multiple home elevators from different manufacturers, in the combined showrooms. McKinley makes it easy for the buyer / designer to choose the home elevator that is right for the application. That is why McKinley represents more than one manufacturer. We at McKinley feel it is important to give choices since there is not one home elevator that fits all.
Q. How long does it take to install a home elevator?
A. The home elevator itself can be installed within a couple of days after arriving at the site; if the site is ready – i.e. the hoistway doors have been hung and permanent power is available.
Q. How much does a home elevator cost?
A. There are many variables when pricing an elevator. How many floors is the elevator serving? What is the travel? Where is the jobsite located? Which system works best for the home? What are the finish requirements of the home elevator cab?
Q. How long does the home elevator take to build?
A. Most elevators require 4-8 weeks to manufacture. This time starts from the framing stage of the job.
Q. How much room do I need?
A. For an elevator that will accommodate a wheelchair, 3′ x 4′ car, takes about a 5′ x 5′ area and enough room for a machine room if the elevator that has been chosen requires one. Some jurisdictions require machine room, some do not.
Q. How deep should my pit be for the home elevator?
A. Pits vary from manufacturer to manufacturer. Some are 6″, 8″ or 12″. If you use 12″ as a standard, most manufacturers will fit. If you are putting a commercial size elevator into your home design, then a 4′ deep pit will be required.
Q. How much overhead do I need?
A. The overhead requirement depends on the system. 8′ 6″ is a standard for most home elevator systems but there are systems that can take up to 10′. We have one home elevator system that can accommodate 89″ of overhead in special applications.
Q. How many floors can your home elevator serve?
A. Up to 5 floors can be served. 50′ of travel is the maximum for a residential elevator.
Q. Can the home elevator enter from any direction?
A. Most home elevator systems can be accessed from 3 sides of the car.
Q. Will the home elevator accommodate a wheelchair?
A. There are elevators that can and some that cannot. Most generally you would like the inside clear car to be 36″ x 48″ to accommodate a wheelchair.
Q. What is the better system hydraulic, winding drum, chain drive or vacuum?
A. The best elevator system depends on the application and code requirements. Every system has its “Best” application. Discuss your requirements with your sales rep and he will be able to point you in the right direction.
Q. Does my home elevator need to be serviced, if so how often?
A. Home elevators are like automobiles, you need to service them. There are many different service plans. Quarterly, semi-annual, oil and grease or full maintained. Check with the service department for current pricing.
Q. How do you turn the Automatic Homing Feature ON and OFF for a Waupaca Home Elevator?
A. After a time of 30 minutes with no floor calls, the Automatic Homing Feature allows the elevator to “home” to a floor of your choice. All gates and doors are required to be in the fully closed position for the timer to begin counting. The automatic homing feature will not work if you open the hoistway door and do not open the gate. This video explains how to turn it on and off.
Here is the link to the video: https://youtu.be/7ydxeM6Fms4
The independence that a small residential elevator brings to a homeowner, as well as the value it adds to the price of the house, makes it a worthwhile investment. However, it does come with many requirements, upkeep and expenses.
Rilueda via Getty Images
“Aging in place” is a term that’s often used to describe homeowners who wish to continue living in their longtime family home.
Alterations and renovations to an existing home can make it easier for a senior to avoid moving to a new location. These renovations often include some additions to the house, like adding a bathroom with a roll-in shower or replacing the exterior stairs with a ramp.
It could also include making a first-floor living space, so the homeowner can avoid using one of the most challenging areas of a residence: the stairs.
Adding an elevator or “vertical transportation” may seem like a simple, inexpensive solution that’ll help senior homeowners avoid using the stairs in an older or existing home.
In its most simple form, an elevator requires a cab or box, an electronic mechanism and a hole in the house’s floor, allowing it to move between levels. What could possibly be complicated about adding an elevator, making movement between floors easy, and adding to the overall value of the home?
Well, there are quite a few things to think about.
Elevators require permits, maintenance contracts, safety features (including an alarm bell, a phone and lighting inside the cab, locking doors), and in most cases, a machine room, where the mechanicals are located.
A backup power system is always a good idea, should the house lose power and should the elevator stop between floors with someone, perhaps in a wheelchair or otherwise incapacitated, inside the cab.
The guiding thought behind adding an elevator is to offer independence to someone who may be unsteady or unable to navigate the stairs. In reality, the upkeep and maintenance of a home elevator as well as the daily operation requires monitoring, scheduling and supervision.
Using an elevator alone when no one is at home is inadvisable, as malfunctions, even in a two-story house, are always a consideration. Doors to the cab can become stuck, or the cab may not level with the floor when it stops, preventing the doors from easily opening.
Should a fire occur in the home, the resident who has become reliant on the elevator would be unable to exit the house using stairs. (The general rule is that you should never use an elevator in case of a fire.)
What’s more, housing codes — which vary from location to location — also dictate the type of elevator that can be used.
Locating the elevator in the footprint of the house and deciding where to cut the hole in the floor is the first decision. In most cases, placing the elevator in an entry, near existing stairs, is the most common placement.
If you’ll need a mechanical room, you must allocate space for it. Small, residential elevators can incorporate self-contained electric motors and utilize vertical guides, attached to a wall, high-powered motors or cables found in larger elevators.
The drive system behind used with a small elevator will determine the power and strength of the lift system. Another requirement is an electromechanical interlock (EMI), a safety locking system for the door.
Another type of small elevator mechanism is a hydraulic lift, in which a pump transmits hydraulic fluid to a jack to raise and lower the cab. In addition to regular elevator equipment inspections, cables for small units should be replaced every five years.
A vacuum self-support system, moving air pressure through pumps and turbines, is yet another way to drive an elevator cab without the use of an elevator pic or hoist.
Doors to the elevator cab can open on both sides or one side only, depending on the amount of space outside the landing pad. Another consideration is the speed at which the small residential elevator will ascend and descend. In most cases, smaller units (unlike commercial units) move slowly.
Adding an elevator to an existing home comes with many requirements, upkeep and expenses. However, the independence that a small residential elevator brings to a resident, as well as the value added to the price of the home, may make this undertaking a worthwhile consideration.
Look online, and you’ll find a slew of companies that offer many elevator options. They’ll often ship and install components as well as maintain them. All to say, homeowners looking to tackle such a major project should give it careful consideration. They should determine its validity, and whether the residents who will be using the elevator are capable of using it, and more importantly, if they will be comfortable in its operation.
Gerard Splendore is a licensed associate real estate broker with Warburg Realty in New York. Connect with him on LinkedIn.