I'm working with my parents to design their retirement home on a distant site in the Northern Rockies. They are going in the direction of a two story home (plus a basement) and they want to plan the home to accommodate an elevator - either for initial installation or later, when they start having trouble climbing stairs.
Since their site is located in a relatively small and remote community, they have natural concerns about selecting an elevator system that operates reliably and doesn't become a chronic maintenance issue for them.
I've already conducted fairly extensive online research for manufacturers of home elevators and also searched Archinect for the two (2) previous threads that have discussed this topic. I am hopeful some of you here might be able to help me with an aspect of this design decision not readily answered by that research.
In looking at manufacturer websites, it seems that there are a wide variety of 'drive system' options for home elevators - not all of which are offered by all manufacturers. Those drive options include:
. In-line geared drives
. Gearless machine drives
. Counterweighted chain drives
. Cable drum drives
. Roped hydraulic drives
. Standard hydraulic drives (with a piston below the cab)
My parents naturally want to pick a solution that is a) economical, b) reliable, c) easy to maintain, d) smooth, and e) quiet. (We recognize there might be some trade-offs among those criteria.)
Most of my professional experience is with commercial and institutional construction - so this aspect of their home is a bit outside my normal wheelhouse. Does anybody here have any direct personal experience with this topic that they'd be willing to share to help my parents (and me) narrow the decision about drive technology ?
Search pneumatic vacuum elevators. The run in a transparent tube, use air pressure to operate, and slowly settle to the lowest level in a power failure. No hydraulics or mechanical room required. Easy to retrofit.
Smarter design for advanced age is a single-story house.
Smarter design for advanced age is a single-story house.
QFT. Also distant mountainous sites also mean horrendous response times and specialist doctors for those aging who, by default, will start having health issues. Flight for Life is not cheap.
Sorry, can't help you much on the elevator. You might also call the building department in the area. I know locally here, the inspector requires so many safety upgrades to those residential units that you are into commercial elevator cost; hence for years it's been a commercial elevator if one goes in.
I've seen a few in-line geared ones on my older projects adding accessibility into churches (who are excluded by the ADA incase you are wondering why residential equipment), but can't really speak to how they've held up or any issues the owners had down the line. I think that 'in-line' is that giant corkscrew looking one right? I just know we didn't get a call about them... but that was a good decade ago so my information is probably outdated.
LULA elevators are cheap and simple. Kinda clunky to use and ride in, but acceptable for limited residential use. Commercial elevators are expensive to build and maintain.
Elevator for Single Family Retirement Home
I'm working with my parents to design their retirement home on a distant site in the Northern Rockies. They are going in the direction of a two story home (plus a basement) and they want to plan the home to accommodate an elevator - either for initial installation or later, when they start having trouble climbing stairs.
Since their site is located in a relatively small and remote community, they have natural concerns about selecting an elevator system that operates reliably and doesn't become a chronic maintenance issue for them.
I've already conducted fairly extensive online research for manufacturers of home elevators and also searched Archinect for the two (2) previous threads that have discussed this topic. I am hopeful some of you here might be able to help me with an aspect of this design decision not readily answered by that research.
In looking at manufacturer websites, it seems that there are a wide variety of 'drive system' options for home elevators - not all of which are offered by all manufacturers. Those drive options include:
. In-line geared drives
. Gearless machine drives
. Counterweighted chain drives
. Cable drum drives
. Roped hydraulic drives
. Standard hydraulic drives (with a piston below the cab)
My parents naturally want to pick a solution that is a) economical, b) reliable, c) easy to maintain, d) smooth, and e) quiet. (We recognize there might be some trade-offs among those criteria.)
Most of my professional experience is with commercial and institutional construction - so this aspect of their home is a bit outside my normal wheelhouse. Does anybody here have any direct personal experience with this topic that they'd be willing to share to help my parents (and me) narrow the decision about drive technology ?
I'd be grateful for any help anybody can provide.
Search pneumatic vacuum elevators. The run in a transparent tube, use air pressure to operate, and slowly settle to the lowest level in a power failure. No hydraulics or mechanical room required. Easy to retrofit.
Smarter design for advanced age is a single-story house.
Smarter design for advanced age is a single-story house.
QFT. Also distant mountainous sites also mean horrendous response times and specialist doctors for those aging who, by default, will start having health issues. Flight for Life is not cheap.
Sorry, can't help you much on the elevator. You might also call the building department in the area. I know locally here, the inspector requires so many safety upgrades to those residential units that you are into commercial elevator cost; hence for years it's been a commercial elevator if one goes in.
I've seen a few in-line geared ones on my older projects adding accessibility into churches (who are excluded by the ADA incase you are wondering why residential equipment), but can't really speak to how they've held up or any issues the owners had down the line. I think that 'in-line' is that giant corkscrew looking one right? I just know we didn't get a call about them... but that was a good decade ago so my information is probably outdated.
Ramps are cool.
LULA elevator....
Garaventa
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