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Tag: Outdoor Elevator

Indoor or Outdoor Elevator; Which One is Right for You?

So you’ve decided to install an elevator in your home, and now you’ve got one more big decision to make — where exactly do you want it installed? Your choice will be between an indoor or an outdoor elevator, and your needs, your space availability and your home’s layout will determine your ultimate decision.  Here are a few things to take into consideration when you are making your final decision between the two:

Space Availability:

Installation of an indoor elevator will require more interior space as you’ll have to make a place for it. You’ll have to adjust your layout slightly in order to accommodate your new addition.

If you’re short on space in your home, or simply don’t want to lose any valuable square footage, an outdoor elevator may be a good choice for you as you will not have to allot any interior space to make room for installation.

Aesthetic Preferences and Overall Convenience:

Consumers often choose an indoor elevator because installing it will not change their home’s outside appearance.  Since it is in the interior of the home, there is little indication from outside that it has even been installed.  If you don’t want to change the outside look of your home, an indoor elevator is definitely the right choice for you.

An outdoor elevator is, as the name simply states, installed on the outside of your home.  Installation requires little interior construction, minimizing disturbance during the entire process as there is no need to move plumbing, ductwork or electrical work to accommodate the new elevator. With an outdoor elevator, users can reach a higher level of the home without having to access the traditional entranceway, like the front door or garage door. For example, you could unload your car and travel from your ground floor garage to your second-floor kitchen right up to your third-floor bedroom in a quick trip.

Local Weather:

It is important to consider the weather in your area when you’re deciding between an indoor or outdoor elevator.  While outdoor elevators are built to withstand normal weather fluctuations, an indoor elevator would be a better choice if you live in a climate with harsh or extreme conditions, like long, snowy winters.

At Liftavator, we offer a wide range of indoor and outdoor elevator options. Our residential elevators provide up to 50 vertical feet of elevator service, and even small properties with limited space can take advantage of one of our indoor elevator options.  Our outdoor elevator is the most durable, weather resistance vertical platform lift on the market today. Short lead times and an easy installation process means creating access to your multi-story home is a quick, easy process!

About Liftavator

Liftavator, the number-one source for residential, limited use/limited application (LU/LA) in North Carolina, designs, builds, and installs only the highest quality elevators and platform lifts. In addition to the company’s revolutionary designs and ideas, it offers a 90-day guarantee on all labor and materials. Liftavator doesn’t consider a job complete until the customer is 100% satisfied.

For more information on residential and commercial elevators, home stairlifts, vertilifts, ramps, and more, visit www.liftavator.com or call (252) 634-1717 today.

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Common Types of Elevators

Usually, when we think of an elevator, the image of pushing the button and waiting for the doors to open, stepping inside and being whisked up into the building comes to mind. This lift is the most common; a passenger elevator in a multi-story, commercial building, designed to carry people from one level to another. Many people are surprised to find that elevators and lifts actually come in a wide variety of styles and options, for commercial and personal use, and even for homes with only one flight of stairs.

To begin with, there are the passenger elevators built for commercial use. Aside from the one mentioned above, there are express elevators, which do not service all floors of a building, and usually move passengers from the building’s lobby to the top floors.  Urban transport elevators carry passengers through open urban space, like from the bottom of the hill to the top. The size and number of passengers a commercial elevator carries depends on the building’s use, structure and design. High-rise office buildings, hospitals, and government buildings and other commercial spaces are required to have elevators so that accessibility is guaranteed. In addition, freight, stage, vehicle and boat elevators, though not built to move passengers, are also commonly used in the commercial world.

On a smaller level is the residential elevator, which is designed primarily for home use and enhances the mobility of the homeowners.  Residential elevators are available in several price points, from utilitarian to luxury and several points in between. There are indoor and outdoor residential elevators, which are built into the structure of the home, and home stair lifts which attach to the stairway and allow the user to sit and be lifted up the stairs.  Each of these residential types take the place of stairs so that the homeowner can move easily throughout the home.

Not only are there several different types of elevators, but they each operate in several different ways.  Aside from where the elevator will be used, the differences in these types also comes down to the way the operating system works.  Hydraulic and electric or cable-driven elevators are the two most common types.  Each of these two types can be found in both commercial and residential settings.

Hydraulic elevators have a basic design of a car attached to a lifting system. The car, inside the shaft is attached to guide rails or a rope. Motion for the car comes from the hydraulic ram, a fluid-driven piston mounted inside a cylinder underneath.  The hydraulic elevator is a safe and reliable option, but a big drawback of this design is that it requires a large “machine room” to house a 20-gallon reservoir filled with petroleum-based hydraulic oil in a separate room in your home, which takes up valuable floor space. They have a high risk of fluid leaks and are quite expensive to repair due to the abundance of complex engine parts. In addition, studies have shown they use 30 times more energy than an traction elevator, driving up energy costs over time.

Electric or cable-driven elevators use a pulley, counterweight, electric motor, and track to move the car up and down the shaft. The electric motor turns the pulley and moves the cables to raise and lower the elevator car. The counterweight helps the elevator use less energy, and the track ensures the counterweight and car don’t sway.

Electric or cable-driven elevators do not use hydraulic fluid, making them more environmentally friendly and the required maintenance needed less frequently. They do not demand a pit and machine room, which cuts down labor costs during installation. Instead, all drive equipment is mounted at the top of the elevator shaft where it will be out of the way and safe from any possible flooding.

An electric elevator installs quickly and seamlessly and provides a smooth, stable ride by incorporating a variable speed drive. The system also features a programmable controller with on-board diagnostics. And, if you add another floor to your home in the future, the elevator’s rail length can be extended.

In addition to electric and hydraulic elevators, other systems include pneumatic, winding drum, and counterweight. Some of these require a machine room which is either below or above the hoist way. These rooms are for storing the hydraulic pump or electric motor along with the controller cabinet. There are smaller elevator systems that don’t use a machine room as all components fit inside the hoist way and car. In small commercial systems a cabinet with a computer is often added above.

With offices in New Bern and Charlotte, NC, Liftavator Accessibility Solutions offers residential and commercial elevators and lifts across North Carolina and many areas of the Southeast.  No matter your budget, we will can help you find, install and maintain the perfect unit for your needs, and we look forward to helping you make your home or office more accessible. Explore our website or give us a call today to learn more about the many types of high-quality solutions we offer.

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Mobility Help Available to Disabled Veterans

As a disabled veteran, remodeling for better accessibility can keep you in a home you love; but, the process can be beyond budgetary resources for many disabled service members and their families. If you desperately need a chair lift or wheelchair lift, what can you do?

Fortunately, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has grants available to assist with renovation or to even buy a new home to accommodate disability. These grants supplement other funding options available to the general public, and the money can be used to make major modifications to improve independence or just add small aids such as grab bars, wider doorways, or a handicap ramp.

If you’re a disabled Service member or Veteran, find out if you can get a grant to help meet your housing needs.

Specially Adapted Housing (SAH) Grant

The SAH provides up to $67,555 to veterans injured in service so they can create a home that is fully accessible. The money is available to veterans who were disabled permanently and totally as a result of activities during wartime service (100% service-related disability). The majority of veterans who qualify are confined to a wheelchair and require modifications to existing house plans for wheelchair access.

This grant may be used for new home construction or for substantial housing modifications that help eligible veterans function independently in their own homes.

You may be able eligible if you’re using the grant money to buy, build, or change your permanent home (a home you plan to live in for a long time), and you meet both of the requirements listed below.

Both of these must be true: You own or will own the home and you have one of these service-connected disabilities (disabilities related to your service):

  • The loss or loss of use of both legs, both arms, or an arm and a leg;
  • The loss or loss of use of a lower leg along with the residuals (lasting effects) of an organic (natural) disease or injury;
  • Blindness in both eyes having only light perception along with the loss or loss of use of one leg;
  • Certain severe burns; and/or
  • The loss or loss of use of one or both lower extremities (feet or legs) after September 11, 2001, that makes it so you can’t balance or walk without the help of braces, crutches, canes, or a wheelchair.

Special Housing Adaptation (SHA) Grant

This grant can be used for any home improvement that will help those with service-connected disabilities (100% service-related disability) increase mobility throughout their existing homes. Maximum grants are currently $13,511 and are available to veterans with permanent and total disability (blindness or loss of limbs) as a result of military service. The majority of those who qualify are confined to a wheelchair and require modifications to existing house plans for wheelchair access.

You may be eligible for the SHA grant if you’re using the grant money to buy, build, or change your permanent home (a home you plan to live in for a long time) and you meet both of the requirements listed below.

Both of these must be true: You or a family member own or will own the home and you have one of these service-connected disabilities (disabilities related to your service):

  • Blindness in both eyes (with 20/200 visual acuity or less);
  • The loss or loss of use of both hands;
  • Certain severe burns; and/or
  • Certain respiratory or breathing injuries.

For FY 2018, you may be able to get up to three grants—for a total of up to $16,217—through the SHA grant program.

Home Improvements and Structural Assistance (HISA) Grant

The HISA program offers home improvement and modification grants of $2,000 to $6,800 for veterans with service-related and non-service-related disabilities, respectively. This program is open to a wider range of veterans and includes those who are disabled as a result of non-service-related conditions. The money may be used for any home improvement necessary for the continuation of treatment or for the veteran’s disability access to the home and to essential sanitary facilities.

To receive this grant, the Veteran must have a prescription from a VA facility or from a physician providing covered care to VA patients outside VA facilities. Some of the provisions that HISA will pay for include:

  • Lowering electrical outlets and switches;
  • Allowing entrance and exit from the Veteran’s home;
  • Improving access to sanitary facilities;
  • Improving walkways and driveways; and
  • Improving access to kitchen and bathroom counters.

The HISA grant is available to veterans who have received a medical determination indicating that improvements and structural alterations are necessary or appropriate for the effective and economical treatment of a disability. The HISA program does not cover major modifications that are generally covered by the SAH grant program. For instance, handrails installed in showers are covered under HISA, while widening a bathroom doorway is not.

A veteran may receive both a HISA grant and either a SHA grant or a SAH grant.

Temporary Residence Adaptation (TRA) Grant

If you need money to make changes to a family member’s you’re living in for a short period of time, you may be able to get a TRA grant if you meet both of the requirements listed below.

Both of these must be true: You qualify for an SAH or SHA grant and you’re living temporarily in a family member’s home that needs changes to meet your needs.

How to Get Help

You can apply in one of four ways:

If you have any other questions, please call (800) 827-1000.

The knowledgeable staff at Liftavator is also on hand to answer any questions you have as you look at mobility improvements. If you’d like, a member of our team is available to visit your home to determine which of the solutions we offer can meet your specific needs.

When a final decision is made, we’ll book a day for installation and you’ll be able to use your new installations the same day!

For more information on residential and commercial elevators, stairlifts, vertilifts, ramps, and more, visit www.liftavator.com or call (252) 634-1717 today.

(Sources: Department of Veterans Affairs; Military.com; USA.gov; and Julian Gray Associates.)

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To learn more about our many product offerings, or to speak with a member of our team, give us a call or simply complete our contact form. We are happy to answer any questions you may have.

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