Have you ever wanted your very own lift or elevator?  Perhaps, you’re a little mobility impaired and you’re looking for ways to move about your own home easier.  The solution is a home lift or elevator and there is one available for every type of situation.  Here’s everything you need to know. To help you choose the right lift or elevator for your home, have a chat with your local lifts professional.

What is a Home Lift or Elevator?

A home lift or elevator is essentially a smaller version of the commercial lifts that you see in shopping centres and the like.  They are designed to transport you or your goods between levels in your home.

Why Might I Need a Home Lift or Elevator?

There are a few reasons why you might need a home lift or elevator: to transport items such as groceries, luggage and furniture; to help the mobility impaired access all levels of the home; or simply for convenience.

What Types of Lifts and Elevators are Available?

There are several different types of home lifts and elevators available including:

• Vertical lifts – the traditional passenger lift.
  
  
• Stair lifts – these types of lifts operate on a special rail system that allows people to be raised or lowered on straight or curved flights of stairs.
  
  
• Wheelchair lifts – essentially a larger version of the stair lift and they are designed to allow people in wheelchairs to access different levels of the home.
  
  
• Platform lifts – improve the accessibility to a building, allowing people to enter homes that are slightly raised.
  
  
• Pool and spa lifts – a user operated lift that allows people to get into and out of pools and spas very easily.
  
  
• Hoist lifts – these lifts are designed to transfer people between places easily (i.e. from beds to chairs) or to hoist heavy objects (such as engine lifts).
  
  
• Dumbwaiters – a small service lift that allows people to more easily transport shopping, laundry, luggage and other heavy items between different areas of the home.

Can Home Lifts or Elevators Be Installed in Any Home?

Home lifts and elevators can easily be installed in new home builds or retrofitted into existing homes.

Who Should Install My Home Lift or Elevator?

Your home lift or elevator should only be installed by a licensed trade professional.  The supplier of the lift or elevator will have their own professionals install the lift or elevator for you or give you the details of someone reputable.

What Should I Check When Choosing an Installer?

Before allowing the installation of your home lift or elevator, you should check that the installer has a current valid license and that they hold the necessary insurances (such as public liability insurance).  If they cannot provide proof of this, you should go with someone else.

Will My Home Lift or Elevator Need Maintenance?

Your home lift or elevator will need servicing regularly to ensure that it is performing optimally. A suggested frequency for servicing is yearly or every two years.  Maintenance and servicing should only ever be undertaken by specially trained technicians.

Are Home Lifts and Elevators Safe?

All lifts and elevators that are installed in the home are very safe, due to the fact that they have several built in safety features.  These safety features include backup batteries, manual lowering devices, emergency telephones, sensors and switches that prevent the lift or elevator from being overloaded and failsafe mechanisms.  All lifts and elevators sold in Australia must also comply with strict Australian safety codes.