Are you exploring the possibility of accessing all levels of your home, regardless of your ability to ascend stairs? Options are available that make all levels of your house convenient. The first priority is to find the footprint large enough to provide the space needed for an elevator shaft, hoist way, or electric lift. If this does not exist, it may be necessary to add space on to an outside wall of the home. Let’s look at the options.

Residential Elevators
Elevators operate on one of two main mechanical systems. A cable operated elevator uses steel cables on a winding drum operated by an electric motor to raise and lower the car in the shaft. Cable elevators travel about 30 feet per minute and have a weight capacity of 500-750 pounds.

A hydraulic cylinder is the mode of operation to raise and lower the elevator cab in hydraulic elevators. These types of elevators have an increased load capacity up to 950 pounds. and provide a smoother ride. Both types of elevators will require a machine room either below the grade of your existing lowest floor or above the roof of your highest floor.

Although ADA Guidelines call for elevator cars to be a minimum of 68 x 51 inches, home elevators are typically 36 x 48 inches and are available up to 36 x 72. Check and double check the dimensions of your mobility device to make sure you get a size that will work for you and any assistants you may require.

Getting a Wheelchair Lift
Vertical wheelchair lifts are less costly, but may not blend in as nicely with the home decor. They can accommodate a 750-pound capacity, and access a height of up to 12 feet, while serving three levels. Options allow for access at the front and back of lifts, depending on the floor layout. Lifts are more space efficient than elevators and do not require a machine room. Some lifts as well as elevators can be powered by battery back-up to continue operation during a power outage.

The Stair Lift
A stair lift is another option. We’ve all seen commercials of the fixed chair on a rail gliding Grandma up the stairs. If you use a wheelchair, you will need one at the top and bottom to use this, unless you want to drag your wheelchair with you. The wheelchair lift can also get in the way of people who use the stairs, and be an eyesore.

Platform lifts that ascend the stairs are also available, allowing you to use the lift while remaining in your chair. These have lower weight capacities of 500 pounds and create similar difficulties with access to the stairs and aesthetics. Both stair lift options can be inadequate to accommodate power chair users.

Where Do I Go From Here?
John Salmen, president of Universal Designers and Consultants, recommends getting in touch with a design professional and architect to assess your home and the feasibility of the above options.

Professionals are able to maximize space or can best engineer ways to provide space, blending the project smoothly into your renovation. Local State Bureaus of Vocational Rehabilitation and Independent Living Centers also assist consumers with some home modifications as well as possible funding resources.

See Related Articles
Discover how one man made his home a place he can age in and environmentally friendly through Universal Design, in My Accessible Home for the Next 50 Years.

Contemplating renovations on your home? If so, see Thinking Bigger: Making an Accessible Home Out of a Small House.