How to Buy a Home Elevator
A residential elevator is not a washing machine. Oftentimes homeowners decide on one as if it was a standard household appliance. Like a washer, they wish to purchase a home elevator manufactured by an established company with a typical one-year warranty. They tend to focus primarily on cost, figuring that "they are all kind of the same" and perhaps with the thought that if the elevator survives the first year under warranty, they have a good product.
The most common oversight is unlike the washing machine, the elevator is going to show up at the job site unassembled. The washer is built at a factory, carefully inspected and tested, and then shipped to your home where it is simply plugged into the wall. This is not the case with a home elevator — purchasing the equipment is just half of the equation.
Who exactly is going to put it together and make sure it fits the shaft? Are they properly licensed and qualified to work with your contractor and consult during the shaft construction? How long has the company been installing elevators? More importantly, what is their experience installing this particular brand of lift you have decided to buy? Are they "mixing and matching" just to meet your pricing needs?
This is where the definition of an "established" company comes into play. You may have purchased a decent product, but do you really want the lowest bid from someone who just might not be around five years from now? Will the actual manufacturer of the elevator be able to supply parts or service if the installer goes out of business?
Unlike the washing machine, your loved ones will be traveling inside this appliance. Some of these people will have mobility issues and can not afford to have an elevator to remain inactive for days while a proper technician is located. When a washer breaks down, all you have to do is fish out the wet clothes. Sometimes giving it a shake might make it work again. When an elevator breaks down, there is a possibility that there is a person inside... and more than just a shake is involved with the repair. Hopefully, the elevator you have chosen has a working phone as well as a failover feature to glide it down to a safety floor.
TL Shield & Associates has been successfully installing conveyance products for over 25 years. We proudly represent and install the Otis at Home residential elevator, the premiere hydraulic home elevator in the industry. It is the safest, strongest, and most reliable home elevator out there. Please call us for a consultation.
