Elevators Specifications

Planning

• Why Include An Elevator?
• The Growing Appeal of Home Elevators
• Elevator and Hoistway Doors
• Machine Rooms
• Electrical
• Codes
• Hoistway Construction
• Overhead Clearance
• Pit Construction
• Working With Your Elevator Contractor
• Keeping Your Elevator In Top Condition
• Selection Chart

It wasn’t that long ago that it was rare to find a whirlpool bathtub in a house...now it’s not uncommon to find a home elevator in the plans of single-family homes and condominiums. Over 10,000 residential elevators are installed each year and the number is growing as more builders and buyers discover their many advantages:

• Convenience
• Efficient use of land
• The trend toward larger homes with more amenities

Today’s homes are larger and require more effort to go from one level to another. Multi-story homes and townhomes are more enjoyable with a residential elevator to provide convenient floor-to-floor travel. Access Industries manufactures a wide range of home elevators to meet the needs of all sorts of residences.

Surprisingly Affordable
The cost for a residential elevator is also lower than many people think...costing no more than an extra guest room or third car garage in many cases.

Uncommon Conveniece
There are few conveniences that can be added to a home that will be used and appreciated as much as a residential elevator.

• An elevator can be elegantly appointed and featured as a dramatic focal point in a key part of the house.
• For people who entertain, it welcomes and accommodates all guests.
• It can add tremendous value to a home and increase a homes resale value.

Getting Started
Including an elevator in your home is a very simple process when you plan it out step by step. It’s not much different than planning for a whirlpool bath, sprinkler system or other major home appliance.

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Home elevators can help you reach 8 million new home buyers.

Active Adults. They’re everywhere you look. On the news. In the demographic statistics. It is projected that the current active adult population of 34 million will increase to 40 million in the next 5 years and double by 2030 as the baby boom grays. The aging of the Baby Boomers will change the housing habits of this country - again.

Consider the following:

• Active Adults account for 20% of new home buyers. That’s over 8 million new home buyers in the next 5 years.
• They prefer to ’age in place’ staying near family and friends.
• And most importantly of all - they have the money to afford more. Average net worth is fifteen times greater than most householders under 35.

Are you ready to take advantage of this unprecedented opportunity?
Savvy home buyers are planning for the future. Most are building their final dream home. A home they will stay in for a long time. They will be spending more on amenities to make their homes as comfortable and convenient as possible. In multi-story homes, thousands of active adults already have home elevators installed for the value, convenience, and the touch of luxury they provide.

Home elevators make it easy to enjoy all levels of a home. Even though they are healthier than any generation of active adults in history, they are practical about planning for future health needs.

In Japan, where the boom has already begun, over 15,000 home elevators were installed last year. The current growth rate is 36%! And this is during the worst recession in modern Japan’s history!

Home elevator sales in the United States have doubled in the last five years and industry forecasts predict even faster growth in the next five.

What’s going to set your homes apart from the crowd?
Giving home buyers the products they want. Remember.. it wasn’t that long ago that it was rare to find a spa in a home. New technology is making home elevator prices fall dramatically while giving consumers a better quality product with more standard features.

The cost for a home elevator is roughly the same as an extra guest room or third car garage in many cases. And it can add tremendous value to a home and increase its resale value. With the Internet and other resources, consumers will be able to easily compare your offerings to those of other builders.

Are you going to have the features they want?
Access Industries can help your company. We’re unique among home elevator manufacturers because we have a dedicated team of associates focused on your needs as a home builder. Our company’s goal is to make the home elevator an everyday convenience. Easy to plan for. Easy to install. And with the kind of durability and reliability you expect from leading brand name appliances.

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Doors are a big consideration. Home owners typically have one of two basic schools of thought. One is to conceal the elevator - put it behind a manual swing door that matches other doors in the house. The other approach is to treat the elevator as the featured focal point for the house. In which case, the home owner may want fully automatic doors for convenience or that "classic elevator look."

You can use the same type of door as is found in the rest of the house as the hoistway door - just add an interlock. An interlock is an electromechanical device that is wired into the elevator’s control to ensure the door only opens when the elevator is at a landing.

Elevators have two doors: one for the car (interior, called the car gate) and one for the hoistway (exterior). Here are four possible combinations:

1. A manual folding accordion gate as the car door and a manual swing door for the hoistway.
2. A manual folding scissors gate as the car door and a manual swing door for the hoistway.
3. aAn automatic bi-fold car door combined with manual swing hoistway doors.
4. Fully automatic sliding car and hoistway doors (available only with a Flexi-Lift®

Automatic door/gate operators can be added for an additional touch of convenience.

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A machine room adjacent to the hoistway will be required to accommodate the elevator drive and control system for a Chaparral or Flexi-Lift elevator. The Minivator and Windsor do not require a machine room. The machine room must have a self-closing, self-locking, keyed door and the clearance shown in the diagram.

The best orientation for a machine room is on the same side of the hoistway as the elevators rails. Other orientations are possible, but require allowances for pulling the wire ropes or hydraulic lines around corners.

A machine room may also be located above (in an attic) or below (basement). Likewise, allowances must be made for accommodating wire ropes or hydraulic lines. Consult your local Access Industries elevator contractor for specifics concerning non-standard machine room placement.

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You should have the authorized Access Industries elevator contractor or licensed electrical contractor do the wiring for the elevator.

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Codes

The national safety code that applies to residential elevators is ASME/ANSI A17.1 Part V, Private Residential Elevators. Access Industries elevators are designed to meet national safety codes. Local codes may also apply. For this reason, we strongly recommend that you contact your local Access Industries Elevator Contractor and verify the compliance of the installation with local code authorities prior to beginning construction.

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Hoistway Construction

After selecting a model, the next step is to survey the space in the home for space considerations to plan for the elevator and hoistway (the shaftway the elevator resides in).

The hoistway must be built to specification in drawings acquired through your local Access Industries elevator contractor.

The walls of the hoistway must be plumb and meet the structural requirements outlined in the appropriate elevator planning guide.

Consult Access Industries for hoistway details. Dimensions and specifications are subject to change without notice due to product enhancements and continually evolving codes and product applications.

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Elevators require a certain amount of overhead clearance to accommodate essential components on top of the car. Overhead clearance is measured from the upper level floor to the lowest obstruction in the top of the hoistway.

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The pit is the space at the bottom of the hoistway that is below the bottom landing level to accommodate the sling. Make sure you allow for the pit when pouring the foundation. No pit is required with a Minivator or Windsor.

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You’ve got an Elevator Contractor ready to begin building your dream elevator. What you should expect from them?

Your authorized Access Industries Elevator Contractor will be a vital resource in helping you and your builder achieve the right look and feel for you dream elevator. They can make recommendations on the best model for your needs. They can help you plan your elevator down to the millimeter so you will have a convenience you will enjoy for almost the life of your home (with proper maintenance). You can expect a delivery schedule and cost estimate so you know exactly what to expect. You can expect courteous professional delivery and installation. Lead times on elevators can vary between 4 weeks to a few months depending on the elaborateness of your car design.

You can expect quality workmanship in the fit and finish of your elevator car and drive system. You can expect assistance in selecting a car interior that reflects the design of your home. They can show you color and wood samples to make selecting a beautiful elevator a real joy. You can expect a fair price and contract for maintenance on your elevator. And you can expect them to take as much pride in your new dream elevator as you do.

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You can expect decades of service from your home elevator with regular maintenance and monitoring from your Authorized Access Industries elevator contractor.

A home elevator is an investment that will last decades with proper maintenance.

Why is elevator service and maintenance so important? Just like your car or other home appliances, your elevator needs regular maintenance to keep it running smoothly and safely for decades to come. Your authorized Access Industries Elevator Contractor will discuss with you their options for service and support on the elevators they sell. A Home Elevator is the purchase of a lifetime and should be cared for like any investment you make.

Ask your Authorized Access Industries Elevator Contractor about service and maintenance on your dream elevator.

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