Property Elevators - Conserving money and Energy.

When among the Architects at my firm suggests to a consumer that the elevator may be the answer to some of the issues inside their new house design, the reaction is often predictable: "UAE elevators ? That doesn't make any sense, does it? Aren't they really expensive? Who puts an elevator in their residence anymore?"

Residential elevators are within more homes than you might think - and not necessarily being an extravagance, but often as a practical and cost-saving design feature.

We'd Live Here Forever, But...

As American homeowners age, they're becoming concerned with their ability to remain inside their homes. They'd like to keep well into the golden years, but most family homes have most of the bedrooms on the second floor, like the owner's suite. With sixteen or maybe more steps between the very first and second floors, the stair can ver quickly become an arduous (and often dangerous) obstacle for older homeowners. It's a major reason empty-nesters proceed to one-level homes.

But while a one-level home design is quicker adapted to a changing family structure, a one-level home is more expensive to build. It may have nearly twice the building blocks and roof section of a comparable two-story home without any additional space, adding greatly to the price of the house. And so most families build a two-story when they're young, and proceed to a one-level home later in life.

It's cheaper to create a two-story house, but may be the difference between a two-story and a one-level enough to offset the price of an elevator? The clear answer is often a resounding yes, and with money to spare. If the price of a one-level home is a 25% premium over a two-story, then an elevator could be a money-saving consideration in even a relatively inexpensive home.

Design And Lifestyle Considerations

What can you do when a household continues to be young, wants to call home inside your home forever, but can't justify the price of installing an elevator they could not need for many years? A remedy we like is to set up the elevator shaft - with no elevator - and use the space for temporary closets.

Because it happens, the location required on each floor for the elevator shaft is about how big is a walk-in closet...so that's what we do - put a temporary floor at each level and use the spaces as closets until they're required for the elevator. Installing the elevator years later is a simple matter of removing the floors and installing the cab, doors, controls, and related equipment.

Another stair is often included with a design when a house becomes so large that the single stair is too remote to effectively serve the entire second floor. That second stair uses up plenty of space, however, and may be difficult to work into the plan.