Page 37 - Build 165

WHAT TO CONSIDER WHEN INSTALLING A LIFT IN A HOUSE
DESIGN
Lifts in houses
Government policy encourages people to be able to stay in their own home as they get older so think proactively and consider installing a lift when building or retro tting a 2-storey house.
RIGHT
BY ALIDE ELKINK,
FREELANCE TECHNICAL WRITER, WELLINGTON
SCHEDULE 2 of the Building Act 2004 requires the provision of access for people with disabilities but it does not include housing. As a consequence, many houses in New Zealand have limited accessibility for people with disabilities.
Reasons to install a lift
With an ageing population, this means a signi cant proportion of people will be prevented from continuing to live independently in their own homes as they get older and lose mobility.
While lifts in New Zealand houses tend to be regarded as a luxury feature, there are a number of reasons to consider installing them in a multi-level home including:
● future-proo ng the home to ensure all levels remain accessible as
occupants’ mobility decreases
● making movement of furniture or goods around the home easier
● making the home accessible to everyone
● potentially increasing the resale value of the home.
Several types of lifts
There are three broad categories of lifts for residential use. These include:
● hydraulic or electric traction-type passenger lifts that can carry both
people and goods
● stair lifts that attach to the side of an existing staircase and are only for
transporting people
● platform hoists or lifts that allow wheelchair users to be raised up a short
height, typically to overcome access where there is insu cient space for a
ramp.
Hydraulic and traction-type passenger lifts for residential use are discussed here. Residential passenger lifts are smaller and slower than their commer- cial counterparts, but they are also more a ordable and less complicated. They can:
● carry maximum loads ranging between 300–750 kg
● typically travel at speeds of 200–300 mm per second
● lift up to a height of 10 m depending on the type of lift.
A hydraulic platform lift provides easy access to the second storey.
Installation in new and existing homes
When undertaking a new multi-level home build, it is prudent to install or allow for the installation of a future lift. Although lifts can be retro tted into existing homes, the cost and disruption of installation will be far less if space for a lift has already been allocated.
Lifts can be retro tted into existing homes even where no allowance has been made, but depending on space and accessibility, the lift may need to be installed externally.
Build 165 — April/May 2018 — 35