The belief that an elevator swallows a whole room keeps many families from even asking about one. The reality is that the space required ranges from a corner to a couple of closets, depending on the design.
Shaftless elevators need the least
These stand in the open room and pass through a cut-out in the floor above. There is no shaft to build around them. A corner of a den or a wide hallway is often enough.
Pneumatic elevators need a circle of floor
The clear tube is round and self-supporting. The smallest models carry one person and take up little more floor than a large potted tree. Wider models hold two people or a wheelchair.
Traditional elevators need a hoistway
A conventional elevator runs in an enclosed shaft. In practice that often means two closets, one above the other. In return you get the largest cab and ordinary doors that blend into the house.
It is not only the floor area
- Vertical alignment. The spot upstairs has to sit directly above the spot downstairs.
- Overhead clearance. Some elevators need extra height above the top floor.
- A pit. Traditional elevators may need a shallow pit below the lowest floor. Shaftless and pneumatic models do not.
- Door swing and approach. There must be room to walk or roll up to the door on every level.
Where homeowners usually find the space
- A coat closet below a bedroom closet
- The end of a hallway
- A corner of the family room
- Next to the staircase
- A small addition on the side of the house
Size it for the rider
The footprint follows from who will use the elevator. A cab for a wheelchair is bigger than one for a standing passenger, so decide that first.
Let us measure
Guessing is no substitute for a tape measure. Nationwide Lifts of Missouri and Kansas will look at your floor plan and show you where an elevator could go. Call 660-624-2411 for a free in-home assessment.