Frequently Asked Questions
How do I know what type of lift I need for my house?
As we grow older certain things that were once easy or even a slight inconvenience can become a major issue in our lives. Ascending or descending stairs can be one of those unavoidable things in your home that can become quite an obstacle. Perhaps so much so, moving into a single level home or living downstairs may look like your only option. Thankfully there are other solutions! Altitude Lifts have been helping our customers with a range of products designed to eliminate the need to struggle with stairs, these products fall into three main categories. Compact Residential Lifts, Stairlifts & Platform Lifts. Each of these products have a unique feature or benefit that makes them the right product for your individual needs. Good advice is worth its weight in gold! Before you decide to shop for a new lift, contact Altitude Lifts, it costs nothing to get the right advice when choosing a lift for your home, it could potentially save you thousands!
What is the difference between a Stairlift, Platform Lift and Compact Residential Lift?
Stairlifts or Stair Climbers are designed to be mounted on your existing staircase treads and use a rail mounted carriage with a battery driven motor and seat to move the user up and down the stairs. Stairlifts can be installed both indoors and outdoors, on straight and curved staircases, providing a comfortable and safe solution to get between floors or down to a garage. Chair lifts can fit most staircases and fold up when not in use, allowing family and friends to use the stairs freely without obstruction.
Platform Lifts or Wheelchair Lifts A vertical platform lift also known as a wheelchair platform lift is specifically designed to help facilitate wheelchair users getting from one level to another. The platform allows the user to easily roll themselves on before safely ascending or descending. Platform lifts can fit most staircases or split level sites and can be installed inside or outside your home. The platform can be parked at the top or bottom of the staircase and can be folded up when not in use.
Compact Home Lift or Home Elevator Unlike a regular lift or elevator a compact lift is specially designed to be installed in a home that initially had not been designed to have a lift installed. Compact lifts are a great choice when trying to retrofit into your home because unlike other lifts, the Compact Lift does not require an existing shaft, separate machine room, noisy pumps or expensive site works. Due to its innovative design and small footprint the Compact Lift can be quickly installed almost anywhere with a typical installation taking less than 2 days.
Where can I install an Altitude Home Lift?
Altitude Lifts have several lift solutions including seated stairlifts, wheelchair lifts and residential home lifts depending on your site and needs. What lift is best suited to you will depend on your home design, construction and budget. Every lift we supply, and install has been carefully considered to fit perfectly into your home with minimum fuss and cost. Never before have people had such freedom to choose, we can provide a lift solution to any multi- level dwelling where other lift companies cannot. The freedom to choose is yours.
Does a Compact Home Lift require any load bearing walls?
No. Our unique dual rail system creates a completely self-supporting structure. The weight of the entire structure and lift are in compression through the rails into the floor of the home. The Compact Home Lift does not add any extra burden on a home thanks to this clever design.
Do I need complicated building modifications to install an Altitude Lift?
Altitude Stair Lifts and Platform Lifts are generally fixed to the existing stair tread requiring no building modifications or expensive site works. Unlike conventional lifts, all that a Compact Home Lift requires for installation is the appropriate aperture to be cut out and trimmed by a professional builder. The work itself is minimal and not very time consuming; it usually takes a builder one day to complete a standard application.
What if the power is out in my house, will the lift still work?
In the event of a power outage to your home, all Altitude Lifts are equipped with a battery backup facility. This comes standard with the lift and will allow the users of the lift to descend to the lower level of the home and wait until the power comes back on.
How frequently do I need to service my lift?
It is recommended all Altitude Lift be serviced annually to ensure your lift is kept in a safe and reliable working condition. A service reminder will be automatically sent to you on the anniversary of your lift installation date.
Are Altitude Lifts safe?
Yes, all our lifts are fully equipped with safety features : When the lift is moving, several safety sensors are always working to detect any obstruction that may be in the lifts path as it travels. These sensors are located at critical points on all Altitude Lifts. If a pet or an object was to obstruct the lift as it travels, the lift will simply stop and only move in the direction away from the obstruction.
Full height light curtain (half door option lift): The full height light curtain is located at the entrance to the lift. This acts as a sensor and ensures nothing crosses into or out of the lift as it travels. This prevents any dangers to passengers in the lift and also people outside the lift. In the event the light curtain is crossed, the lift will stop and will not move until the obstruction is removed.
Hold-to-run press button controls: All Altitude Lifts are fitted with hold to run press button controls ensuring that the occupants are in total control of the lift moving at all times. This also creates a point of contact with the lift during travel and ensures the safety of the occupants.
Swing Door: The home lift is fitted with a self-closing, hinged door (this comes in both half height and full height varieties) that provides a physical barrier during the operation of the lift. The door locks will release when the lift arrives safely at the floor of choice.
Weight limit sensors: If the weight limits of the lift are ever exceeded, the weight limit sensors will not allow the lift to travel.
Out of balance sensors: If the lift for whatever reason is ever out of balance, a number of sensors will detect this and also prevent the lift from travelling. This is to ensure the safe working of the lift for all occupants.
Fall arrest mechanism: In the unlikely event the drive mechanism on your Altitude lift had a catastrophic failure, the lift arrest mechanism will activate immediately and lock the lift, preventing any further movement. This ensures the absolute safety of all occupants at all times.
What happens if we no longer need the lift?
Altitude Lifts are easy to remove and, if you would like to, you can take it with you when you move to a new house. It is very straightforward to reverse the aperture opening and make good, so it looks like it was never there. Most clients keep their lifts in position even when they move. The vast majority of times Realtors report that having a residential elevator adds value to the property and is an attractive asset when selling.
Why should I choose an Altitude Lift?
Altitude Home Lifts are an astute addition to any home. Much like a new kitchen or bathroom it can be viewed as an investment. When you install a Altitude Home lift you are “future proofing” your home, allowing you the maximum time in it. With Altitude Lifts you are also investing in your quality of life. You are giving yourself the gift of easy access to your whole home. You can once again use you home to its full potential.
How do I go about getting advice and a quote?
If you require any clarification on any of these answers or would like any more information, please do not hesitate to contact us. Altitude Lifts can be contacted on 1300 84 4427, email sales@altitudelifts.com.au or click on the get in touch tab at www.altitudelifts.com.au
Our consultants are ready to help either on the phone or via email, which makes it easy for us to arrange a visit to your home and provide a free, no-obligation quotation on all Altitude Lifts products. It does not matter to us whether you want to buy now, soon or very much in the future; we love explaining our products and are happy to do this at any point that suits you.
Will installing a home lift increase my property value?
In recent years, home lifts have transitioned from a luxury feature to a practical necessity for many Australian homeowners. With an aging population and a growing emphasis on accessibility, the installation of a home lift not only enhances convenience but also significantly boosts property value. Investing in a home lift can lead to a substantial increase in property value. Real estate experts suggest that properties with features promoting accessibility, such as home lifts, can see a price appreciation of up to 10-15%. This is especially true in suburban areas where multi-storey homes are common. Buyers are often willing to pay a premium for homes that offer convenience and comfort.