Small lifting equipment is a real opportunity to equip private houses, multi-level apartments, cottages with a full-fledged lifting/lowering mechanism. Elevators for private houses differ only slightly from similar general-purpose equipment. The main distinguishing features of the equipment for small cottage elevators are their reduced dimensions and load capacity parameters. Abroad, small elevators are considered an integral element of private real estate. There, a significant proportion of low-rise buildings are equipped with elevators.
Why does a private home need an elevator?
As a rule, homeowners install cottage elevators for two reasons:
- To show your status and desire to keep up with the times;
- Necessary due to old age. Since it becomes difficult to move around the floors of your house without help.
In the first case, it is important that the elevator looks as prestigious, attractive and beautiful as possible and is in harmony with the interior style of the house. In the second case, it is important that it be comfortable and spacious, albeit less pretentious and beautiful.
Regardless of the reason for installation, an elevator in a country house is always unusual and modern. This is a certain “feature” of the house, so special attention is paid to its design. Homeowners often order cabins to be decorated with precious woods, leather, and inlaid with precious metals. And for floor finishing they choose carpets, carpet or natural stone.
Today there are several well-known brands on the market that will offer your choice of both custom-made elevators and ready-made solutions supplied from European factories.
Door type
There is a fundamental distinction between automatic and swing doors. In everyday life (in offices, in the entrances of residential buildings) we deal with automatic doors. We recommend that such doors be primarily considered for a cottage elevator. They are more convenient (they open/close themselves), more modern (equipped with a frequency-controlled drive, which allows you to regulate the smoothness and speed of their operation), safer (equipped with a photo curtain that prevents the doors from being jammed at any height).
Questions arise: why even choose swing doors that need to be opened by hand, like an ordinary interior door? The fact is that doors with an automatic drive, opening to the side, require a certain width of the shaft. Sometimes this width is simply impossible to provide. In addition, the type of doors is also affected by the height of the upper floor. For automatic doors it is 2600 mm, and for swing doors 2450 mm.
What types of elevator cabins are there in country houses?
The most popular among homeowners today are panoramic elevators - with continuous glazing from floor to ceiling.
In second place are the originally decorated elevator cabins - with bright elements made from rare materials - for example, rare and valuable tinted stainless steel, valuable wood in an antique style, and unusual ultra-modern lighting. This approach is designed to make your guests captivated by your home.
Interestingly, such bright designs do not interfere with functionality. The elevator in the cottage is, of course, different from what we are used to seeing in apartment buildings, but it performs its functions. It works reliably and smoothly, and the owner can comfortably move between floors and not worry about safety.
However, it should be borne in mind that it will not be easy for emergency services to gain access to private territory if such an elevator gets stuck. Therefore, this security option must be provided in advance. For example, automatic movement of the elevator car to the nearest floor in case of power outages, ensuring continuous communication with the security service, because a mobile phone may not be at hand.
What is pneumatics?
Everyone wants to have something new and modern in their home. It's real. A striking example is the pneumatic elevator. Its operating system is simplified. These are so-called vacuum elevators - they have neither cables nor pulleys. Visually, it is a polycarbonate capsule. Movement occurs due to pressure differences. The pump pumps out air from the upper section and the installation itself begins to move.
Afterwards the air is returned and directed in the opposite direction. This type of elevator for a private home is considered the most relevant. Because no additional installations are needed, and the level of security is high. If during operation the light turns off or the capsule depressurizes, then nothing will happen. The elevator will go down carefully because the air will escape. It is worth noting one important point - the cost of such an installation is high. Even when choosing the simplest elevator with such a system of operation, you need to prepare at least 500 thousand rubles.
Since many people want to create the design with their own hands, it is worth listening to the opinion of experts. They claim that the best and most affordable option is electromechanical. Such a project is affordable and not too expensive in terms of materials. Before you begin, you should figure out how to install an elevator with your own hands.
What size should the cottage be to install an elevator?
Contrary to popular belief, an elevator can be installed in almost any cottage. To install all equipment, you need a free area of 5 square meters, with a free space of 1.5-2.5 m vertically, and from 0.5 m below the first floor level.
Of course, these are the minimum values, since much depends on the size of the selected elevator car. Small-sized models need less space, and large-sized ones, on the contrary.
According to their purpose, elevator cabins are divided into passenger and freight ones, although there are no particular differences in their devices. The former transport people to the floors, and the latter understand and lower the loads. The main differences may be in the lifting capacity of elevators for cottages, that is, in the power of the power cable and the dimensions of the gearbox.
If the cabins are similar in appearance, it is possible to interchange or install one elevator, which would periodically transport large household items, and the rest of the time - passengers.
How to start installation?
The simplest model of elevator to the 2nd floor in a private house is electric. To create, you do not need to purchase or rent special equipment. But you shouldn’t think that everything is so simple and easy - there is a lot of manual work in this process. In addition, you will need to comply with the rules and recommendations of GOST. True, when creating such an installation with your own hands, the result is a high-quality design, even no worse than a factory installation.
You need to decide where exactly to mount the unit. Since the rails will need to be fixed to move the cabin, the walls themselves must be reliable. Sometimes they are even improved or strengthened to create safe movement. In order for a home elevator to move safely in a private home, it is worth considering several points:
- If the cable breaks, there must be a special system that allows the elevator to automatically stop.
- There should be any communication system inside in case the unit stops at an unnecessary moment or between floors.
- The voltage should not exceed 24 Volts, otherwise it is dangerous.
Experts advise entrusting the development of the plan to a professional who has experience in this work, and you can already implement the finished project with your own hands. Today there are not many real masters, but you have to pay for such services. But you shouldn’t save money when looking for a master. Otherwise, the structure will be unreliable and may pose a danger to residents.
What types of drives and mechanisms are there?
The cabins also differ in their “stuffing”. Cottage elevators are produced with two types of drives - electric and hydraulic, which are fundamentally different from each other.
The design of the electric lift is an analogue of the well-known standard elevator in multi-storey high-rise buildings. The principle of its operation is that a cable is wound with the help of an electric motor, rigidly fixed on the cabin platform and passed through the gearbox.
This is a reliable type of construction that has already stood the test of time. However, it also has a number of disadvantages:
- devices are entirely dependent on the presence of voltage in the electrical network;
- overall electrical equipment;
- a mandatory element is a power cable;
- due to the high voltage in the installation, it is not considered safe;
- Only highly qualified electricians are allowed to carry out repair work.
Hydraulic lifts are also electrically powered. But a large electric motor is not required to power the equipment. Therefore, to install such a mechanism you do not need a lot of space under the ceiling, and the elevator itself can even operate from a standard 220V outlet.
In elevators of this design, the engine maintains hydraulic pressure in the mechanism and moves the cabin smoothly and without jerking. The design is extremely simple and reliable, however, due to the large number of oil seals and gaskets, as practice has shown, it is necessary to frequently check all elements for wear. Plus, seals often have to be changed.
Types of lifts
There are several types of such devices:
- Construction. They are found in large stores to pull products from high shelves and deliver them in the right direction.
- For disabled people, so that they can get to the right place without any problems.
- Food, for homes.
These are the main ones, although there are other options (for example, a staircase with an elevator in a private house). The biggest advantage of such a unit is the ability to install such a structure at any time. This will not work with an elevator, because it is complex in its design. Their types are mentioned above. It should be noted that if the house is wooden, then it is difficult to build a full-fledged elevator in it. The only option is a structure for moving things, food (sometimes a pet, but no more).
Sequence of work
Conventionally, everything goes through several main stages, which must be completely correct:
- Mine formation. This is the longest and most labor-intensive process.
- Fixation of the gearbox, which will be responsible for the movement of the entire device.
- Installation of rails into shaft walls.
- Installation of ventilation slopes; you cannot do without them even when creating a small elevator.
- Calculation and fastening of cables.
- Fixation of the brake system, as well as catchers in case the cable comes off.
- Attaching the counterweight.
- Fastening the cabin and checking the operation of the entire system.
As already noted, the power mechanism can be located in any place accessible to the home. To ensure maximum passenger safety, you need to take a responsible approach to securing the winch. Since an electric elevator is considered the noisiest of all options, it is worth enclosing the starting system in one room and trying to make the room soundproof.
Peculiarities
The best option for cottages and residences is a compact elevator with minimal installation requirements. Other features:
When choosing equipment, it is important to take into account the load-bearing capacity of the walls: if it is not sufficient to support significant weight, you can install an external shaft, preferably at a sufficient distance from the windows so as not to impede the passage of light.
