2 Storey Side Extension with Lift!
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Unfortunately, for me, the lift is a necessity rather than a luxury. It is in fact the reason for the whole project. I have a rare muscular dystrophy which is steadily making me less mobile. Eventually I will be confined to a wheelchair, and won't be able to use the stairlift we currently have. So, the lift will give a degree of future proofing for when that happens. It will give me access to all areas of the house, and a route outside, even in a wheelchair.
I did a lot of research into the lift and discovered that here are many types of lift available; the cheapest being a "through the floor lift" c. £10k This wouldn't work for us because of the height it would have to travel and the fact we wanted 4 different stops.
The next cheapest is a platform lift c £12-20k. The type you see in Halfords. These are a bit industrial looking.
Cabin lifts (like you see in hotels) are more expensive still, and the quotes ranged from £24k - £40k. They also need more headroom because of the mechanism at the top of the lift shaft. This was a problem due to the roof profile we had planned, which gave only 250mm clearance above the lift shaft.
So, in the end we went for an up-rated platform lift, which has a wrap around cabin. It looks and feels similar to a cabin lift, but quite a bit cheaper.
View attachment 131929
Give serious consideration to how you will escape the lift if it fails with you in it. You have a phone fitted which i presume is connected to an outside line, but i would strongly suggest making an arrangement with an emergency egress service provider and making arrangements for them to be able to access the house.
The type of hydraulic lift you have can be prone to occasional failure so its well worth thinking ahead. You really don't want to be trapped in it for any length of time.
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Thanks for your good advice. I have given it a lot of thought already. And made arrangements so that there is always someone who can provide emergency access to the lift should I get trapped in there after a power cut or mechanical failure. Fortunately, because the lift is based over 4 staggered floors, each of half a storey travel, there is always access to a lift door from within the lift, no matter what position the lift is stuck in.
Having said all that, I would be interested if there is a particular service provider you would recommend that can provide emergency egress if needed. I must say that my experience with the out of hours helpline from the lift installer has not been good so far.
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Is the beam resting on the inner leaf of the external wall?
If so the bridge is only from the cold air in the unheated space underneath. You could address that by placing insulation below the beam, though that obviously impacts the ceiling height below.
I don't know how much of an issue this would be in practice.
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That's correct. The beam does rest on the inner leaf of the external wall. And I think I am overthinking this, and in reality it's not going to be an issue.
quite a few in that area but no one that i know well enough to recommend i'm afraid.
This is one heck of a project! very James Bond having a lift in your home haha!
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