Installing a home lift is no longer a new idea for most people. You may have planned for a home lift before the house was even built, or you may have decided you want one later — once the house was finished, or after living in it for years — and that is perfectly possible too. When adding a lift to a house that is already built, it is worth thinking ahead about what happens as children and older family members come into the picture. Installing a lift in an existing house is harder because of the limits on height and on where inside the house you can actually place it. This article walks you through 6 points that will make installing and using a lift for your home renovation easier and more convenient.
1. Why Install a Lift Inside the Home?
The defining trait of a renovation is that the original design never planned for a home lift. Even so, with the trend towards the convenience and beauty a home lift brings, fitting a modern lift has become a necessity for the following reasons:
It brings beauty to the space: with their Scandinavian design, Cibes lifts bring a sense of luxury and refinement into the home.
It brings safety: carrying things up to a high floor leaves older family members worn out, and stairs can put children at risk. A lift like this lets everyone move quickly, saves time and gives real peace of mind.
It makes the most of limited space: a family lift means reaching the upper floors is no longer a chore, and it helps homeowners get the most out of every corner of the house.
Add a home lift and add beauty to your home the CIBES AIR lift
2. What to Consider Before Installing a Home Lift
Whatever type of lift you choose, installing one in a house that is already built can throw up a few complications. To end up with a lift you are genuinely happy with, there are several points worth your attention:
2.1 Space in the Home for the Lift
Because a renovated house was never designed with a lift in mind, the space for one tends to be tight and awkward. First, work out the space available in the house so you can choose a lift that fits it. Then pick where the lift will sit — beside the staircase, for example — bearing in mind the clearance the lift doors need to open and close. Our sales team can advise you on all of this.
2.2 Electrical Power and Current
A lift is an electrical appliance, so homeowners need to pay attention to the power supply to keep the voltage stable. Home lift equipment can run on either 1-phase or 3-phase current, depending on the load level and the number of stops. You will receive specific advice when you buy, so power is not something you need to worry about. You should, however, prepare a dedicated 20A breaker for your lift.
If the house already has 1-phase power, you can go ahead and install — except for certain lift models that require 3-phase power only.
2.3 Preserving the Home’s Original Architecture
A lift is added, yet the home’s original architecture still has to feel untouched. To get a lift system that suits the space properly, you should consult experienced specialists.
2.4 Mind the Lift Pit
Our lifts need no pit at all. Building a home lift pit is an important step, and homeowners should give it thought so the design saves as much space as possible. Choose a reputable lift brand and its professional technical team will advise and support you on the type of home lift that suits you best. Customers need to prepare a pit 60 millimetres deep, at the width and length set out in the cut-out size supplied by Cibes Lift, and the pit floor must be levelled evenly.
This is the standard pit size, but if a pit is not convenient, you can buy a ramp from us instead.
3. The Best Spots in the Home to Install a Lift
According to specialists, there are 3 suitable spots for a lift in a home renovation — positions that save space and use the area efficiently, namely:
3.1 A Home Lift in the Middle of the Staircase
This approach takes advantage of the light well and the empty space in the curve of the staircase to house the lift. It is a good fit for a compact home lift.
3.2 A Lift in the Corner of the Home
A corner of the house is another sensible option for a renovation lift. Installing the lift there puts that space to good use, so homeowners can meet the family’s mobility needs while keeping the home looking beautiful.
3.3 Outdoor or Semi-Outdoor Installation
If the house has generous outdoor space, installing the lift outside the building is the ideal option. In this position, homeowners make the most of their space while still enjoying the natural light outside the house.
4. Choosing a Lift Company for Your Home Renovation
In the Thai market today there are 3 main lift systems: cable (traction), hydraulic and screw-driven. Home lifts also fall into two groups: locally made and imported. Each has its own strengths and weaknesses, as follows:
4.1 Locally Made Lifts
- Pros: lower cost than an imported lift, so the price may be cheaper
- Cons: most lifts in the Thai market are still cable-driven, which suits office buildings better than homes. The design and sophistication of this product line is also limited, and over a year you may need a technician coming to check the lift as often as every month.
4.2 Imported Lifts
- Pros: these are screw-driven lifts. The headline advantages are that they take up very little installation space, and a screw-driven lift only needs servicing 1-2 times a year. Because the lift is built to a high standard, it runs perfectly well without much maintenance — a world apart from other lift systems — so it never intrudes on your private time the way other systems do. That makes it an excellent fit for a home.
- Cons: the price may be higher, in line with the quality of the materials and the workmanship
A screw-driven home lift saves space and meets European quality standards
5. Installation Time for Home Renovators
Fitting one of our screw-driven lifts is complete in about 1 week on average — quick and hassle-free. That timeline never comes at the expense of quality. It differs from installing a lift in a new house, where you may already have plans from an architect or a home designer. When adding a lift to a house that is already built, it is worth thinking ahead about what happens as children and older family members come into the picture.
Installing a lift in a renovated home is fast
6. Installation Steps for Home Renovators
Installing a lift calls for a specific plan and follows these steps in order:
6.1. Step 1: Decide Where to Install
This step matters enormously for the comfort and visual harmony of the home. Customers should also consult a professional installer to settle on the best possible position for the lift.
6.2. Step 2: Build the Lift Pit
The depth of the pit plays an important role in making the lift run smoothly and successfully. Our lifts, which need no pit at all, are the best option for a renovated home because they keep the drilling into the floor to a minimum.
- With a lift pit:
- Indoor lift: drill 60 millimetres into the floor, with the pit sized as specified by Cibes.
- Outdoor lift: drill 60 millimetres into the floor, with the pit sized as specified by Cibes, and add a pipe to drain standing water.
- Without a lift pit:
- Level the existing floor evenly across the whole area so it can take the access slope, otherwise known as a ramp.
6.3. Step 3: Preparing the Shaft Opening and Vertical Alignment
Prepare the area as a clear opening for the lift. Cut a rectangular opening to the size specified by Cibes; the beam faces on every floor must line up, and the inner edge surfaces must be finished on all four sides.
Getting the shaft ready for lift assembly is essential
6.4. Step 4: Preparing Scaffolding
For an outdoor installation, scaffolding is required in every case. Indoors, scaffolding is put up when the lift serves 3 floors or more.
6.5. Step 5: Preparing the Lift Fixing Points
The lift has to be fixed to the house or building structure on one side — the side with the drive unit. It can be fixed to the building’s beam, or in some cases additional structure may need to be built.
Lift fixing points come in several forms, U-shaped and others. You are welcome to consult us about it.
6.6. Step 6: Site Preparation Complete
At last the site preparation for the lift installation is finished. From there, the customer and the sales team select the materials and the shaft design that guarantee durability and a striking look, so the lift can be positioned with precision.
Installing the lift takes around 7 days
For a new home or a home renovation, the price of installing a lift does not change. The lift price only changes when the customer has extra requirements — for example, adding specifications for the lift after the order has been placed, or switching to an outdoor installation.
7. Cibes: The Perfect Solution for Fitting a Home Lift During a Renovation
As a major brand from Sweden, Cibes provides complete lift solutions for every type of residential building in Thailand. We offer products in a wide range of sizes so customers can choose what suits their home and the way they live, as follows:
Cibes Classic :
This is the Classic model, our entry-level price point, yet it still comes with plenty of features that add elegance and refinement to the design as a whole. It is an outstanding choice for houses, high-end villas and spacious apartments. There are up to 17 sizes to choose from, with a load capacity of 300-400 kilograms.
V90/V80/V70 :
This is Cibes’ most distinctive product line, covering cabin lifts, platform lifts and shaftless lifts. Across the Aurora, Galaxy and Elegance series there are options in abundance: electronic panels, a modern touchscreen, a smart home lift, double swing lift doors, a new-generation drive unit, patterns on the control panel, and a shaft glazed in large clear glass on all 4 sides.
CIBES AIR :
A Scandinavian-style lift with 3 control panel finishes to choose from: metal/wood/fabric. Pick your lift colour from as many as 300 shades on the RAL chart. There are 17 platform sizes so it fits the space in your home, and the shaft can be glazed a full 360 degrees.
It is not only the breadth of the product range that wins customers over — Cibes Lift also does it with an installation process that is simple and fast. No machine room is required and no pit has to be dug, so the home’s original architecture is left untouched.
For more helpful advice on installing a lift for your renovation, contact us free of charge
