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jgopp

Anyone install an elevator in an old house?

jgopp
11 years ago

I'm planning on putting an elevator in a 1920s home which currently has a perfect space for one. But I'm thinking about the costs. The plan would be a four stop system from basement to attic, stopping on the floors between. I'm wondering if anyone has installed one and what the rough costs were for you. I am estimating roughly $45-80,000 in my head including the brick structure to house the elevator. But I'd like to know what you guys have done, or have seen done. Thanks.

Comments (12)

  • Billl
    11 years ago

    I'm sure that pricing for a specialty item like this is going to be incredibly regionally specific. Why not just get a couple actual quotes?

  • brickeyee
    11 years ago

    "I am estimating roughly $45-80,000 in my head including the brick structure to house the elevator. "

    Not required.

    A hydraulic elevator is often a good fit for application like this.
    The only heavy support is at the bottom, and the rest is provided by the tracks to guide the cab.

    Fire resistant drywall to enclose the shaft is far cheaper than trying to use any type of masonry.

    Fire rules for single family residential are not nearly as onerous as for multi-family structures.

  • jgopp
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    billl: I have a few guys coming by this week to estimate the job. Just seeing if anyone here had done it before.

    brick: I am actually building an addition to the side of the house to make the elevator shaft, that is where the masonry comes in.

  • bostonpam
    11 years ago

    I would be interested in your estimates because this is something I see us doing in the future when we age in our house. I would put the elevator interior to our house. I'm not sure where I got my guesstimate but estimated $50K.

  • brickeyee
    11 years ago

    Still look for hydraulic.

    You would need actual masonry (multiple wyths thick, possibly with some type of cement block for at least one layer) to carry the load of hoisting gear, not just a single brick veneer layer.

  • liriodendron
    11 years ago

    I have planned a space for an elevator shaft running from basement to attic of my two-story, 19th c. timber frame house. I am planning to use one of the hydraulic ones that Brickeye is referring to.

    At the moment the "planning" is just to leave room for one when siting the semi-permanent amenities. In this case the space on the first floor is occupied by a tub in a bathroom with a shower and on the second floor by a large, walk-in closet that could be sacrificed to make way for the elevator shaft, if eventually needed. The spaces in the basement and in the attic are open, so I don't expect a problem. It is sited so it can fit between two structural bents of the frame, requiring minimal framing alterations.

    I have only very rough verbal quotes of $20-30K for the equipment and rough-ins, since I have no immediate plans for the project. Finishes would be extra.

    I don't plan to do this ahead of time as maybe it won't be needed, but it seemed important to think about it ahead of time.

    HTH

    L.

  • jgopp
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    Great, thanks for the help so far. L: that quote seems considerably lower than I was expecting. Hopefully I'll be pleasantly surprised with the quoting, but who knows.

  • marcolo
    11 years ago

    Have you looked into pneumatic elevators??

  • jgopp
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    marcolo: I tried your link but it is giving me a 404. I'll google it though. Thanks.

  • marcolo
    11 years ago

    It's Dayton Elevator.

  • jgopp
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    marcolo, thanks! That is a great option actually, I think it might be cheaper and actually much easier mechanically speaking. Plus it's kind of futuristic cool!

  • brickeyee
    11 years ago

    "futuristic cool"

    The blood at the bleeding edge of technology is green.

    It is the color of money.