If you are adding an elevator to a home in Southwest Florida, one of the first choices is between a traditional elevator that runs in a hoistway and a shaftless elevator that travels through an opening in the floor. Both carry people safely between levels. They suit different houses.
How each one works
A traditional home elevator runs inside an enclosed hoistway that extends the full height of travel. There is a door at each landing, a shallow pit at the bottom and, depending on the drive type, a small machine space nearby. It can serve two, three or four floors and carry several people or a wheelchair with a companion.
A shaftless elevator is a self-contained unit that rides on rails fixed to the wall or floor. It passes through a framed opening between two floors, and when the cab is upstairs a lid closes the opening so the ceiling below is complete. There is no hoistway to build and usually no pit.
Where a traditional elevator makes sense
- New construction, where the hoistway can be framed into the plans at little cost.
- Elevated coastal homes with three levels: parking, main living and bedrooms.
- Households that need to move a wheelchair with a second person, or want a larger cab.
- Homes where the elevator should match the interior, with custom panels, glass or a specific door style.
Where a shaftless elevator makes sense
- Existing two-story homes with no stacked closets to convert.
- Retrofits where the owner wants as little construction as possible.
- Smaller households that need to move one or two people between two floors.
- Projects where the timeline matters, because there is far less building work.
Things to weigh for a Florida home
Flood level. In an elevated home the lowest landing is often below base flood elevation. With a traditional elevator, the pit and anything in it will get wet in a surge, so the design should keep as much equipment as possible up high. A shaftless elevator between the two living floors of a house avoids the ground level entirely, but it cannot serve the garage.
Number of stops. Shaftless elevators serve two floors. If you need garage, main floor and upper floor, you need a hoistway.
Capacity. Shaftless cabs are compact. Check that the model you are considering takes the wheelchair or walker you actually use.
Resale. A traditional elevator in a three-level coastal home is something buyers increasingly look for. A shaftless elevator is easier to remove if a future owner does not want it.
What it costs
Shaftless elevators generally sit toward the lower end of the range for a new home elevator, because there is no hoistway to build. A multi-stop traditional elevator with custom finishes sits toward the upper end. Our home elevator cost guide explains what moves the price.
How to decide
Start with what you need the elevator to do: which floors, who will use it and what they will bring with them. Then have the house looked at. In many homes the structure makes the decision for you. Modern Lifts offers a free home visit across Southwest Florida, Tampa Bay and Sarasota, and you will leave it knowing which type fits and what it would cost. Request a visit or call 239.499.4749.