What Kind of Elevator is Best for Our Church?

Joe Miller, ChurchConstruction.com

Certainly it is true that Elevators or Lifts of some variety are required by all local and state codes to accommodate the handicapped and it is a very important that our facility is a welcoming place for those with special needs. However, there are some other practical reasons that you should consider when you install your elevator.

Some churches don’t realize how important this peace of equipment can become in a building.

They figure, “We’ll just get the cheapest and smallest elevator that meets code and save our money”, but let me say form experience that this may not be the best decision.

What happens when you need to move those tables from one floor to the next.

One or two is not so bad, but what about 10 or 20?

Are you really going to carry them up and down every week?

You may not realize it, but once the elevator is in, you may wish you had invested a little more money and made your facility a lot more user friendly.

Here are some simple and utilitarian uses for your elevator that may not have occurred to you, yet items you may want to give some serous thought to;

Is the elevator big enough to move tables on a table dolly?

Is it big enough to fit a stack of chairs?

Can the janitor’s cart fit?

What other large items might you need to move from floor to floor that might be too big or bulky for one person to carry up or down stairs?

Additionally, there are some special considerations when it comes to maintenance and repairs that you should consider;

Commercial elevators are cheaper, but they may not be as durable. I recommend that you spend the extra money and get the right elevator for the job. An elevators is one item that is worth the extra investment!

Make sure you know what is covered under the factory warranty and if it includes
labour or parts only. Make sure the warranty begins only after you start to use the elevator. Elevators tend to go in early on a construction project, which means
it may be six or more months before you actually start using it. If you only have a one-year warranty then you will have lost almost half of your “break in” period to construction and you may discover some problems too late to be covered by the warranty.

Consider making the elevator accessible by key only to prevent “joy riding” which
can cut down on wear and tear.