Idea for pull down staircase or man/cargo elevator

[littleboss]

Looking for ideas for either or both: pull down staircase or a freight/man elevator. Thanks

 

[Mike65]

Google search will probably get you more ideas then you know what to do with. I was thinking of building a cargo lift o get stuff from the basement to the first floor without constantly going up & down the stairs. Load everything on the elevator send it up then walk up the stairs. Here are some I found.

 

[whateg01]

I guess we didn't learn anything...

PSA:Be careful with homemade elevators and materials lifts!

Hello all! Just a heads up: I built a new 2 story garage 4 years ago. Sixteen foot ceiling with a storage loft on top. i wanted a materialist to store stuff in the loft. After looking through here and all over the internet, I made a 4’x6’ platform lift using a harbor freight 2000# hoist. Added a...

www.garagejournal.com

 

[mike93lx]

Putting a person on a homemade elevator is a bad idea.

 

[Joemctag]

One thing I learned from working around elevator constructors on job sites is that ELEVATORS CAN KILL YOU.
If you build one, please make it so that you’re the only one able to use it. And maybe de-activate it if you sell .

 

[finn]

Storing things upstairs, or downstairs has few, if any advantages.

Especially heavy things.

Build or rent a storage shed.

 

[nadogail]

My garages have "Pull Down" stairs. They are rated just slightly higher than my body weight.

 

[whateg01]

Not

Storing things upstairs, or downstairs has few, if any advantages.

Especially heavy things.

Build or rent a storage shed.

Not everybody has the space to build a shed or add on to a house.

 

[ddurrett896]

I built a set of stringers for stairs, have the top supported by two hinges and use a cheap $100 winch to raise and lower the steps. Only
"issue" with wired winces is they typically only have 6' of cable, so you have to but a longer cable and re-wire unless you get a wireless one.

 

[don long]

I converted a forklift mast and an electric over hydraulic pump and built me an elevator for the party garage.
It has been working just fine for over 10 years

 

[Hooked]

I converted a forklift mast and an electric over hydraulic pump and built me an elevator for the party garage.
It has been working just fine for over 10 years

A friend did this 30+ years ago for their lake cabin. He has since passed but I'm guessing it is still in use by the family. He built in safety measures in case of failures.

 

[alteredimage]

Putting a person on a homemade elevator is a bad idea.

Ain't nobody said that in Kitty Hawk 1903!!!

 

[LopezBart]

We needed pull down stairs for our attic in our new house; our experience w/ the poor quality ones in our previous house made us cautious. After some searching, we selected Bessler sliding stairs. https://www.mmosby.com/AS/web-content/100.html
Rock solid, commercial rated at 800 lbs.

 

[whateg01]

Putting a person on a homemade elevator is a bad idea.

There's this notion that anything homemade is shoddy. Many homemade things are overbuilt because of a lack of any hard engineering data to support making it leaner. From a liability standpoint, I agree that a homemade elevator is a bad idea. From a practical standpoint, as long as sufficient safety has been built in, I'm ok with getting on one.

 

[mike93lx]

There's this notion that anything homemade is shoddy.

I dont feel that way at all.

 

[LopezBart]

There's this notion that anything homemade is shoddy. Many homemade things are overbuilt because of a lack of any hard engineering data to support making it leaner. From a liability standpoint, I agree that a homemade elevator is a bad idea. From a practical standpoint, as long as sufficient safety has been built in, I'm ok with getting on one.

The problem is that all the various failure modes can be difficult to anticipate ahead of time. Commercial designs have engineers with years of experience, and a whole host of applicable codes to help produce a design that's safe now, and safe 20 years from now. There are ones that fail immediately on a test run, and then there are those that fail later on due to cable wear over too small pulleys, overloaded axles, etc. Commercial elevators are inspected periodically by experienced techs for a reason.

Even well built things can fail; while good workmanship is some assurance that the item in question will not fail due to shoddy construction, it can still fail due to an design error, or wear and lack of maintenance.

If I simply had to design & build an elevator for people, I'd use a single acting hydraulic cylinder, and build in orifices that limited the maximum flow rate to minimize the consequences when things failed.

 

[Stick-man]

One thing I learned from working around elevator constructors on job sites is that ELEVATORS CAN KILL YOU.
If you build one, please make it so that you’re the only one able to use it. And maybe de-activate it if you sell .

I am an Elevator Constructor Mechanic. Yes, elevators can kill you. There is a reason why we are the only ones allowed in a hoistway, and must accompany any other personal that has to be in there for any reason.
I would not recommend riding any sort of home made lift. Of those I have seen, none so far would I deem safe for human travel.

 

[PoorUB]

We needed pull down stairs for our attic in our new house; our experience w/ the poor quality ones in our previous house made us cautious. After some searching, we selected Bessler sliding stairs. https://www.mmosby.com/AS/web-content/100.html
Rock solid, commercial rated at 800 lbs.

I was looking for attic stairs for my garage. I put some fairly heavy items up there so I wanted a stairs that was not as steep as many. I found the Bessler and about choked on the price. I looked at as many pictures of it that I could find and built my own. I used a HF 120 volt hoist to lift it. I can wreastle it up without the hoist with some difficulty, the the HF 400 pound hoist and a doubled line isn't working very hard. It has been up for maybe twenty years and zero issues.

 

[littleboss]

Storing things upstairs, or downstairs has few, if any advantages.

Especially heavy things.

Build or rent a storage shed.

Gotta put a ceiling in the shop and too do that I gotta put up joists in the 20' high middle section. If I gotta spend the money to put up joists and a ceiling its stupid to not make a loft out of it and would be stupid to rent or buy a storage shed when you got a 14'x40' loft

 

[littleboss]

I was looking for attic stairs for my garage. I put some fairly heavy items up there so I wanted a stairs that was not as steep as many. I found the Bessler and about choked on the price. I looked at as many pictures of it that I could find and built my own. I used a HF 120 volt hoist to lift it. I can wreastle it up without the hoist with some difficulty, the the HF 400 pound hoist and a doubled line isn't working very hard. It has been up for maybe twenty years and zero issues.

I have watched about 50 youtube videos on a hoist, so it won't be a problem to make. What I need is some kind of staircase that I can hinge up out of the way

 

[GearHD]

I built one a few years ago for my detached garage. It is overbuilt with 1/4" thick square tube, just because that's what I had lying around. I used a hoist from Amazon that has a wireless remote and also added two fall arrestors for some measure of protection against a broken hoist cable. I didn't think I would use the lift as much as I have, but typically use it once or twice a week. Sorry I don't have any better pics of the finished product.

 

[ddurrett896]

I built one a few years ago for my detached garage. It is overbuilt with 1/4" thick square tube, just because that's what I had lying around. I used a hoist from Amazon that has a wireless remote and also added two fall arrestors for some measure of protection against a broken hoist cable. I didn't think I would use the lift as much as I have, but typically use it once or twice a week. Sorry I don't have any better pics of the finished product.

What fall arrestor did you use? See a couple on Amazon for $150 plus and would like to add, but hard to digest being it's in a detach garage and nobody is ever under it. I can recut a bunch of stringers for $150.

 

[GearHD]

This is the model I purchased:

Palmer Safety SRD 30 FT. Self Retracting Lifeline I ANSI Z359.14-2021 Class 1 ​

I found them in a warehouse deal, but they were still pricey. I almost always ride up on the platform so for me it was cheap insurance.
This is the hoist:

Partsam 1320lbs Automatic Lift Electric Cable Hoist with Wireless Remote Control 110V Overhead Crane Garage Ceiling Pulley Winch w Towing Strap Sling, Electric Wire Rope Hoist, 38ft Lift Height​

 

[rocksnstumps]

Mustie1 on youtube had a build on an "elevator" he put together from a busted lift. A previous place I used to work had what they called VRCs. Vertical Reciprocating Conveyor for moving raw materials to a mezzanine over a machine bay. Calling them an "elevator" was a no-no since that implied people transport.

Cool build with 2 parts. Again moving 4 wheelers and not people probably best.
Part 1

Part 2

 

[B88i45]

We are looking to purchase a house with an elevator in the garage. Looks more on the professional side, linear rails, chain link safety mechanism and hydraulic. Has anyone's homeowners had issues with their elevator?

 

[nadogail]

The Elevator in my home was professionally installed. It has been almost trouble free. The door interlocking has needed some adjustments.

The equipment was made by Savoria in Canada.

 

[CraigStu]

Do you need to go up 8-9ft or higher. If 8-9ft, why not buy 3 standard stringers, standard steps and risers, hinge the step assembly at the top and use an electric hoist to raise and lower the bottom end. Might be a bit heavier than needed but, if it is all standard interior stairs type build, then the engineering is done for you.

 

[mike93lx]

We are looking to purchase a house with an elevator in the garage. Looks more on the professional side, linear rails, chain link safety mechanism and hydraulic. Has anyone's homeowners had issues with their elevator?

I could see it being a problem if you don't have engineering and/or signage about not using it for people. Elevators in residential are uncommon enough that I doubt you'll get any first hand feedback.

That said, people get trampolines by insurance companies all the time and they're way more dangerous.

 

[swampjak]

When I built my garage I needed a way to get larger items in my storage attic. I framed in a 4x4 foot access centered above my 4 post vehicle lift. With the vehicle removed items too large for the pull down ladder are placed on the lift. With my 12 ft ceiling I can get the items within about four feet of the attic floor. Because it is an attic I am limited on the weight of items I store there. I have a removable a hatch installed when access is not required. Really works very well and is limited in cost if you have a 4 post lift.

 

[larry4406]

In our new homes we offer elevators. The cab is approximately 4x5’. Not counting the concrete pit, framing, fire rated sheetrock, operable cab phone, and electric, the bill from the elevator company is $35-40k.

Ours are VFD with chains connecting to the platform. Ours serve 3 levels.

 

[mike93lx]

In our new homes we offer elevators. The cab is approximately 4x5’. Not counting the concrete pit, framing, fire rated sheetrock, operable cab phone, and electric, the bill from the elevator company is $35-40k.

Ours are VFD with chains connecting to the platform. Ours serve 3 levels.

How much all in? 60ish?

 

[jmarkwolf]

I've never seen anyone repurpose a car lift as a shop elevator.

Any reason why?

 

[swampjak]

Simple. I already have it and it is convenient. Seldom used. Works well for large items when I need it. By the way the dedicated use is for vehicle maintenance and vehicle storage.

 

[larry4406]

How much all in? 60ish?

Mike I don’t know the all in costs but I’m thinking you are close.

I don’t know what we sell that option for. I’m guessing $100k. I don’t get access to all of the $ info. New site should be ready for me to go vertical in about 30 days. Model and spec unit supposed to be elevator units.

Elevators are a PIA. Special doors, threshold clearances, etc. Lasers are used to make sure the shaft walls are perpendicular (rail wall and door wall) and dead nuts plumb.

 

[mike93lx]

Mike I don’t know the all in costs but I’m thinking you are close.

I don’t know what we sell that option for. I’m guessing $100k. I don’t get access to all of the $ info. New site should be ready for me to go vertical in about 30 days. Model and spec unit supposed to be elevator units.

Elevators are a PIA. Special doors, threshold clearances, etc. Lasers are used to make sure the shaft walls are perpendicular (rail wall and door wall) and dead nuts plumb.

How much are the houses selling for that these go into?

 

[larry4406]

How much are the houses selling for that these go into?

If you have to ask you can’t afford it.

$1.5-2.7M.

 

[Stick-man]

Elevators are a PIA. Special doors, threshold clearances, etc. Lasers are used to make sure the shaft walls are perpendicular (rail wall and door wall) and dead nuts plumb.

I am an elevator mechanic, and we shoot for 1/64" tolerance within our specs. If a hoistway is out, we can make some adjustments. It helps if it is a taller building, but a tight hoistway quite often has to have material removed, ie; concrete, etc.

 

[littleboss]

Do you need to go up 8-9ft or higher. If 8-9ft, why not buy 3 standard stringers, standard steps and risers, hinge the step assembly at the top and use an electric hoist to raise and lower the bottom end. Might be a bit heavier than needed but, if it is all standard interior stairs type build, then the engineering is done for you.

Need at least 12' maybe 13 1/2

 

[Mike65]

When we replaced the attic pull downstairs in our last house we opted for the metal ones over the wood ones, they were stronger & sturdier.

 

[hailwood1965]

Gotta nope out as the kids say.