Last edited 15 Jan 2021

Through-Floor Lifts

1 Introduction
2 Early Through-Floor Lifts
3 Through-Floor Lifts Today
4 Smaller Through-Floor Lifts
5 Large Through-Floor Lifts
6 Related articles on Designing Buildings Wiki

[edit] Introduction

Through-Floor Lifts (sometimes Through Floor Lifts not hyphenated, Through Floor Home Lifts or simply Home Lifts) are a type of domestic home lift whose design lends itself to home living. Simple in design, they consist of a lift car, a track and an aperture cut into the ceiling on the lower floor, or the floor on the upper floor.

[edit] Early Through-Floor Lifts

Some of the first through-floor lifts were developed in the mid 1900's. They were very different from the one's we have today, not having any of the safety features that standards like BS 5900 have now introduced.

However, the mechanisms and basic function of these early lifts are the same as today.

[edit] Through-Floor Lifts Today

There are a wide range of manufacturers who produce through-floor lifts. They have always been known as through-floor lifts to people who work with them (such as Occupational Therapists and those in the industry), but are now more commonly simply included in the umbrella of 'home lifts'.

Historically, through-floor lifts were used predominantly by wheelchair users, but have more recently been taking on the stair lift market, as smaller through-floor lifts (or standing through-floor lifts) are produced.

[edit] Smaller Through-Floor Lifts

Often sold as the 'Stairlift Alternative', smaller through-floor lifts are characterised by a footprint small enough to have minimal impact on the home living space. Many other benefits are often mentioned;

Quick and easy to install.
Keeps the staircase free of stairlift obstruction.
Minimal building work required.

[edit] Large Through-Floor Lifts

Generally produced to meet the demand of heavier wheelchairs or to accommodate multiple passengers, these through-floor lifts can reach dimensions of up to 2m sq.