A couple from Pennsylvania have ‘future-proofed’ their home by installing a Stiltz Home Elevator which will enable them to travel between the floors of their property simply and easily.
Mr and Mrs Ricker recently moved to a new house in the North Eastern state with the intention of it being their ‘forever home’.
The couple were conscious that because their new home had multiple floors the stairs could prove challenging in later years, particularly as Mrs Ricker was already struggling with a knee problem.
The Rickers initially looked at more traditional home elevators, which typically are powered by hydraulics and sometimes require a separate machine room, but this type of lift would take up too much floor space in the home.
However, the couple came across Stiltz Home Elevators and its Duo Alta model, which has one of the smallest footprint of any residential elevator on the market of just seven square feet far better suited their needs.
With no hydraulics or load bearing walls required, the two-person Duo Alta is powered by a self-contained motor that runs off a standard 220v outlet, like all major appliances. The lift travels ‘through the floor’ on self-supporting rails.
Mr Ricker said: “We moved into the home about eight months ago, and it was important to us for this to be a long-term home and to ensure mobility through the years. Our home has several floors with a significant number of stairs, so we wanted to make sure it was easy to go up and down. Particularly in my wife’s case, to maintain that was very important to us.”
Mrs Ricker added: “I have a knee problem, so it made it very easy for me to not have to worry about the stairs.”
Stylish, elegantly curved with a fully transparent cabin, the Duo Alta also appealed to the Rickers as the elevator effortlessly blends into the décor. With the lift neatly tucked in the corner of the room in the office, it is also not totally unintrusive.
The best feature of the system is the way it sets nicely into our décor,” said Mr Ricker. “We have our unit on the first floor in an office setting. It’s actually installed in a corner location so it didn’t encroach into the room area and it fits very nicely with the style of that room.”
For Mrs Ricker, the purchase of a Stiltz Home Elevator provides her with a convenient way of moving between the floors of the home. Mrs Ricker said: “I use it at least six or seven times a day instead of taking the stairs. My husband will walk up the stairs and I’ll use the home elevator, and we both arrive at the same location in the same amount of time.”
The introduction of the Stiltz residential elevator not only benefits Mrs Ricker, guests of the couple also appreciate this alternative way to using the stairs, particularly if they have mobility issues. Mr Ricker said: “It’s a large house and our visitors stay over sometimes and the ability to go upstairs without having to navigate the stairs is very important. We have some elderly relatives as well that we wanted to invite over and share our beautiful home with, and it’s enabled that. Without this system in place, we wouldn’t be able to have them stay with us.”
The Ricker’s feel searched for lots of properties before finding the house of their dreams and they believe by adding an elevator to their home it has added value to the home.
Mr Ricker said: “By adding the residential elevator feature to this home, if in the future we sell and move on, this house will be the one that is available to a larger number of clients – because of that inherent mobility factor that we’ve added through the elevator.
“We would definitely recommend Stiltz to others. In terms of the equipment, the integrity, the support behind it, the simple installation, and the whole process there was very straight forward. We convey these things regularly to our friends and relatives.”
WATCH our video interview or read the transcript with Mr and Mrs Ricker.
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