Duo Vista Elevator Lift Case Study, PA, USA

The Lydic’s wanted a residential elevator fitted in their house for practical reasons, but they were also looking to make it fun and unique by turning the lift into an iconic British red telephone box design. This made the elevator lift stand out when visitors came to the home they shared in Somerset, Pennsylvania and highlighted that there are no limits to what you can achieve with a Stiltz Home Elevator.

But finding the right residential elevator proved difficult for the Lydic’s as many of the hydraulic lifts on the market required too many structural changes to their property and were far too expensive. They did not contemplate a stairlift because of its appearance.

Having almost given up on the idea of an elevator for the home they were delighted when they became aware of the Stiltz Home Elevator as this ticked all the boxes. Already popular in Europe, the elevator is totally unique in the US market and is powered by an electric motor system that sits out of sight on top of the lift car.

The residential elevator has a totally self-supporting structure and travels on dual rails so it does not need to be fixed to walls – and because of these unique features it meant the lift could be fitted practically anywhere in the Lydic’s home.

Quick and easy to install, the couple opted for the Stiltz Duo Vista Elevator – this has the advantage of a clear car body made from structural polycarbonate sheet – fitted in between their upstairs hall and first floor hall which took around a day to complete with no other technical changes required.

Then to give the residential elevator that ‘wow’ factor the Lydic’s purchased construction plans for the iconic K2 British red telephone box which the couple had made out of wood, minus the door, to go around the outside of the Stiltz Home Elevator.

Mr Lydic said: “We didn’t actually need a home elevator but wanted one because of the frequent trips we made upstairs and thought we’d try to get one before we physically needed one. Additionally, some of our older friends needed help on the stairs and with their luggage when they stayed over at our house.

“Initially we weren’t sure if a lift was possible or financially feasible. After looking at many hydraulic options it appeared it would be but it was too expensive and required too many structural changes to our house. Hydraulic elevators are hard to retro-fit to an existing house.

“We always thought stair lifts were unattractive and made the owners appear old and physically challenged. But for a Stiltz Elevator all that was needed was a hole in the floor (41” wide and 29” depth) between the first and second floors and it didn’t have the disadvantages of the hydraulics.

“It also made creative enhancement of the cab more possible for us to turn it into a British red telephone box which adds a uniqueness to our elevator. We would whole-heartily recommend Stiltz. It’s affordable, attractive and a simplified design. It really has exceeded our expectations, the installation went very well and we’re extremely satisfied.

“What we like most is it enhances our living space and significantly adds to the value of our home – in excess of the actual cost. We could easily see home builders putting Stiltz residential elevators in many new homes as a construction option.”