Among the architectural changes taking place in the residential sector in Dubai, the most interesting are in-house lifts and elevators. While travelators and lifts are common appendages in malls and shops, elevators company in Dubai are now equipping themselves to installing lifts in Dubai homes.
What You Need to Consider
Before you jump the gun and decide to install a lift in your premises to increase its rental or resale values, there are some things you must take into consideration.
- Building Type
The first thing you should keep in mind is the type of building you are installing a lift in. The financials and other particulars are all secondary questions-the first consideration is whether a lift or travelator is even suited to your building type. A building type is best defined by its function- residential, public, commercial (shops or offices), which will inform the elevator type needed and capacity. For buildings which are just double-storey, installing an elevator is an unnecessary expense, since it is likely to cost you a pretty penny for electricity and energy charges as well as maintenance.
- Traffic Capacity and Frequency
Considering you are forking over hefty dollars to finding a lift company in Dubai, you must consider the practicality of the installation in terms of capacity and frequency. Foot Flow of traffic in and out of your building, specially the upper floors, will determine the space and size of the lift needed for your building. If you are, for e.g., operating an office on the first floor with employee offices which customers don’t frequent on the second and third floors, you can install one smaller lift. If your main employee operations are on the upper floors, you can install one larger lift. If access to the upper floors is needed routinely for several people an hour, you can install two large lifts in your premises. The foot fall will also govern special features such as group control, weight limits, security features and destination control.
Choosing the Correct Elevator
There are several different types of elevators in the market, and you need to know their particulars to make an informed decision about the one best-suited to your building. For your knowledge, here is a description of some of the most common types of lifts and their specifications.
- Hydraulic Lifts
These lifts are most commonly installed in low-rise buildings, and are amongst the cheaper side of the elevator markets. The way this lift works is that it uses hydraulic systems to move the elevator car up and down the elevator shaft.
- Traction Lifts
These lifts are slightly more on the pricier side. They are also most commonly suitable for mid to high-rise buildings, where footfall is higher. Traction lifts work using ropes and counterweights to vertically move the elevator car. These generally offer more features and specifications, including for safety, capacity, and for destination control.
- Machine Room-Less Lifts
MRL lifts are preferable for buildings with limited space because they don’t generally require a separate machine room. They are also not the most expensive option on the market, but the more futuristic and specialised the machine, the more you can expect it to make a serious dent in your wallet. MRLs come with a variety of features which can be selected per your building needs.
Aesthetic Considerations to Make Prior to Purchase
Ever come across huge steel lifts that are rusted through in an old building? These are the consequence of not planning ahead in regard to aesthetics, and can very much ruin the outlook, paint and layout of buildings if not considered correctly.
A modern building, for example, is better suited with a panoramic glass travelator instead of a huge steel imposition, specially if the lift is to be in a foyer where visitors in the building come and go. Classic elevators, such as those in some of the most iconic hotels in the world-wood panelling and brass holdings-look vintage and ultra-chic, and go brilliantly in hotels, office buildings and restaurants. Just because time spent in a lift is around 10 seconds or less, does not mean it does not leave an impression. You can request elevator companies in Dubai to install the interior, furnishing and light systems of your choice. You can even select your own elevator music if you are tired of the sad beats that play in malls!
Conclusion
There are several other considerations you should make, including financial and safety considerations, but as a layman what you need to keep a sharp eye on is that your lift is well-suited to your building, looks nice, and is a travelator installation that increases your rent and resale values as well your utility of the building. Bear in mind that electricity costs and maintenance is part and parcel of lift installations and should therefore be a primary consideration when it comes to your financial planning for lifts.
