If you’re looking for an elevator that provides maximum convenience with a small footprint, a Stiltz elevator may be right for you. With a design similar to a dumbwaiter, these systems provide easy access to all floors of your home without sacrificing valuable living space.
At Signature Elevators & Accessible Design, we offer expert elevator installation for residential properties in the DMV area. We offer top-quality work backed by over a decade of experience to ensure you receive the highest caliber of service. Plus, you can test our elevator selection at our local showroom to pick the best option for your needs.
Learn more about Stiltz elevator installation by contacting Signature Elevators today.
Features of a Stiltz Residential Elevator
Stiltz residential elevators are smartly designed to allow you to move independently from floor to floor of your home. Their free-standing design doesn’t require hydraulics or the construction of support walls, helping simplify installation and integrate with your home more seamlessly.
In fact, your elevator can be installed in just one day. Stiltz elevators come in two options to suit the various needs of different homeowners.
Stiltz Duo Alta
The Stiltz Duo Alta lift can transport up to two people and is a cost-effective option for homeowners looking to improve home accessibility. With safe, fast, and quiet operation, a Duo Alta lift is a great alternative to a stair lift and utilizes a small footprint of under 7 square feet.
Stiltz Trio Alta
The Trio Alta lift is slightly larger than the Duo and is the perfect choice for wheelchair users looking to live more independently in a multi-story home. These lifts are built to hold a standard-size wheelchair and are also ideal for those who use a walker or a rollator.
With a heavier weight capacity, a Trio lift can carry up to three people with a compact footprint of under 15 square feet.
Why Choose Signature Elevators & Accessible Design?
At Signature Elevators, we’re proud to offer turnkey elevator projects in Maryland, Washington, DC, and Northern Virginia. Our experts are here to provide customized elevator retrofit solutions that give you greater independence in your home.
If you’re considering an elevator for your property, visit our showroom for a complete consultation and access to our diverse range of products to find the right fit for your home and needs.
Contact Signature Elevators today to schedule a Stiltz elevator installation at your home.
Frequently Asked Questions
Duo vs. Trio
The Duo is the top image, and the Trio is the lower one.
Each has four options: Alta, Classic, Vista, and Thru. The Alta is the latest model. The Classic has a solid body, and the Vista has a structural polycarbonate body. The Thru allows a user to enter and exit on opposite sides of the cab.
Stiltz Lift Duo Alta & Duo Details
The Duo Alta
- Maximum load: 375 lbs
- Maximum travel: 13’1″, finished floor to finished floor
- Maximum speed: 6″ per second
- Installed through the floor
- Installed to a landing or flying bridge
- Footprint: 42″ wide by 30″ deep
- No through car available
The Duo is a single-person elevator. Two can fit, but the space is intimate.
The Duo Alta is the latest model and has a certificate of compliance with ASME 17.7 Section 5.3 Through the Floor Elevators and Lifts. This new model is light gray as opposed to the cream white of the original model. The original European models, including the Classic, Classic Vista, and Classic Vista Through Car, have certificates of compliance for Europe.
Some counties will accept these units; for example, we can still install the classic line in Montgomery County. The Classic has a solid body, and the Vista has a structural polycarbonate body. The Thru allows a user to enter and exit on opposite sides of the cab.
Trio Details
The Trio Alta Two-Stop
- Maximum load: 500 lbs
- Maximum travel: 13’1″, finished floor to finished floor
- Maximum speed: 6″ per second
- Installed through the floor
- Installed to a landing or flying bridge
- Footprint: 42″ wide by 50″ deep
- Through car is available
The Trio Alta Three-Stop
- All of the above, except
- Maximum travel is 19’6”, finished floor to finished floor
- A solution to larger floor-to-floor distances is a pedestal effectively raising the lower floor to meet the 19’6 and either steps or a ramp. This isn’t ideal, but switching to a standard elevator without the floor-to-floor has limits.
The Duo is a single-person elevator. Two can fit, but the space is intimate.
The Trio Alta is the latest model and has a certificate of compliance with ASME 17.7 Section 5.3 Through the Floor Elevators and Lifts. This new model is light gray as opposed to the cream white of the original models.
Project Process in the Larger DC Metro
Stiltz Lift Home Elevator
We handle every phase of your project, from helping you choose the right home elevator to installation and construction. We serve Baltimore, the DC Metro area, Maryland, and Virginia.
Here’s what to expect:
- Schedule an appointment: Call for an appointment to visit our showroom and ride our Stiltz Lifts Duo, Alta, and Trio Alta. We’ll discuss the Stiltz Lifts home elevator and other possible solutions. There is no obligation for this meeting.
- In-home consultation: Schedule an appointment for one of our elevator sales designers to come to your home to help you determine where you want the elevator and what floor and other modifications are necessary.
- Agreement terms: If the modifications are complex, we may want to enter a feasibility and investigation agreement before developing a price.
- Complete project: We review and execute your turnkey construction and elevator agreement.
What’s involved in the construction?
Plans must be developed, stamped by a structural engineer, and submitted to the county permit office. The plans must then be approved, which takes an average of a month. Prince Georges, MD, may take two months, and Loudoun County, VA, might take three weeks.
Once approved, construction can begin. Typical construction involves:
- Demolition of drywall from load transfer to load transfer about 4’ wide
- Floor loads are usually transferred to an outside wall and an inside steel beam
- Once the drywall is removed, we need to double the joists outside the proposed hole
- Usually, MEP mechanical (ducts), electrical, and plumbing are in the way. If the MEP is outside the proposed hole but traversing the joists to be doubled, it must be permanently moved or temporarily removed and then replaced. Extensive MEP may require additional permits and may result in a change order.
- Once the MEP is resolved, the joists can be doubled. We then head off the joists to be cut with double headers between the doubled joists.
- Everything is hung with the appropriate Simpson Strong-Tie system.
- A sleeve is then inserted, just large enough for the elevator, and trimmed out.
- We then run the electrical.
The county will inspect the electrical and framing. Once approved, we close the ceiling with new drywall, tape, and finish and then paint to match the rest of the room. A Trio Alta Three-Stop has the same process but for both floors. A Trio Alta Three-Stop offers increased space, fitting up to three people, a wheelchair, or a power chair.
After all the above work is completed, the elevator can be installed, and we’ll train you to use it. We also call for the elevator inspection if your county requires it.
After the elevator inspection, the last construction responsibilities are to get electrical and framing finals so there are no open permits on your house.
We’re impartial about who does the construction. We can and often do it. If you have your own contractor or want to do the construction work yourself, that’s fine with us.
