Our friend JK found his (almost) dream home in Osage Beach at the Lake of the Ozarks. After years working in the city retirement at the Lake seemed like the perfect solution.
JK contacted us because he had been in this home for just a few months but found the second story of his home was a hassle to access because of the staircase design. He realized that he was only living in half of his home and was looking for a convenient way to access the second floor.
We found the perfect spot in the master bedroom that traveled right down to the living area and heart of the home below. This would allow JK easy access to the kitchen for a midnight snack and to the pool for a morning swim. JK was a bit concerned at first that an elevator in this location could be off-putting to guests when he was entertaining, After realizing the elevator cab could be easily stored upstairs with the remote control leaving the room virtually unaltered he fell in love with the idea of the Stiltz Trio Alta we were proposing.
About a week after our initial consultation with JK he called to let us know that he wanted to place an order for the Stiltz Trio Alta. He waited the week to contact us so he could have another elevator company come out and give him a bid. The other company proposed another brand of small residential elevator and also the Stiltz Trio Alta like we had. JK did not like looks of the other product and the other bid for the Trio Alta was about 15 percent higher than ours.
We received JK’s contract and deposit in just a few days and placed the order. We put together a drawing and permit package for the city of Osage Beach and pulled the required permits while we waited for the elevator. Once the elevator arrived we scheduled an installation date to complete the work.
Since our company was founded by a Journeyman Carpenter we are able to complete the structural modifications to the home ourselves and do not have to rely on subcontractors. On day one of the install we removed a sheet of drywall from the ceiling on the main floor to provide access to the joists. We built a small temporary support wall to support the floor joists while we modified them for the opening. Upstairs we pulled back the carpet and cut the hole in the subfloor. We then re-stretched the carpet and cut out the whole which we saved and installed on the lid of the elevator. We removed the temporary wall while our electrician ran a 220 volt 15 amp circuit to power the elevator and a phone jack so the phone in the elevator cab could be used. We then hung a new sheet of drywall on the ceiling and moved upstairs.
JK’s home has a vaulted ceiling in the upstairs bedroom and with the Stiltz products we need to have a flat surface to mount the rials to. In order to remedy this we installed a small soffit on the vault just big enough to support our rails so we didn’t compromise the look of the home (see the photos below.) After this was complete we went ahead with our installation and installed the elevator. By the end of day three we completed the project and obtained all of our inspections leaving JK’s home clean and tidy.
JK uses his elevator many times a day and now utilizes his upstairs space much more frequently since its convenient. Lugging things up and down his awkward staircase is a thing of the past. Even big things can now be easily transported up and down with ease thanks to the 500lb capacity of the Stiltz Trio Alta we installed. This investment JK made in his home has improved quality of life and on a daily basis as he can transcend the floors of his home with comfort and ease.
Andrew from First Class Elevator was a pleasure to work with!
Start Your Home Elevator Project
Installing an elevator in your home may seem like a bit overwhelming at first but in reality it’s a painless process if you choose the right company. As you can see from JK’s project First Class Elevator can install an elevator in your home that you can enjoy for years to come in just a few days. To talk to home elevator expert today give us a call at 314.200.4389 we are always happy to help!