FAQ

How much space you need for a lift depends on the type of lift and lift size you choose.

If you have 1m2 to spare, you have enough room to fit a lift in your house. Our smallest lift model has a 600×830 mm platform size (W x D) and a minimum cut-out size of 1000×993 mm. It will literally fit into the space of a wardrobe.

On the other side of the spectrum, our largest goods lift has a platform size of 1405×2480 (WxD) and cut-out size of 1895×2610 mm. A large lift like that requires almost 5 m2 but is also large enough to transport a pallet truck loaded with pallets or 8-10 people.

All our lifts are screw-driven, which means that the machinery fits inside the shaft (machine room less). Our compact drive system also saves you the trouble of accommodating extra space above the lift and digging a deep pit. Our lifts require a headroom (height floor to ceiling on the top level) of only 2300 mm and a pit depth of 0-130 mm (for a 0 mm pit, an access ramp is provided).

Whatever lift model and size you choose, our lift solutions are very space-efficient compared to conventional lifts. For our platform lifts, up to 70% of the total footprint of the lift is passenger space, while the machinery and shaft construction only constitute 30%.

If you have 1m2 to spare, or the space to fit a wardrobe, you can fit a lift in your house. It might sound unbelievable, but it is true for our smallest lift with a platform size of 600×830 mm. Unfortunately, many people who live in small houses with limited space wrongly assume that there is no room for a lift in their home, although there most often is.

Space-efficient lifts for your house

Cibes platform lifts are very space-efficient and can be fitted in small and narrow spaces like the void at the centre of a staircase. Unlike most lifts, our platform lifts do not require a separate machine room and can be installed without a lift pit. On the top floor, a headroom (height between the floor and the ceiling) of only 2300 mm is required for a full-height door. The smart, space-saving construction makes it easy to fit our lifts in your home without major structural alterations.

No room for a lift inside your house?

If you do not want to sacrifice any of your indoor space, or if there is no good location for a lift inside your home, installing a lift on the outside of your house is also possible. A lift leading directly to the outside also offers you comfortable, direct access to your garden and ties your indoor and outdoor living spaces together. Our outdoor lifts are equipped for tough weather conditions, including snow and rain. Discover our outdoor lift solution here.

The short answer is yes, in most countries you need to get planning permission to install a lift, but you should always check your national regulations. If you need help or guidance, we advise you to contact your lift supplier or builder or check with the local authority that grants planning permissions in your country.

The short answer is that in a vast majority of countries, you would not be allowed to replace your stairs with a lift, and for very valid safety reasons. There might be exceptions, but we strongly advise against replacing your staircase with a lift. If the lift breaks down, you need to have a staircase to ensure that you are not completely blocked on one floor. In addition, if there is a fire, you must never take the lift but evacuate by the stairs instead.

If you ask yourself this question because you do not think you have enough room for both a staircase and a lift inside your home, you should know that there are other solutions that are much better and safer. In many cases, it is possible to install one of our lifts at the centre of your staircase, or just beside it. Our smallest lift size only needs1 m2 of space. It is also possible to place a staircase outside your home. Another great solution is to install our outdoor lift on the outside of your home.

A wheelchair lift, also called wheelchair platform lift or simply platform lift, is a lift which is designed to lift up a wheelchair to overcome a step, a staircase, or vertical barrier. To make a home, commercial building or public area comply with accessibility standards, a wheelchair may be required. To be considered as a wheelchair lift, the lift must meet a number of requirements. For example, the platform must be big enough and the doorway must be wide enough to be easily accessible for wheelchairs. The size of platform lift you need depends on the dimensions of your wheelchair. For home lifts we recommend a platform size of at least 1000×1267 mm (w x d), and for public lifts 1000×1467 mm. For home lifts, we recommend a door clear opening width of 800 mm and for public lifts, 900 mm.

Our standard sizes of platform lift A5000, 1000×1467 mm and 1100×1467 mm are wheelchair accessible.

A screw-driven lift has a simple but ingenious system for elevation: The platform or cabin of the lift is attached to a drive nut that moves up and down the screw, powered by an electric motor. When the motor turns one way, the drive nut makes the lift travel upwards, and when the motor turns the other way, the drive nut makes the lift travel downwards.

Advantages of screw-driven lift technology

The screw and nut drive is a very safe and reliable system that has a long lifespan (approximately 25-30 years with proper maintenance). The secret behind its longevity is its simplicity. Thanks to the reduced number of moving parts and the robust and durable mechanics, there simply is not that much that could go wrong. The drive system is also compact enough to be fitted inside the lift shaft, which is why this type of lift requires no separate machine room, nor extra headroom. Another advantage is that many lifts with screw and nut drive can be installed without a lift pit.

Low maintenance drive system

The screw and nut system is very robust and requires less maintenance than hydraulic or belt-driven lifts. Our lifts have an auto lubrication system that keeps the screw oiled at all times, so that maintenance visits are needed less frequently.

There are many different types of lifts and technologies to choose from; traction lifts, hydraulic lifts, belt-driven lifts, vacuum lifts, or screw-driven lifts.

All lift types have their pros and cons and there are many more different kinds of lifts than can be mentioned here. However, to take a few examples, conventional hydraulic and traction lifts can travel fast, from 0.6 m/s to several metres per second, but they also take up a lot of room, given that they require a deep lift pit, a lot of headroom, and a separate machine room and/or control room. Hydraulic lifts also often need a large hydraulic tank. Vacuum lifts, on the other hand, are space-efficient, but the technology is expensive and their lifting capacity is limited. To learn more about different types of lifts, click here.

Our screw-driven lifts travel at a speed of 0.15 m/s, but take up a lot less room than hydraulic lifts and traction lifts, given that our lifts can be installed without a pit and have a top height of only 2250 mm (top height is the height of the lift on the top floor). The machine and control room are fitted inside the lift shaft, which also makes the whole construction very compact and space-efficient compared to conventional lifts.

The amount of noise that a lift makes, depends on the lift type but also on the acoustic environment surrounding the lift. No lift is completely soundless but just like the humming of a fridge, the noise of a lift will generally blend in with the sounds of everyday life. Our lifts equipped with the EcoSilent drive system only generate 40dB*, which is comparable to the sound level inside a library.

• Quiet suburb: 55 dB
• Lift with EcoSilent drive: 40 dB
• Quiet rural area: 30 dB

* Sound measurement performed 2 m from a lift with a 150 kg load travelling at a constant speed.

Our lifts carry an energy label A in standby and energy label B in use, and are therefore very energy-efficient.

How much energy your lift uses depends on a number of factors, such as the travel height, the number of stops you have to make and the number of lift movements you make per day.

Example:

A lift with a standard drive and two stops, a 3.6 metre travel height and 20 lift movements per day consumes 481KWH per year.

If energy efficiency is one of your main concerns, a lift with the EcoSilent Drive System is an great solution. The EcoSilent drive system acts like a built-in eco setting and makes your home lift run in eco mode all the time. A lift equipped with the EcoSilent drive system runs with 45% less energy than a lift without.

You may wonder what happens with your lift if the power goes out and some people may even find this a very scary thought, especially the idea of being stuck inside an elevator for hours. However, most lifts and elevators are equipped with additional safety systems to avoid just that. If you are not sure about what safety systems your specific lift has, contact the lift manufacturer.

All Cibes lift models are equipped with a battery backup for emergency lowering as standard to make sure that you do not get trapped inside the lift in case of a power outage.

What happens with your lift if the power goes out while you are travelling with the lift is the following:

• The lift stops.
• The battery back up kicks in.
• Now, all you need to do is press any destination button on the control panel.
• The lift will descend to the next floor so that you can evacuate without outside help.

The best lift for your home depends on a few factors, there is no easy answer to this question. The best solution for you depends entirely on your wishes and situation. In order to determine which lift is best for your home, you will first need to clarify a number of questions for yourself, such as:

• How much space do you have for a lift?
• Should the lift have automatic drive (one-touch drive) or not?
• What are the accessibility requirements for your lift? For example, should it be wheelchair accessible?
• How many floors does the lift need to service?
• What budget do you have for your lift?

If only one person needs to transported from one floor to another, a stairlift may be enough to suit your needs. But if you want your entire house to be comfortably accessible for everyone, or if you want to future-proof your home for wheelchair or rollator use, a platform lift is a better and more long-term choice.

All our lifts will integrate seamlessly with any home, without the extensive preparations and building work associated with conventional lifts. Cibes home lifts are machine room less, compact lift solutions, which have a low pit and top height. If you are looking for an elegant and customisable lift solution, which causes minimal disruption to your daily life and reduces your builiding costs, our residential lifts are a great option!

We have a large selection of home lifts, so there is a lift for almost every need.

• Residential Lift A5000: wheelchair accessible as standard
• Home Lift Cibes A4000: very compact and already available with a floor area of 1m²
• Home Lift Cibes Air®: 11 different sizes, intuitive function and natural materials to blend in seamlessly in your home and lifestyle
• Outdoor lift: accessibility solution if you don’t have space indoors
• Domestic Lift C1 Pure: Premium comfort and one touch operation

Our smallest residential lift size is 600 x830mm (wxd) and fits inside 1m2, which is small enough to fit a wardrobe. Both our Cibes A4000 and Cibes Air come in the smallest size.

Visit our technical data page to view and compare all our lift options and sizes.

You should choose a home lift that fits your needs and your home. Your lift choice varies depending on a wide range /various of factors, such as:

• How much space do you have available?
• What accessibility requirements do you have?
• How many floors does it need to service?
• What is your budget?

We offer a range of home lift products to future-proof your home and enhance your comfort. Choosing a lift will depend on your style preferences, accessibility needs and available space. All our lifts are machine-room-less and pit-less, meaning that they require minimal building adaptation and only take 2-3 days to install.

We recommend that you contact our sales representatives to get advice on which lift best suits your needs.

A home lift is easy to install in almost every house, both new and existing. Cibes home lifts are machine room less, compact lift solutions, which have a low pit and top height. As a result, our lifts can be installed in your home easily and without major structural modifications.

Can I fit a lift in my house?

Our compact models are designed to take up limited space and are ideal for homes of all sizes. Our smallest home lift is very compact, if you have 1m2 to spare, or the space to fit in a wardobe, you can fit a lift in your house. Cibes platform lifts are very space-efficient and can be fitted in small and narrow spaces like the void at the centre of a staircase. Do you have more space? Then you can also choose a cabin lift with automatic drive, or a larger platform lift that is wheelchair accessible.

If you do not wish to install a lift inside your staircase, a home lift can be installed anywhere in your home where there is room enough to make an opening for it between floors. Do you want the lift to go from the living room up to your master bedroom? Or from your basement all the way up to the attic? You decide what rooms in your house you want to the lift to connect, as long as there is enough space. If you do not want to use any space inside your home to install a lift, installing a lift on the outside of your house is also possible. Discover our outdoor lift solution here.

The simple answer is no, our home lifts are not noisy. The sound of a home lift is meant to blend with the sounds of your everyday life. The sound emitted is even lower than typical household appliances like dishwashers and coffee machines.

• In a quiet bedroom – 30 dB
• Cibes home lift – 50 dB
• Dishwasher – 55dB
• Bumblebee – 55 dB
• Coffee machine – 60 dB
• Normal conversation – 60 dB
• Vacuum cleaner – 70 dB
• Running the tap – 85 dB

Our home lifts have a noise level of around 50dB, this can be compared to a normal conversation between two people at a distance of 1.5 metres.  This sound is only noticeable when the lift is in use, when the lift is not in use it will produce no sound. So the sound of a home lift actually blends into the sound level of your everyday life.

Do you want a lift that is even quieter? Then choose our EcoSilent drive. The refined motor, combined with a refined spindle and a Silentbox, reduces the noise of the lift by 10dB compared to the standard drive. The sound level of the EcoSilent drive outside the lift can be compared to the sound level inside a library.

Most residential lifts are safe, but you should check for certification and make sure that the lift gets regular and high-quality maintenance.

The first step is to check if your residential lift carries a safety label like the CE or UL label, for example. These labels guarantee that your lift fulfills certain verified safety standards, the European safety standards for the CE mark, and the US safety standards for the UL seal. All our lifts are CE type certified by the notified body Liftinstituut to comply with all relevant EU standards. Some of our lift models are also certified by the UL for the North American markets.

Maintenance makes residential lifts safe

Step two is to make sure that your lift is properly maintained. A home lift is only as safe as the quality of its maintenance. Just like your car, a lift needs regular technical checks and service. Always sign a contract for lift maintenance and always make sure to select a lift maintenance company that is certified and trained to maintain your lift brand. At Cibes, we train all our dealers to maintain our lifts, so that you can rest assured that the maintenance of your lift is handled by qualified and trained people.

There are several differences between a home lift and a stairlift and you should carefully consider the pros and cons of both options to make sure that you choose the best solution, both for your immediate and long-term needs.

Pros and cons of home lifts

A home lift is a system that travels vertically from one floor to the next in a safe and efficient way. There are home lifts with different drive systems, like hydraulic, belt-driven, or screw-driven, for example. Our screw-driven platform lifts are delivered with a ready-made lift shaft so you do not need to build a masonry shaft unless you want to. Buying a platform lift roughly costs as much as buying a new kitchen. However, the installation is fast and cost-efficient and this type of home lifts have a long lifespan (calculated lifetime of approximately 25 years). Given that a platform lift offers comfort to the whole family, it will also add considerable value to your property.

Pros and cons of stairlifts

A stairlift is a chair or a platform that is propelled by an electric motor and travels along the staircase in an inclined motion. Stairlifts are available for straight and curved staircases and generally do not require any, or very limited, structural work for installation. Although the initial investment of a stairlift is comparatively low, a stairlift has a relatively short lifespan (6-10 years) and pure accessibility products like stairlifts rarely add real estate value to your home.

Do you want to learn more about the difference between a home lift and a stairlift? Then we advise you to visit our blog.

One of our main advantages is that our lifts require very low maintenance, which means that they do not require as much maintenance as a traditional lift. Maintaining your lift properly ensures the quality and safety of your lift. In addition, proper maintenance ensures a longer life for your lift.

How much maintenance your lift needs depends on a number of factors, such as the use of your lift. A lift that is used often every day needs more maintenance than a lift that is rarely used. So the maintenance will be tailored to the use of your lift. In addition, the number of maintenance visits also depends on the type of the lift you have, for example, an outdoor lift will require more maintenance and will need to be cleaned more often than an indoor lift.

Maintenance is necessary at least once a year and generally this is enough for a lift that is used at home. Want to know how much maintenance your lift needs? Then we will be happy to provide you with personalized advice.

Advice according to use

Since 2018, our lifts have been equipped with a trip counter as standard, which keeps track of exactly how many voyages your lift makes. Our technicians can check this via a computer and tell you exactly how many travels your lift has made. Based on this information, we can give you appropriate advice on the desired number of maintenance visits you need per year. Often people underestimate how much the lift is used and therefore do not maintain it often enough. Our technicians will check the number of travels every at maintenance visit and, if necessary, give you advice on adjusting your maintenance contract.

More information about our maintenance here.

A platform lift, or vertical platform lift, is a system that moves a platform from one level to another in a safe and efficient manner. A Cibes platform lift is equipped with a shaft, but can also be installed inside an existing or site-built masonry shaft. The platform moves along the guides and screw and is driven by an electric motor. Lifts of this type can service up to 6 floors and travel up to 20 metres. Our platform lifts have a load capacity from 300 kg up to 1000 kg and come in a wide range of sizes to fit your building.

Platform lifts fall under the European Machine Directive 2006/42/EC and must therefore meet a number of requirements. For example, this kind of lift has a maximum speed of 0.15 m/s. The controls inside lifts with an open platform are also required to be operated by hold-to-run on the European markets (you need to maintain constant pressure on the lift button), while the controls outside the lift are operated by automatic drive (you only need to press the lift button once).

Platform lifts are very popular for several reasons. Some of the main advantages over hydraulic lifts is that no machine room, lift pit nor top machinery is required. As a result, the installation of a platform lift requires minimal structural modifications, saving considerable costs. Our lift solutions are widely applicable and can be installed in homes, warehouses, shops, and duplex flats and are just as suitable for new as for existing buildings.

Cibes Lift Group is one of the world’s most innovative manufacturers of space-saving lifts designed for fast and easy installation, and platform lifts are one of the specialties of our company group. Sales, installation, and maintenance services are provided by a global network of subsidiaries and partners. Find out more about our wide range of lift solutions here.

The way a platform lift works depends on the manufacturer. In the case of Cibes, our platform lifts work with a safe and robust screw and nut drive system. The motor drives the nut to rotate around the screw and depending on the direction makes the lift travel upwards or downwards.

This reliable system enables our lifts to be installed quickly and efficiently without a pit or machine room, so that our lifts fit easily into your home or building without impacting its structure. The screw driven system works with a screw, nut and motor.

In Europe, platform lifts require a ‘hold-to-run’ function, which means you must hold the button of the floor you want to travel to until you’ve reached the floor. In Asia, the ‘hold-to-run’ function isn’t required, and you can travel in a platform lift as you would in a regular lift where you just press the button once instead of holding it.

The short answer is, yes you can install a platform lift outside. Our platform lifts are available in a wide range of models, including a version for outdoor use.

The Cibes Outdoor lift is specially designed for different weather conditions and functions within a temperature span of approximately -10° to +30° Celsius. For more extreme climates, we offer additional options and solutions for temperature control.

If you need a lift but there is no room inside, an outdoor lift is a great option, which also alsi offers you the benefit of linking your indoor to your outdoor living space. Our weatherproof outdoor lift provides easy and comfortable access to all floors. In most cases the external lift is installed against the outer wall. A masonry or concrete shaft can be built to acommodate the lift, but it is not necessary as our lifts are delivered with a ready-made shaft solution.

The outdoor concept is available for platform sizes 1000×1467 and 1100×1467 mm and is therefore wheelchair accessible as standard.

For more information see our outdoor lift.

The speed of a platform lift is 0.15 m/s (metres/second) which is lower than that of conventional lifts that can travel up to several metres per second. Although high speed may be essential for lifts installed in high-rise buildings with 10-30 floors, it is much less important when you only need a lift to service a few floors.

A high-speed lift takes up a lot of room in a building and has a much bigger structural impact than a platform lift. They generally take several weeks or even months to install. Platform lifts, on the other hand, are extremely compact and require very little construction work, given that they only need a minimal pit and headroom. In addition, platform lifts are always delivered with a ready-made shaft so that you do not need to build one.

Why do platform lifts have a lower speed than conventional lifts?

High-speed lifts are regulated by the Lift Directive 2014/33/EC, while platform lifts fall under the Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC and the European Norm EN 81-41. For that reason, platform lifts are classified as machinery, and machinery has a lower maximum speed, although our type of lifts does the same job as conventional lifts and elevators. With high speed comes higher risks and greater strain on the surrounding building structure, which explains why conventional lifts need to be much more cumbersome and bulky than platform lifts.

It is possible to install a platform lift with 2 stops and a rated load of 300-500 kg in as little as 2-3 days. Our bigger platform lifts with a rated load of 1000 kg, and our cabin lifts can be installed within 3-5 days (2-stop lift).

If the lift needs to serve more than 2 floors, the installation time will increase. The higher the lift, the longer it will take to build it, but it never takes a long time to install a platform lift.

Why platform lifts are easy to install

All of our lifts are machine room less and need very little building adaptation, because they have a low pit and require minimal headroom. Most of our lift models also come with a ready-made lift shaft so you do not need to build one unless you want to. If you would like to learn more about our easy installation process, you can read more here.

Installation time of other lifts

Conventional traction or hydraulic lifts often take several weeks, sometimes even months, to install. This is because you need to build a masonry shaft to fit the lift and also make more adjustments to your building, given that conventional lifts generally need a deep pit and a lot of space above the lift to fit the top machinery. Many hydraulic lifts also need to fit a big hydraulic tank next to the lift. Learn more about the installation time of other lifts here.

Absolutely, lifts/elevators are known to be a smart home investment, given that they can increase your property value and make your home more appealing to a larger pool of buyers or tenants. The increase in property value varies depending on the type of lift. Typical accessibility lifts like stairlifts or chair lifts don’t add real estate value like vertical platform lifts or cabin lifts do.

Setting aside monetary value, a home lift can bring a lot of value to your home living and comfort. Lifts can help you with everyday chores and make your home a safer, more comfortable place for everyone you love.

Depending on what country and city you live in, a home modification grant or compensation may be available. Everyone’s situation is different, but sometimes governments issue financial assistance for those who need to install a lift at home for essential mobility reasons.

In Europe, to access EU grants you should apply via the regional or national authorities in the country where you are registered. We recommend that you check with your local authorities to see the possibility of receiving a subsidy for your residential lift.

The cost of a home lift varies by brand, lift model and size, number of floors as well as on your choice of options and accessories. To give you a rough idea, a lift serving 2 floors has a starting price of approximately €20,000. But before you think about the home lift cost, you might want to see what your lift could look like. We offer you the possibility to create your own design with our lift configurator.

What affects the price of your lift?

The price of your domestic lift varies because it depends on your lift specification, for example:

1. The lift model and size
2. Indoor/outdoor installation
3. The number of floors
4. Colours and materials
5. Options and accessories

Why are Cibes lifts less expensive?

Cibes Lift solutions are delivered ready-made and are less expensive than other lifts on the market thanks to our comparatively low installation and construction costs. In addition, Cibes screw-driven lifts require less maintenance than hydraulic or belt-driven lifts.

1. Delivered with a ready-made shaft
2. Fast and easy installation
3. Minimal construction work
4. Low maintenance costs

Read more about the price of our home lifts here.

Our sales representatives will offer you great advice on which lift solution is the best choice for your specific project and needs. We are happy to provide you with a specific lift quotation without any obligation to purchase, Contact us.

There is no single answer to this question, as the price of a platform lift depends on a number of factors and therefore varies from one situation to another. The price depends on the lift model you choose, specifications and installation environment. To give you a rough idea, a lift serving 2 floors may cost anything from 20 000 € – 40 000 €.

If you want to know the price for your specific project, we will always ask you some questions first, such as:

• Will the lift be installed inside or outside?
• Is there enough space on each floor to install the lift, or do adjustments need to be made?
• How much space do you need inside the lift? Does the lift need to accommodate a wheelchair?
• How many floors does it need to service?
• What is the height between the floors and the total travel?
• Do you want additional options, such as automatic door openers or customised colours?

Our experts will advise you on which type of lift is best for you and provide you with a free quotation, no strings attached. Ask for a quote or contact our advisers by telephone.

It is possible to install a platform lift with 2 stops and a rated load of 300-500 kg in as little as 2-3 days. Our bigger platform lifts with a rated load of 1000 kg, and our cabin lifts can be installed within 3-5 days (2-stop lift).

If the lift needs to serve more than 2 floors, the installation time will increase. The higher the lift, the longer it will take to build it, but it never takes a long time to install a platform lift.

Why platform lifts are easy to install

All of our lifts are machine room less and need very little building adaptation, because they have a low pit and require minimal headroom. Most of our lift models also come with a ready-made lift shaft so you do not need to build one unless you want to. If you would like to learn more about our easy installation process, you can read more here.

Installation time of other lifts

Conventional traction or hydraulic lifts often take several weeks, sometimes even months, to install. This is because you need to build a masonry shaft to fit the lift and also make more adjustments to your building, given that conventional lifts generally need a deep pit and a lot of space above the lift to fit the top machinery. Many hydraulic lifts also need to fit a big hydraulic tank next to the lift. Learn more about the installation time of other lifts here.