If you desperately need to update, upgrade or modernize your elevator but can’t afford the shut down in operation that comes with it, you may be putting off this project for that very reason. But safety is at stake, so you can’t put it off forever.
In high rises where there are several elevators taking passengers up and down, shutting down one lift isn’t that much of an inconvenience. But if you have a single-elevator building, this can pose a challenge for any building manager or owner. Sure, you can tell people to take the stairs, but if someone lives on the fourth floor and has mobility issues, this will pose a big problem.
When repairing or upgrading a sole elevator, it obviously can’t be used during the process, plus the city inspector will have to come out and approve it before you can open up operations again.
Here’s how you can upgrade your lift without shutting down operations for extended periods of time, or without inconveniencing your tenants and guests.
Make Concessions
For those tenants who are disabled and use a wheelchair, or those with large dogs that they have to walk several times a day, asking them to take the stairs is either a big inconvenience or downright impossible. If you just have one elevator, what can you do? Well, you can make concessions and work around their schedule. Perhaps you can arrange to do the work in the summer when the tenants in question are on vacation or can make arrangements to stay with family. Perhaps one of your tenants has a summer home they can stay spend some time in. However you can make it easier on them, do it.
For residents who can get up and down the stairs no problem, and there aren’t too many stories to navigate, consider hiring extra staff to assist them in bringing up groceries, luggage, and other cumbersome items. You can even put chairs on each landing with some water bottles next to them in case they want to take a break. Make sure they know you appreciate their sacrifices.
For elderly residents that live on higher floors, offer to do their food shopping or pick up their dry cleaning. Have their mail brought up to their apartment door. Tell them to leave their trash by their door and you will have it brought downstairs as needed. You can even make this a community outreach effort, asking younger, more agile residents of the building to pitch in and help out. Perhaps when one person takes their recycling down each week, they can take their elderly neighbors’ at the same time.
Enforce the Timeline
It’s important to enforce the timeframe set forth by the elevator contractor in their contract. There should be a clause that specifies a timeline and completion date. If not met, penalties can be applied. Delays are inevitable with any type of construction, but make sure your contractor knows you are operating with no elevator and that a quick timeline and adherence to deadlines are crucial.
As you can see, there are ways you can minimize the inevitable disruption that comes with an elevator upgrade in your building. To learn how Mowrey Elevator can help connect you with the right supplies and products for your upgrade, contact us today.