Architects, developers, facilities managers, building owners and operators can overlook the fact that the walls and floors of lifts are not immune to getting damaged.
It can be easy to overlook the need to protect the walls and floors of lifts when planning a project. Architects, developers, facilities managers, building owners and operators can overlook the fact that the walls and floors of lifts are not immune to getting damaged. Yet with the cost of a new commercial lift (or elevator) being anything from £65,000 upwards (excuse the pun!) it can be an expensive mistake to make.
The belief that lift walls and floors won’t get damaged during their 20-year lifetime is wrong on many levels (sorry!). Let’s look at some examples of where a lift (or elevator) can become more susceptible to damage:
Building renovations – many passenger or service lifts get used to transport construction materials to upper floors during any refurbishment or redevelopment work.
Relocations – with apartment living more popular than ever, lifts in apartment buildings frequently get used by removals companies for moving people in and out. The same applies to business premises, where shared office space results in a constant roundabout of businesses moving in and out.
Lifting large objects – car lifts are prone to damage due to the nature of moving a ton of metal around, even at low speeds.
Moving valuable items – it’s not all about protecting the floors and walls, it can be as much about protecting the item being transported. Using the car lift example, protective drapes effectively provide a layer of cotton wool between an expensive vehicle and a metal wall!
Investing in a set of specialist protective drapes for the inside walls of a lift is both economically sound and prudent. A new £65,000 lift with a projected life span of 20 years, simply put, equates to an annual capital cost of £3250 excluding maintenance. A set of protective drapes from Kapok 88 would average £650, that’s £32.50 a year to protect a £3250 a year investment. Or, in the car scenario, £32.50 to help prevent a very expensive insurance claim!
The water repellent and flame-proof drapes from Kapok 88 are manufactured from woven polyester fabric. The shielding layer (which we call ‘Bashability’) absorbs impact when moving things in and out of a lift, therefore avoiding bumps, dents and scratches. The drapes are fire retardant certified to BS.5867 and can either be made to order or standard kits are available. Kapok 88 protective curtains are available in a range of colours and can be branded if so required.
Kapok 88 lift drapes are designed and manufactured for years of use. They can be put up and taken down very easily and as required. As Kapok 88’s expertise is in creating custom-made drapes the company undertakes a full site survey if the project is in England, Scotland or Wales (if outside Britain, the site survey is undertaken by an approved Kapok 88 distributor), manufactures the curtains and supplies easy to use fixings that suit the particular lift.
So, to keep a lift looking at its best and to help protect its expensive electronics, a small investment in some ‘Bashability’ is a must.
