Frequently Asked Questions

Most stair lifts in the folded position will take up no more than 14" on your stairs.  This means that you and your family can still walk up and down the stairs whenever you want to.

The stair lift is attached to the treads that you walk on - not the wall.  If the stairs will support you when you walk up them, Jonathan's Son, Inc. can install a stairlift that will carry you up and down the stairs.

Yes.  The stair lift mounts to the treads that you walk on - not the wall or railing.  Jonathan's Son, Inc.  can install a stair lift on ANY staircase you have no matter how it is configured.

The answer to this will depend on what type of stairlift Jonathans' Son Inc. installs for you.  Most of the stairlifts we install are battery operated and will continue to work, even when the power goes out.  We do have stairlifts that run off of 110 volt electricity and do require power for them to work.  We would be glad to discuss your options with you on a site visit.

This will depends on the size of the lifting platform you need as well as if it is open or enclosed.  Lift foot prints start at 48" x 50" and get  larger from there.

For a residential lift at your home, a permit is not required.  For commercial installations local permits are often required. In addition an inspection is required by the State of California.  All commercial installations must be installed by a licensed C11 contracting company with conveyance mechanics completing the work.

They can lift up to 750 pounds.

Yes.  The State of California limits the travel of a lift to 144" or 12'

The standard lift starts at 440 pounds for a Guldmann GH2 or 550 pounds for the GH2HD.  The GH3 can lift as much as 660 - 1100 pounds depending on how it is configured

Yes. Our most common two room lift is to pick someone up from their bed and lower them into the bath tub or on to the toilet. We can do this with a single track that goes through the door or with track in both rooms and a motor that can be moved from one track to the other.

Yes.  We would need to get written permission from your manager. We have installed the Guldmann Overhead lift in many apartments and rented homes. When it is time to move, the system can quickly be taken down and re-configured for your new home. The 3/8" holes can quickly be filled and ready for paint.

Yes, the electric strike plate releases the door latch, allowing you to automatically open the door while it is locked.

The delay time after opening is user adjustable from 5-50 seconds.

When the door hits an obstruction while opening or closing, it will pause for several seconds (the same time period as the door hold open time), then try again to close. It will repeat this action until the obstruction is removed.

Usually no. Open Sesame will work with most doors. The important point is that the door must be neutral in it's movement - aligned and hung properly, and not warped. In addition, there must be no rubbing or binding of the door in the frame when closing.

No, you can use your existing lockset and keys. But we recommend that you have the type of lockset with an inside handle that can be turned while the door is locked. This will prevent the door from accidentally being left unlocked when someone manually opens the door to leave.

The electric strike supplied is a high quality, commercial grade strike. It is very safe and secure, and is rated at 2400 pounds static strength.

No. The Open Sesame door operator has an internal 12vdc lead acid battery, that will operate the unit for a day under loss of power. The battery is kept constantly charged while the power is on.
 

Yes, the door operates normally when manually used.
 

This depends on the size of the car you need as well at the lifting equipment.  For a 3' x 4' car  the inside of the shaft starts at 53" x55".  Some units would also require room for a machine room although we now have some very nice units do not require a macnine room.

700 pounds is the minimum.  Your unit can be designed to lift more if necessary.

Most home elevators can accomodate enter/exits on up to three sides.

Pricing for Residential elevators start in low to mid $20,000.  This assumes that you have a shaft in place with door access to the floors you would like to access. The type of elevator you choose and will as the interior finishes you would like and the number of floors being served are the key decisions that effect the price of your new elevator.