How to Choose the Best Car Lift Size: Key Factors to Consider
News 11/22/2024
Well, if you ever been to a big building or even a fancy house, you’ve probably seen one o’ them car lifts. You know, them things that carry cars up and down. They ain’t just for fancy folk neither, sometimes folks use ‘em when they got a garage downstairs and need to move the car upstairs or somethin’ like that. But, let me tell you, the size o’ the car lift matters a lot, dependin’ on where you put it and what you’re usin’ it for.
Now, car lifts ain’t all the same size, no sir. The size o’ them lifts can change dependin’ on what you need. Some lifts is small, just big enough for a regular car, while others can be real big, big enough to carry a truck or somethin’. The basic size for a car lift is usually around 12 feet wide and anywhere between 24 feet to 36 feet long. That’s the minimum size, mind you. Some lifts might be bigger than that, dependin’ on how big your car is or what kinda load you’re plannin’ to carry.
In some big buildings, you’ll see car lifts that are a lot bigger than that, cause they might need to move more cars or heavier stuff. But even in them big fancy buildings, there’s still some standard measurements folks tend to go by. The minimum width o’ the lift is 12 feet, and they like to have a minimum ceiling height o’ 12 to 13 feet. That’s just so the lift can have enough room to move up and down properly, without any problems.
Now, when you’re puttin’ in a car lift, you can’t forget the concrete. Yup, that’s right, the concrete foundation gotta be thick enough to hold the weight of the lift and whatever car or thing you’re liftin’. Usually, they need at least 6 inches o’ concrete, sometimes more, dependin’ on how heavy the lift’s gonna be. If the concrete ain’t thick enough, you might end up with cracks or worse, the whole thing could collapse!
It ain’t just about the width and length, though. You also gotta think about the lift’s depth. For a regular residential lift, the standard depth is usually about 4 feet. But, if you’re buildin’ a lift that needs to follow certain standards, like the ADA, then the lift’s gotta be deeper. For them, the depth has to be at least 51 inches, and the width gotta be at least 68 inches. That’s for folks who might be in a wheelchair or need a bit more room to get in and out o’ the car lift.
If you ask me, though, the most important thing is gettin’ the right size for what you need it for. Some people might need a lift just for a small car, while others might be movin’ around bigger vehicles. That’s where it’s real important to get it measured right, or else you might be wastin’ money on somethin’ too big or too small for your needs. And let me tell ya, that ain’t somethin’ you want to find out the hard way.
So if you’re thinkin’ about puttin’ in a car lift, make sure you take into account how big you want the lift, what you’re goin’ to use it for, and how much room you got to work with. You don’t want to end up with a lift that don’t fit or one that can’t carry the load you need it to. And remember, even though a car lift might seem like somethin’ simple, there’s a whole lotta details that go into makin’ sure it works right. You gotta get the size and space right, or else it could cost you in the long run.
So, if you want to be real smart about it, you should work with a good planner or architect to make sure you’re gettin’ the right size for your lift. They got all sorts of fancy tools and calculators now that can help you figure out the best fit. Don’t just go pickin’ any ol’ lift off the shelf without thinkin’ it through, cause that’s how you end up with trouble later on down the road.
Tags:[car lift, car lift size, residential car lift, lift dimensions, elevator planning, ADA compliant lift]