Outdoor Elevator and Semi-Outdoor Lift – What’s the Difference?

When speaking of outdoor elevator Phnom Penh, an often forgotten distinction is the difference between full outdoor lifts, and semi-outdoor lifts.

Unless you are in the industry, this is an important difference that not a lot of people know. But it can have a strong impact on the pricing of your lift.

The Difference for Outdoor Elevator Phnom Penh Is… Doors.

Simply put, the difference between a full outdoor lift and a semi-outdoor lift is all about the doors. A full outdoor lift has the doors opening on the outdoor. It requires some sort of canopy to protect them, like the lift below:

A Semi-Outdoor Home Lift, meanwhile, has the shaft outside of the house, while the doors are inside. Essentially, while the lift may be outside of the house, a person traveling in it will never be outdoors. For example:

Why Does This Matter? Price!

This distinction may seem very small, but actually has a very big impact on the lift. This is because it is relatively easy to waterproof a shaft. But waterproofing the doors (a part that is designed to constantly open and close) is much more difficult.

Not all companies are the same. Cibes Lift, for example, provides waterproof doors thanks to their aluminum material that cannot rust. Furthermore, their door canopies are essential in South East Asia due to the quantity of water that hits the lift. Moreover, this means that the call button (known in the industry as the LOP) cannot be a touchscreen. These are easily damaged by water. Instead, your lift supplier will likely offer a waterproof button, which will not look as nice.

Multiply this cost by the number of outdoor stops, and you can quickly see why full outdoor home lifts can easily become much more expensive than semi-outdoor ones.

Other Considerations for Outdoor Elevator in Phnom Penh

It happens often: the lift company says their lift is fully outdoor-compatible, but then recommends to build a roof to cover the lift anyway.

“If it is fully compatible, why the extra roof?”

The answer is simple: while cars may be outdoor compatible, if you have a garage, it is still recommended to park them there overnight. This additional protection from the elements will increase the longevity of your lift, and make maintenances easier. In fact, depending on how closely you build your additional roof, you might not need the lift-provided outdoor roof at all. This can significantly reduce the cost!

For example, this lift requires no outdoor roof at all, as the lift was built all the way to the cover.

So, Which One to Choose?

Generally, clients always prefer the semi-outdoor option. This protects them from rain in all situations. It also grants all the advantages of the outdoor lift: a glass view on all surroundings, and a wonderful way to save space by using up no area inside the house.

Not to mention, it’s cheaper than full outdoor!