Along with technical specifications, expectations for car comfort and appearance rise every year. Finishes are chosen individually for each project: what looks good in a business centre quickly loses its looks in the entrance hall of a residential block.
Wall materials
| Material | Best suited for |
|---|---|
| Brushed stainless steel | Residential buildings, hospitals, high-traffic sites - the most resistant to scratches and vandalism |
| Mirror-polished stainless steel | Hotels, business centres - makes the car look larger, but fingerprints show |
| Coloured stainless steel (bronze, gold, graphite) | Prestige buildings where the lift has to complement the interior |
| Laminated MDF panels | Offices and business-class housing - a wide choice of colours, lower cost |
| Toughened glass | Panoramic cars and atriums |
| Natural wood, artificial stone | Private houses, premium projects |
Flooring
- Porcelain stoneware or natural stone - the most durable, but they add weight to the car.
- Vandal-resistant PVC flooring - practical for residential buildings and easy to replace.
- Chequer-plate stainless steel - for goods lifts and dumbwaiters.
Lighting
LED lighting is now the standard: it uses less energy and does not need frequent lamp replacement. Perimeter lighting around the ceiling or along the walls makes the car look larger - a technique that works well in narrow 400-630 kg cars.
Doors and car operating panel
- Automatic sliding doors - the standard for passenger lifts.
- A full-height car operating panel looks more modern than a compact one, but costs more.
- Buttons with tactile markings and Braille are required in buildings with accessibility requirements.
- A display showing the floor and direction of travel - in the car and on the landings.
How to choose
A practical rule: the heavier the traffic and the less supervision the car gets, the simpler and tougher the finishes should be. In the entrance hall of a residential block, brushed stainless steel with PVC flooring will last longer and cost less to maintain than mirror panels that show every touch.