Country Home Elevator has successfully completed hundreds of projects, and each is special in its own way. Sometimes, though, we are involved in something so cool that it merits extra attention. Such is the case with an elevator installation we recently completed in a Grove, Oklahoma subdivision. The interesting part of this project was not so much the elevator itself, as the way in which the elevator was integrated into the existing structure.

The house in Grove before the project began

Up front, the problem was simple. The owner of the house pictured at right wanted to install an elevator, but had no reasonable footprint within the house where one might go. Installing externally was the only option, but the outside structure needed to be attractive. The homeowner, an interior designer, didn't want the aesthetics of the house ruined by some awkward-looking hoistway stuck onto the wall like a misplaced chimney.

After thinking about it, CHE owner Craig Jones came up with a plan. His idea to use a round tower was inspired by his experience staying in an authentic medieval "keep" while traveling in France. The fact that another home in the same subdivision had a similar, differently-purposed structure on its corner made a great architectural connection. He presented this idea to the homeowner, who immediately saw its potential and agreed for work to begin.

The completed project

The finished structure, completed in cooperation with a local contractor, looks outstanding and greatly enhances the home's appearance. Fitting a rectangular-shaped elevator cab into a rounded hoistway structure was a classic square-peg/round-hole problem, but was overcome through careful planning and framing. The elevator itself is a Symmetry inline gear drive model with three stops - two inside, and one outside in the yard. The exterior stop not only allows people to enter and exit from ground level, but makes it easier for the owner's dogs to get outside from the upstairs. (They do have to be accompanied by a human to operate the elevator, at least for now.)

All in all, this was a very gratifying project both for us and for the homeowner, who now enjoys not only access to an elevator, but also a unique and interesting look for the house.

For more pictures of this project at each stage, see our Oklahoma photo gallery.

This month marks seven years since Country Home Elevator first received Better Business Bureau accreditation, a seal universally recognized to mean the highest standards of professionalism.

Maintaining our A+ rating with the BBB is simply a matter of doing business the way we always have - setting appropriate expectations and treating customers the way we would like to be treated. Our objective is not just to keep people from getting mad. We're out to get them absolutely thrilled with our service and eager to recommend us to others - which they are, and do, regularly.

The result of this approach is that we almost never have anything to resolve with the BBB at all. In 2011, for example, there were zero complaints filed on our listing - not bad, we think, for a large business in the accessibility industry.

We appreciate the work the BBB has done to promote good business practices in an increasingly dangerous marketplace, and look forward to partnering with them for another year and beyond.

Every year in the spring, we enjoy connecting with customers at several home shows in the Ozarks. 2012 promises to be no exception, with the following shows on our schedule for the year:

• January 27-29 - Springfield, MO HBA Home Show
• February 17-19 - Springdale, AR HBA Home Show
• March 8-12 - Tulsa HBA Home Show

At each show, we will as usual be setting up our demo equipment, including a fully assembled elevator cab and an actual hoistway assembly (shown at right). We look forward to seeing you this year!

These fried elevator controls units can cost $5000 to replace.

It happens regularly during the Missouri summer. After a round of severe weather, a homeowner discovers that his elevator has stopped working. Even though the elevator was installed by another company, we come out for service when called. Upon examination, we find that the elevator control unit - a small, modular box that forms the "brain" of the elevator - has been fried by lightning. We then have the unpleasant task of telling the customer that this simple device, less complicated than the most basic home computer, will cost five thousand dollars to replace.

Understandably, most customers want to know why one small replacement part costs a large percentage of what they paid for the whole elevator. The answer is that it's a single-source OEM part. You have to have it, you can only get it from the manufacturer, and the manufacturer knows it. Consequently, they can charge you whatever they like.

Fortunately, not all elevator manufacturers choose to work this way. We recommend and install Symmetry home elevators, which, in addition to numerous other advantages, use open and generally available control units like the one pictured below. Service on these units can usually be done with standard, locally available electrical parts, which means that you don't have to pay - and then wait - for an overpriced black box from the manufacturer.

Symmetry elevator control units use common and easily replaceable parts.

In addition to being easier to repair than other systems, Symmetry control units are also less likely to need such service. This is due to their inherent resistance to electrical surges, the result of a design developed from many years of experience.

Like Country Home Elevator, Symmetry Elevating Solutions is out for the long-term happiness of our customers - which will, in the end, spell business success for all of us.