​Is it possible to install a ceiling hoist in my home?

We get asked this question by a lot of clients. Some people have been told that there is no way that a ceiling hoist can be installed in their home.

It has been our experience that we can always find a way to give you the benefits of a ceiling hoist in the most difficult of installation scenarios.

The best way to find this out is to have one of our ceiling hoist team come out and do a free appraisal and quote. However if you want to get a bit of an idea if a ceiling hoist is going to work for you then we have a few questions that we ask that will quickly allow us to work out what is possible for you .

What do we need to look at.

1)What type of transfer are you looking to do?

We really need to understand the transfer you want to do as this will dictate the size and type of ceiling hoist to be considered.

The transfer that most people look to solve first is that from the bed to a chair/wheelchair/mobile commode. This can generally be achieved with a 3 Metre rail over the bed.

Some people want to be able to be transferred directly from bed to an ensuite. This presents the challenge of getting thru the doorway.

Another transfer that we get asked to do frequently is from wheelchair to day chair in a lounge room or sitting room. Again, easily achieved by the use of a 3m rail.

2)Is the house a single story or a double story house?

If it is a 2 storey house then we need to know if the ceiling hoist will be upstairs or downstairs. In either case this will have implications as to what method we use to do the installation.

This leads on to our next major question.

3) What type of roof is on the house?

A ceiling hoist installation can be very difficult or very easy depending on what type of roof is on the house and how good the access to the ceiling space is.

These are the main roof types that we see in Australia. It is possible to install a ceiling hoist with all of these types of roofs.

4) What material is the roof structural support made from?

We need to anchor the supports for your ceiling hoist to the structure of the roof. To do this we need to know what that structure is made from. Is it timber? Steel? Concrete?.

If we know these things this can help us to determine the best method to use for installation.

5) If the roof/ceiling is not strong enough or it has poor access what are the walls made from?

If, for whatever reason, it is deemed inappropriate to install a ceiling hoist directly on to the ceiling we can look at supporting the rails from the walls of the room. This is a very good method for rooms that have masonry walls.this scenario we use the Molift wall mounted brackets and span the whole room with the rail.

6) How strong is the floor?

Ok. In the situation that neither the roof or the walls are strong enough to support a ceiling hoist we can still go ahead and install a system using the Molift upright supports combined with Wall support brackets This allows for all of the load from the system to be transferred in to the floor .

7) What happens if none of the above is suitable?

If your situation does not allow for the installation of a ceiling hoist. You may be renting a property or in temporary accommodation and are unable to install a ceiling hoist permanently . This doesn’t stop you from getting the benefit of a ceiling hoist.

You can still use one of our Molift Gantry systems. These systems have there own self supporting telescopic legs allowing them to be erected in a matter of minutes. They can be dismantled and moved when you need to move and they give you pretty much all of the benefits of a ceiling hoist without requiring any structural changes to the dwelling.

8) What hoist Motor would you use?

The Molift Rail System is compatible with the following hoists:

1. Molift Nomad Ceiling Hoist Motor

2. Molift Air Ceiling Hoist Motor