Author: spacelift

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dumbwaiter for food shown, the SpaceLift attic storage lift is like a dumbwaiter for your attic

It has a funny name. But the dumbwaiter represents an important invention of convenience for homes and businesses. There are actually two types of dumbwaiters of different configuration but similar purpose. Both take their name from the same attribute.

Have you ever wondered how dumbwaiters got their unique name? Tracing its exact origin is difficult. But the concept is widely agreed upon. “The small car performed services in restaurants, allowing the noise and odor of cooking to be isolated from the patrons. No doubt, this was where the silent servant earned the name ‘dumb waiter’! The mini-lift may have been silent but it did not remain dumb,” from the Elevator Museum website.

First the dumbwaiter acted as a silent, inanimate cart acting as a stand-in for an actual member of staff. These days we just call those kitchen or serving carts. Nowadays, we associate dumbwaiter with a mini freight elevator. Dumbwaiters today carry food still in restaurants and upscale homes. You’ll find them in factories and shops moving storage items, dry goods and valuables. One even carries automobiles. And now there’s a dumbwaiter you can install in your home to lift storage items in and out of your home or garage attic.

Dumbwaiter History to Present

Thomas Jefferson used the “silent cart” kind of dumbwaiter during his presidency. He favored them for both his Virginia home and the White House. “These ‘dumbwaiters’ were small tables, equipped with shelves placed at varying heights. Some might hold salads and wine; others would accommodate cutlery and serving utensils. Servants brought in hot food, but did not remain in the room during the meal. Conversation could flow freely, without the possibility that workers might overhear sensitive information and repeat it outside the White House,” from White House History website.

In America, the first elevator type dumbwaiter was hand powered. It used a lifting mechanism comprised of pulleys and weights. According to the United States Patent Office, inventor George W. Cannon of New York City was first. He applied for a unique brake system patent for a dumbwaiter elevator in 1883. Four years later he applied for the patent on a mechanical lifting dumbwaiter. Patents for dumbwaiters are still issued today. Two U.S. patents protect the SpaceLift™ attic lift. It is a dumbwaiter for moving storage items between floors in homes and businesses. It uses electrical power and computer controls. But the basic purpose is still the same.

Dumbwaiter for Items, Not People

As a silent waiter, food and drinks are to this day whisked from kitchen to floors above. They save the manual labor of climbing stairs to deliver the goods. Dumbwaiters provide a simple, space-efficient alternative to carrying items between floors. Unlike elevators, “distinguishing the dumbwaiter was its inability to handle a passenger – no control ever existed in the car,” from the Elevator Museum website.

The White House now has a series of dumbwaiters. They connect the kitchen to various dining rooms. A dumbwaiter connecting the main kitchen to a smaller kitchen in the residence was featured in the 2013 movie “Whitehouse Down.” The president escaped bad guys by shimmying down the dumbwaiter shaft hidden inside the walls.

Dumbwaiter for More Than Food

Dumbwaiters move more than food. Banks use dumbwaiters to move currency, gold bars and valuables securely between floors. Retail stores of all sorts use dumbwaiters to move goods between storage and the sales floor. People install lifts in their homes for transport of food, yes, but also storage, laundry and more.

One SpaceLift attic lift customer uses our dumbwaiter in its model rocketry store. “We usually try to be careful not to reveal any ‘trade secrets,’ but here is an exception,” says the owner of Jon Rocket. “Our office is located in a loft. So, we are often moving products and packages up and down between floors. A few years ago we installed an “attic lift” from Spacelift which works like an elevator or powered dumbwaiter. Not only does it make it easier and quicker to move things between the floors, it makes it much safer than trying to carry things while going up or down stairs.”

Another SpaceLift attic lift customer uses our dumbwaiter in its commercial kitchen. Connie Sun at Tiny Drumsticks says, “We’re so delighted with your Spacelift! The lift has allowed us to provide a machine that has made our tenant’s lives easier. They’re happy, so we’re even happier. Not only does the lift work well, your customer service is even better! Incredibly friendly and very accommodating staff. We sincerely appreciate and rarely come across better service! Thank you so much!”

Dumbwaiter for Your Home?

Another customer installed his dumbwaiter to move a hot water heater into his attic when the old one didn’t work. Another stores a large portable table saw in his attic. Little used but valuable, it is impossible to haul up a ladder. Other customers move a whole artificial Christmas tree in and out of attic storage. Read more on the Testimonials Page.

Storage lifts are an increasingly popular type of dumbwaiter for home use. Having easier access to storage helps you claim more storage space thereby reducing clutter in your living space. Storage lifts are like mini freight elevators. They make it easy to carry storage items between floors in homes and garages. Rather than trying to carry boxes and storage containers up the attic stairs, a dumbwaiter like the SpaceLift attic lift carries the heavy load up and down with an electric motor.

A smart dumbwaiter, the SpaceLift has computer controls for safety features like object detection that automatically stops the lift if it encounters any obstruction. Smart weight detection stops the attic lift from operating if it exceeds the 200-pound weight limit. You can see a video of it in action on our website.

Dumbwaiter for Cars?

Today dumbwaiters serve commercial kitchens, restaurants, hotels, nursing homes, schools, retail establishments and private homes. The automobile vending machine introduced in March 2018 by Alibaba and Ford in Guangzhou, China relies upon a dumbwaiter, albeit a rather sophisticated one. Carvana now sells used cars online. They can deliver, or if you live near one, you can use their car vending machines.

Still silent servants, dumbwaiters are getting smarter all the time.

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When it comes to choosing a storage container for attic use, there are literally hundreds of containers, totes, footlockers, bins, boxes, baskets and bags. How do you know which ones are best for attic storage? Just as importantly, how do you get them up into your attic?

Attic storage has unique characteristics. You will want to first consider some of the following before you head off to Home Depot, Lowes, Target or Wal-Mart or start clicking on Amazon to buy storage containers.

First, head up the attic stairs or ladder and take a fresh look at your attic space with storage bins in mind. Bring along a tape measure and notepad. Your goal is to make a plan of what you want to store where and then match your needs to the panoply of storage containers on the market. Remember this is all about convenience, your convenience. Some of the following considerations affect the types and sizes of containers you’ll want to buy for each of the different storage spots in your attic.

Attic Flooring

Do you have an attic flooring system over part or all of the attic space? Sturdy bins can span between the attic floor joists, but if you slip as you’re moving them around, even a moderately heavy bin could crack or even break through the garage or home ceiling on the other side of that unprotected space between the floor joists. If you are going to span the floor joists you’ll need a storage container long enough with some overhang. So measure and note the distance between joists.

Moving bins by carrying or sliding them around your attic is easier if you have at least some flooring space for staging. More flooring makes moving the bins easier. If you have sturdy attic flooring, many of the bigger bins and footlockers have wheels and handles built into them. You can load these heavy and roll them into place. If you have only partial or minimal attic flooring, think about the weight of your loaded storage containers. How will you need to carry them to their resting place? Are you sliding them or carrying them, perhaps hunched over? Sometimes using more and smaller containers makes storage easier than fewer and larger containers. Will you need totes with handles built in to make them easier to carry?

Attic Ceilings

Now that you considered the floor, take a look at your attic ceiling or the house roof. Height is an important limiter of your available storage space. In most attics the roof angles upwards from the sides. Planning ahead lets you maximize the available vertical space.

For example, you can maximize storage space with bins of different heights; lower ones tuck in closer to the eaves while taller ones or stackable containers fit better toward the center. Measure the different heights from floor to ceiling. Later you’ll divide these measurements by the heights of the storage containers you purchase. Some containers are made for stacking. But the problem with stacking bins is that you have to pull out the whole stack to access items. An alternative is to build some inexpensive shelving.

Another height consideration is how much space you have between the container top and attic ceiling. Some containers have lids on hinges and you’ll need extra space so the hinged lid can open upwards if you want to access or view the storage items. Otherwise you’ll find yourself constantly pulling out containers to open and examine the contents, then pushing them back into place. For containers kept tight to the attic ceiling, consider types with flat lids that snap off.

Do you have rafters, an attic truss system, or some combination? You’ll want to measure the space between trusses. Then purchase storage containers that easily move around the trusses. Maximize available storage space by purchasing bins that fit neatly into the space between trusses.

plastic storage containers stored between attic trusses

Attic Storage Items

Make a list of the items you want to store in your attic. Your list will come in handy when you make your storage plan and catalog. With your list of items or types of items you can then match your needs to the types of bins available. There is a type of storage container for most every item. You’ll end up with a list of bins of varying sizes and types. These can then be mapped to your attic measurements for an efficient system.

Some items you may want to store in small, six-quart sized boxes while other items may be better suited to a 169-quart tote. Combinations work too. You may want to store a variety of shoes or holiday decorations in smaller containers to keep them organized, but then put all these small containers of like items into a big tote.

Plastic storage containers are available in a wide range of prices and quality. You can save money by purchasing lower cost bins for storage items that will not be accessed very often. Purchase higher quality bins when you expect to handle or move them around a lot. Generally it is in the handling where quality issues like the strength of the bin, the roller wheels, clasps and handles become more apparent.

Weight of the bin contents is also an important strength consideration. Capacity of your SpaceLift attic lift is up to 200 pounds. You probably do not want to have that much weight in a single plastic storage container, not only for the strength of the plastic, but for your convenience in moving the container around the attic. You can stack containers high on your SpaceLift attic lift and if you’ve stacked too much weight it will let you know.

Where possible, we prefer clear plastic storage containers because it is easy to see what’s inside. Even with clear bins, but especially with opaque ones, be sure to label. You think you’ll remember, but you won’t. A labeling system saves you hours of opening and closing containers searching for a particular item. Want to take it a step further? Make a list and maybe even a map of your storage items and containers and keep it on a clipboard at the attic entrance.

Storage Container Considerations

Okay. You have your list of storage items. You have your map of attic space. Now you can match the size and type of storage containers to the items and space available.

Now you’re ready to go shopping in person or on the internet. The Spruce offers this blog post, “The 6 Best Plastic Storage Bins to Buy in 2021.” They cover a broad range of container sizes and types.

three plastic storage bins stacked on SpaceLift attic lift
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You may not think of it this way. But one of the best ways to do a thorough spring cleaning is to start in your attic. Spring cleaning includes refreshing your living space. Moving items into storage opens up more living space. It can remove clutter and help you better organize. For most homeowners that means trips to the attic or basement. And that’s why first addressing your storage space is the secret to successful spring cleaning for your living space.

A clean attic lets you to put your great attic storage ideas into action. The attic is the perfect space for seasonal storage of items like holiday decorations and summer sports equipment. It’s great for long-term storage for little used but important items like tax records, family memorabilia and future hand-me-downs like baby clothes. Convenient access is key to making storage work.

In addition to making room for more storage, clean attics equal healthy homes. Consider that attic allergens and irritants seep into your living area through ceiling hatches, doors, recessed lights, heating and cooling systems. Irritants such as dust, dander and mold can wreak havoc for allergy sufferers. They could irritate your family’s lungs. From the time of its invention, spring cleaning includes thorough dusting and sweeping.

1. Remove all items

Take all boxes, furniture and other items out of the attic before starting to clean. If some items are too difficult to move out of the attic, pile them in one corner. Cover them while you clean the remaining space. Spring cleaning is a once-a-year opportunity cleaning areas rarely reached by your vacuum. Same as in your living space.

Having an attic lift makes the physical labor of moving items in and out of the attic much easier. Our lift is one of the best, SpaceLift™ attic lift. An attic lift is like a mini freight elevator. It transports items so you don’t have to lug them up and down the attic stairs or ladder. It’s like a dumbwaiter for your storage items. Storage lifts are popular moving items between home living and storage spaces. They work for attics and basements.

2. Spring cleaning tips

The following spring cleaning tips apply equally well for attics, basements and living spaces. Before beginning the process of cleaning or moving items consider a dust mask. It’s especially important if you are allergic. Where possible open a window or vent to circulate air. Replacing that stuffy winter air with outdoors fresh air is always welcome. And it is a big reason spring cleaning waits for warmer days.

San Francisco Gate published an article “How to Clean an Attic Space”. You find it full of tips and ideas to keep in mind when tackling the task of cleaning your attic. The article suggests dusting with an electrostatically charged feather duster. Wipe wooden beams, walls, baseboards and window frames to collect dust and dirt. After dusting, sweep the floors, corners, cracks and crevices with a vacuum cleaner. Vacuuming rids your space of dead insects, dust mites, dander and potential allergens.

3. De-clutter your space

While you are moving items during cleaning. Now is a good time to assess what you put into storage over the last year or years. Do you still have use for it? Did you forget about it entirely? Would someone else be able to make better use of it? Evaluate whether to throw away, donate or keep items. Do this before reorganizing your storage space. You’ll have less to organize. Clutter is not limited to trash and useless items. Clutter can be anything.

Home Storage Solutions suggests a list of five guidelines to use in determining if items are clutter. Get ready to make difficult decisions you may have been putting off for a while. Not wanting to make the decision could be why you stashed these items away in your attic to begin with. At SpaceLift we are all in favor of you keeping the stuff you want. Even so, those “wants” are worth reevaluating from time to time. Spring cleaning makes the perfect excuse.

4. Categorize storage items

Once you’ve gotten rid of clutter, the next step is to clean items going back into storage. Dust all furnishings, containers and boxes. Clean the corner where they were temporarily placed. Finally, reorganize remaining items. Retrieving items in the future is far easier from an organized storage space. “Categorize all the items you wish to store in your attic and divide them into groups. For example, holiday decorations, family heirlooms, out of season clothes, old baby clothes, etc.,” said Jane Blanchard in an article on Modernize.com.

Place items you will not frequently need toward the back of the attic. Organize stuff you might need more often near the door for easy access. If you have miscellaneous loose items, use a clear storage bin to keep them together and create more room. As you categorize, keep in mind new items you may want to move into storage. Chances are you’ll uncover more storage needs during your downstairs spring cleaning.

label storage bins for attic storage

You don’t think you’ll forget, but you will. Label boxes, storage bins and containers as part of your storage organization ritual. This is good for spring cleaning and any other time!

5. Storage Ideas

For larger attics, it’s a good idea to invest in such storage solutions as shelving and large clear plastic bins. This article explores what storage containers are best for attic storage. The website, Do It Yourself, offers three tips for storage solutions. Work with what’s already in your attic. Use exposed wood frames to support shelves made from wood. It’s your attic. So any wood will do, even cheap plywood. Freestanding shelves can be made out of any cheap, strong wood and L-brackets. Alternately, just purchase utility shelving. Stackable containers are perhaps the easiest way to add space. Clear bins allow you to view what’s inside without moving them to open. Before buying plastic storage containers, check out the list compiled by The Spruce of the six best to buy in 2021.

Start the process of claiming more living space in your home this spring by cleaning and reorganizing storage items. A SpaceLift™ attic lift makes this tedious task less labor intensive. It makes attic storage enjoyable for the whole family, and for years to come. SpaceLift lifts feature computerized smart controls with built-in safety features. It has no restriction on how high you can stack items. Its low profile base makes loading and unloading easy. The lift carries up to 200 pounds and 24 cubic feet of cargo per trip. Transferring items to the attic and back down takes the push of a button. Travel time is three inches per second. It installs between attic floor joists. Installation is easy requiring basic carpentry skills. Many SpaceLift attic lifts are installed as DIY, do-it-yourself, projects. We can also recommend local installers if you want to go that route. Just contact us!

https://cleancrawls.com/clean-declutter-attic-7-simple-steps/

https://www.doityourself.com/stry/3-storage-shelf-ideas-for-your-attic

http://homeguides.sfgate.com/clean-attic-space-25834.html

https://www.home-storage-solutions-101.com/clutter-buster.html

https://modernize.com/homeowner-resources/other/attic-storage-101

https://www.thespruce.com/best-plastic-storage-bins-4154995

A Spring Cleaning Checklist to Increase Your Overall Productivity
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Increasing your home value is usually a key consideration when choosing home improvements. Some rennovations can also help your home sell more quickly when the time comes. However you should also think about how a renovation can improve your life. Think how a remodel will improve your comfort, convenience and joy. These additions improve your overall quality of life without breaking the bank. We built our list around the average U.S. income tax refund, which in 2021 was $2,983 according to the IRS.

Bathrooms remodels are best home improvements

According to real estate database company Zillow, a mid-range bathroom remodel costs around $3,000. And they say it is one of the easiest ways to increase the value of your home. Upgrades can return $1.71 in home value for every $1 spent. For example, are your toilet and faucets dated? New light fixtures make a dramatic difference. Switch to a pedestal sink or stone countertop with double sinks. Upgrading to a frameless shower costs between $1,200 and $2,500. But it resulted in overall sold value increase of five percent above expected value. Plus, it led to a sale 38 days sooner, according to Zillow keyword research.

The life-changing value of a nicer bathroom goes unsaid. Even so, there are simple amenities worth considering. For example, a multi-function shower head costs very little. Think about next winter with heated towel bars. Or maybe dream of a heated floor. This is the most expensive of the home improvements recommended here. But how much time do you spend in your bathroom?

Kitchen updates range from simple to complex

Kitchens are one of the more critical selling features in homes these days. Plus, they have become the center of family activity. This makes them a major decorating point of difference in any house. A dated kitchen can be a home sale downer. Fortunately, you can give your kitchen a trendy makeover for not much money. Resurfacing cabinets is a job you can hire or do yourself. Or, just changing out the hardware makes a big difference. Adding subway tile or redoing the backsplash updates the look in a weekend. Often a good cleaning and a no-hands faucet make your sink like new.

Depending upon the size of your kitchen, these home improvements fit within our tax deduction investment. For life value you’ll soon appreciate how much time you spend in your kitchen when you update its look. How did we live with that old faucet all these years?

Fung shui your closet

Is your closet a nightmare? Do you constantly have to reorganize so you can fit all your clothes inside? A closet makeover might be the right step for you! We use our closets daily. That much traffic trying to choose outfits can cause chaos. Simple fixes abound. Start by organizing. Most people only wear 20 percent of the items in their closet. This according to a California Closets designer. You’ll love him in this Wall Street Journal article, “A Closet Filled with Regrets.” There are simple solutions. Install shelving to organize smaller items. A dedicated shoe rack minimizes time spent hunting for a matching pair. Organizers range from simple inserts you buy and install yourself to custom closets with built-ins galore. Closet remodels run from $1,000 to $3,000 for materials and installation, according to Home and Garden TV.

Number and size of closets are a big determining factor for your home value. Imagine a potential homebuyer looking into your closet. You also get immediate life value too. Mornings are stressful enough; having an organized closet is one way to start your day on a positive note. It’s one of our favorite home improvements.

Better Yet, “Clone” Your Closet

There’s also a cool idea to “Clone Your Closet“. It uses a SpaceLift attic storage lift and portable wardrobe. First, load portable wardrobe with off-season clothes. Second, load the whole wardrobe, standing up, on the SpaceLift platform. Third, push a button and the SpaceLift whisks the whole wardrobe up into your attic. Finally, roll off the lift and onto your attic floor.

Upgrade home and garage attic storage

Most of us face a conundrum: do we have too much stuff or not enough space? Reducing clutter is a goal for many homeowners. Being better organized creates more living space. Of course, your home shows better to prospective buyers if it is neat and orderly. Improving storage space in your home or garage attic is a fairly inexpensive option. Especially compared to others on our list of home improvements. Consider that it is a permanent enhancement. Plus, it costs far less cost than hauling your stuff to a storage facility and paying a monthly fee. Also, because home storage is more convenient, you’re likely to use it more too. (Here’s a blog post “Do the Self Storage Math.”)

If you don’t have one, you’ll need a floor. An attic flooring system can range from simple plywood to finished floors. There’s also an attic decking solution, Attic Deck by Metro Products. Snap-in panels are lightweight. They come in widths to match most attic floor joists. You can buy them direct or at Amazon, Home Depot, etc.

Next, easy attic access is key. Carrying storage bins, boxes, Christmas and Halloween decorations, et cetera up and down the attic ladder or stairs is a pain, even dangerous.

Attic Lifts make storage home improvements easy

These motorized platforms carry storage items between floors. SpaceLift Products makes a lift with computer controlled smart safety features. It has no restriction on how high you can stack items. Plus its low profile base makes loading and unloading easy. It carries up to 200 pounds and 24 cubic feet of cargo per trip. Transferring items to the attic and back down takes the push of a button. It travels smoothly at three inches per second.

SpaceLift attic lifts fit between attic floor joists. Installation is easy requiring basic carpentry skills. Many are DIY projects. Alternately, you can pay a bit more for installation. Most any handyman or remodeling contractor can do it. SpaceLift makes two models selling for $1,895 and $1,995. This includes free shipping and a two-year factory warranty. For prospective homebuyers, an attic lift is a unique solution to a vexing problem. You should also know it makes your home stand out from the crowd. And for adding value to your life? New York Times Bestselling Author Marie Kondo titled her book, “The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up.” ‘Nuff said?

Installing a SpaceLift attic storage lift in the attic one of the popular home improvements

Consider an outdoor fire pit

Fire pits offer different pleasures in every season. Something primordial in us all makes gathering around the fire a special pleasure. In summer months the pit is a perfect place to roast marshmallows. Eat them right off the stick. Or build lots of gooey s’mores! The fire’s warmth makes your backyard the perfect place to relax. Chase away evening chills of fall and spring. It’s a great place to hang out with a hot chocolate on a snowy winter afternoon.

Fire pits run from $40 to $5,000. At the low end, $40 gets you a simple, transportable iron bowl you sit on the ground. You can pick one up at Home Depot, Lowes or TruValue. Or go cowboy sheik with a galvanized, made-in-America Behrens tub. Drill some holes in it for air to feed your fire. At the high end, for $1,400 to $5,000 you get a professionally installed stone pit or outdoor fireplace. Feed your fire pit real wood or opt for a gas or propane fueled model.

These are among the most popular outdoor living features, according to The Spruce. It is another unique amenity that makes your home more distinctive with prospective buyers. And it offers many memorable evenings between now and when you sell the house.

Add an outdoor dining area

Having special spaces beyond the walls of your home is exotic and fun. On a beautiful day it’s easy to enjoy the weather by adding an outdoor dining area. This improvement can be as simple or complex as you desire. Your outdoor space can be a table and chairs on the lawn. Or you can build. Some outdoor spaces are like adding an extra room to your house. Dining al fresco has been a hot restaurant trend for years.

A simple 10 by 10 tent costs less than a hundred dollars. To keep out mosquitos there are all variety of popup screen houses. There are all sorts of pavers for patios. Or maybe a wooden deck is your choice. At the higher end, people are building tree houses with electricity and running water.

Backyard office in a screened tent. Come winter the tent, screen, table and chairs all go to the attic to await spring.

A popular trend is creating a seamless transition from your home to your outdoor living space. People are using indoor-appearing furniture on their outdoor patios and decks. Country Living magazine says, “indoor steps outside.” Temporary or permanent screen houses extend the evening. Space heaters extend the season. Home Depot has outdoor furniture sets starting below $500 and going up to $3,500 and more. Designer furniture stores have even more expensive options.

Of course, adding a deck or patio has always added value to your home. Now, making it an outdoor dining and living area adds value to your home and your lifestyle. (Protect your outdoor living investment. Use your attic to store lawn items during the winter. A SpaceLift attic storage lift makes it easy.)

End lawn furniture abuse! A SpaceLift attic storage lift makes it easy to whisk summer furniture into your home or garage attic. Your investment in summer gear is protected. Your summer stuff lasts longer. Your furniture will be happier.

Install a bay window

A bay window is its own magic space. The extra panels of glass create panoramic views and pour extra natural light into the room. Its distinctive architecture becomes a focal point in your home. Exotic windows add curb appeal and memorability. They boost your home’s resale value. Add a cushioned seat and the window becomes a special nook for you. Maybe its a place for your cat to luxuriate in the sun. (Some models add a bit of extra storage under the seat.) The most common rooms for this feature window are bedrooms, home offices and living rooms.

Installation and window unit costs range from $500 to more than $3,000. The range depends upon window size, materials and other factors. Estimates according to Home Advisor. It is the least expensive of the home improvements recommend. Yet it adds a wonderfully dramatic touch.

Sources:

https://www.zillow.com/digs/guides/before-you-sell/investment-to-boost-your-home-value/

https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424127887324240804578415002232186418

https://www.thespruce.com/feng-shui-to-clear-closet-clutter-1274483

http://tidyingup.com

https://www.thespruce.com/design-features-and-elements-for-yards-4105977

http://www.countryliving.com/gardening/g4244/outdoor-decor-trends-2017/

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Bust clutter. Getting rid of clutter would eliminate 40 percent of housework in the average home. It can reduce asthma and allergy triggers, according to The American Cleaning Institute. “For many people the conundrum is: do they have too much stuff or not enough space?” said Dave Berliner, inventor of the SpaceLift attic lift. His invention solves the problem of using your attic for storage by creating easier and safer access. Even the famed clutter buster Marie Kondo says, “The aim of storage is to give every item a home – a designated spot for it to rest and recharge when not in use.”

“Many organization gurus tell you to purge, get rid of your stuff. I disagree. It’s your stuff. There’s likely a good reason you kept it in the first place. Busting clutter may simply be a matter of moving some of your stuff out of your living space and into a convenient storage space,” Berliner said, “This is especially true for seasonal items like decorations, patio furniture, tools and toys. These items ‘spark joy’ in their season. Meanwhile, you protect your investment by keeping them safely stored. Storing them in the attic, not your living space, makes more room for you. It helps you get, and stay, organized.”

Place for Stuff

WebMD suggests 8 common clutter “hot spots” you should address.

  • 1 = There’s the entry hall dump. (Here in New England we have mud porches.)
  • 2 = Next is the overstuffed pantry. Better organization helps. Install a back-of-the-door rack.
  • 3 = Then there’s that mail pile. Usually in a public place. You plan to handle that paper. But don’t. And the paper pile seems to grow all on its own. A basket helps keep mail neat. Maybe try paperless bill pay?
  • 4 = Refrigerator door clutter? Not sure we agree with this one WebMD. It’s is your personal choice. One person’s cluttered refrigerator door is another’s treasured collection.
  • 5 = Certainly on the list is the bathroom counter. All those potions and lotions tend to spread. The Container Store has a variety of clever solutions. Organizers help you go from “sloppy to serene,” the article says.
  • 6 = Garage clutter. Did you know one-in-four homeowners say they can’t fit their car in their own garage? If you have an attic, SpaceLift attic storage lifts offer an elegant solution. A beautiful garage starts with a good storage system.
  • 7 = Junk drawer. Admittedly, some of us love our junk drawers. But it can take forever to find an AAA battery that you just know is in there! There are many excellent drawer organizers. The Spruce rates the 9 best ones.
  • 8 = Kid clutter can be a challenge. Toy boxes help. But only if you use them. This is a great opportunity to teach your children clutter busting.

Bust Clutter with Storage

“Lack of space” was cited as the biggest challenge to improving organization by 32.9 percent of consumers surveyed by NPD Group for HomeWorld Forecast Consumer Survey. “Yet most homes have lots of available storage space in attics above the house and garage. Access is generally the limiting factor,” Berliner said. “Attic ladders or pull-down stairs can be tough to negotiate. They are downright dangerous when carrying storage bins, boxes or other items. There is a risk of falling, or hurting your back, or damaging your items,” he added, “Easy attic access is the key to attic storage solutions.” (Read our blog about Ladder Safety at Home.)

Control Clutter with a SpaceLift Attic Storage Lift

Berliner’s answer was to invent an attic lift. “It is like having your own mini freight elevator to carry storage into your attic in just minutes. It’s a dumbwaiter for your stuff,” he explained.

Designed to fit between attic floor joists, installation is easy requiring basic carpentry and electrical skills. Many are installed as do-it-yourself projects, Berliner said, or the company can help with local installers. It sells directly on its website, www.SpaceLiftProducts.com. A short video on the website shows how the lift works. Prices start at $1,895 with free shipping and a two-year factory warranty. SpaceLift™ Products are assembled in the USA, in Stratford, Conn., by Redco Home, a division of Redco Audio, a family-owned company.

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Get organized month makes sense for January. It’s a month of resolutions and renewal. There are lots of reasons why you should get better organized. Ever wonder how much time you lose trying to find misplaced possessions? Tired of navigating through canyons of storage bins? Is your car stuck outside because there’s just too much stuff in your garage? January is national “get organized month,” as declared by the National Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO).

The average American spends one year of their life looking for lost or misplaced items, according to U.S. News and World Report. A Newsweek article stated the average American wastes 55 minutes a day (roughly 12 days a year) looking for things they own but can’t find. This article estimates the cost to U.S. households is $2.7 billion annually.

Getting better organized is a New Year’s resolution many of us deem worthy. But like most changes in behavior, keeping the process simple is critical to year-long success. We all know resolutions stick easier when they’re easy to implement.

Finding more space is key.

Lack of space was cited as the biggest challenge to improving organization. So say 32.9 percent of consumers surveyed by NPD Group for HomeWorld Forecast Consumer Survey. That may be why the self-storage industry is booming. It is expected top $39.5 billion in revenue in 2021. That’s up from $36 billion in 2016, according to IBISworld. The U.S. Census Bureau records a spike in self-storage construction spending. See chart.

get organized month has multiple options for success, this chart shows growth of self-store units construction

But self-store units are a hassle. You have to load up your car or SUV and drive your stuff to a rental storage unit. Then when you want an item, you have to drive back over and load up the car again to bring it home. Plus you pay monthly storage fees. Check out our blog post, “Have You Done the Self-storage Math?“

Where to put all our stuff? Half of homeowners rate their garage as the most disorganized place in the house, according to NAPO. A U.S. Department of Energy poll found 25 percent of homeowners with two-car garages have so much stuff stored there they can’t fit even one car inside. Yet above most garages is a spacious attic. Read our blog “Benefits of Parking Your Car Inside.”

get organized month should include your garage shows car covered in deep snow parked outside garage
Don’t treat your car as a second-class citizen. Use your garage attic and a SpaceLIft attic storage lift to free up enough space. January is a tough month for cars. It is also get organized month.

Easy access is the secret to storage success.

Going up and down those pull-down attic stairs or ladders is pretty dicey. It is especially scary when carrying storage containers and boxes of stuff. It’s nearly impossible with bulky items. Imagine storing four snow tires in your attic. How about patio furniture? Attic storage is perfect for large, but infrequently needed tools.

There’s also the risk of falling or hurting your back carrying on the ladder. Ladders take a lot of time too. Even if items are small, you are very limited how much you can carry per trip. (Check out our blog on ladder safety.)

A SpaceLift™ attic lift offers easy and fast access to your own home and garage attic space for safe and convenient storage. It is a motorized platform lift system capable of transporting up to 200 pounds and 24 cubic feet of cargo per trip from your living space to your attic. It moves at three inches per second. All with the push of a button. It is like having your own mini freight elevator to carry storage into your attic in just minutes. It’s a dumbwaiter for your stuff.

Manufacturer Redco Home invested seven years of engineering development and more than $250,000. The result is our patent-protected lift. It offers superior capability. It incorporates critical safety features not found in other lifts.

SpaceLift attic storage safe and simple

One key benefit is no limitation on vertical stacking. The computer-controlled lift pulls evenly at each of the platform’s four corners. This leaves open all the space above. It also stops automatically for obstructions. It will not lift if cargo weight exceeds 200 pounds. Low profile design makes it easy to load and unload. Slide your best storage containers, boxes, heavy items and more off of the platform and onto attic flooring systems with ease. Protected by two U.S. Patents. Our storage lift launched in 2009. It is now installed in hundreds of homes and garages nationwide. (Plus, we shipped a few internationally.)

Designed to fit between attic floor joists, installation is easy requiring basic carpentry and electrical skills. Many are installed as do-it-yourself projects. Redco Home can also help with local installers. It sells directly on its website, www.SpaceLiftProducts.com and through a network of 30 nationwide vendors. A short video on the website shows how the lift works. Detailed installation instructions and videos are also on the website and available for download. Also available is a siting guide. We even offer CAD files.

There are two models, different in their width, selling for $1,895 and $1,995. This includes free shipping. A two-year factory warranty is standard. SpaceLift™ Products are assembled in the USA. They are manufactured in Monroe, CT, by Redco Home, a division of Redco Audio, a family-owned company. A lift is installed at the Redco facility and you are invited to stop by to see it.

Get Organized Month every month?

To be sure, January is fine. But every month should be get organized month. Why wait? Resolve to get organized, reduce clutter, claim more living space and get your cars back in the garage. A SpaceLift™ attic lift will help you claim more storage space in your own home.

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Using your attic for seasonal storage? It’s a great place for things you need infrequently. Does some of your best stuff come out just once a year? Or maybe you need it once a season. Holiday decorations. Seasonal clothing like winter coats and summer frocks. Attic storage is also great for “outgrown baby or kids’ stuff, to be used again when the next child is old enough,” writes Home Storage Solutions 101.

Sports equipment changes with the seasons. Attic storage is perfect for snow skis or snowboards (boots, poles, pants, helmet, etc.). In summer bring down the camping equipment. Use your attic for seasonal toys like snow sleds, bicycles and summer lawn toys. Protect your investment in summer porch and patio furniture by overwintering it in the attic. Store snow tires; you can stack all four on at once on a SpaceLift.

Rotating seasonal clothing using a SpaceLift attic storage lift and a portable wardrobe lets you nearly double your closet space. See our “Clone Your Closet” post.

Decorating for the holidays is something you want to look forward to. If it’s too much work to haul out the Christmas tree, decorating becomes a dreaded chore instead of a cherished tradition. Let alone Hanukah decorations, Easter baskets, Halloween pumpkins, and so on.

shows customer's Christmas trees on her SpaceLift attic lift using her attic for seasonal storage
Customer Lisa Winkler from Alabama sent this photo of her Christmas trees loaded on her attic lift. “SpaceLift saved my back!” is her simple testimonial. See more here.

Organize Storage Items by Season

Group attic storage items by season or occasion. When you can, consolidate items into fewer, larger storage bins. This means fewer trips up and down from the attic. Big bins make it easier to find what you want. With an attic lift, you can use much bigger storage bins than you could carry on the ladder.

Label each container, bag or box so you can easily find them next year. Super organizers create a master list of the containers and items, sealed in a plastic bag and placed on top of the seasonal grouping because they know it is hard to remember what went where 12 months later. One organizing trick, especially for the attic, is to create signs on strings. Then hang them from the roof rafters to make it easy to spot your seasonal groupings.

Attic Storage for Infrequently Used Items

Attics are great for storing seasonal — or infrequently used — tools. Change your snow shovels for garden shovels. Or perhaps you own a valuable tool that you need only once in a while. Our customer Bill T. owns a portable table saw. He moved to The Villages Florida retirement community. His home has limited storage space and no basement. So he installed a SpaceLift attic storage lift for attic access. He’s getting older and wanted a better alternative than using the pull-down stairs to access his garage attic. And with the SpaceLift’s 200-pound per trip capacity, he discovered he could move his table saw to the attic too. Oh and he still uses his attic for seasonal storage, even in Florida. After all, he decorates for halloween and Christmas. Even in Florida, people have sweater collections to store. You can read his story here.

not just attic seasonal storage, this photo shows a large table saw being carried into the attic by a SpaceLift attic storage lift
Portable table saw on Bill T.’s SpaceLift attic lift in his garage at retirement community The Villages, Florida. Hauling that up and down an attic ladder would have been impossible. His lift makes it easy with up to 200 pounds per lift capacity.

Claim More Living Space

A huge benefit of using your attic for seasonal storage is claiming more living space. Move seasonal items out of your living space and into a convenient storage space. This reduces clutter and frees up more space in your home. Wouldn’t it be nice to fit the car back in the garage or not have to navigate canyons of stacked storage bins?

Another organizing idea is to purge after each season or occasion. If you did not haul out a particular item this holiday, will you really want it next year? It’s just good clutter control.

Easy Access Key to Using Attic for Seasonal Storage

Attics are often underutilized. That’s largely because they can be a pain to access. Moving items in and out of the attic up and down rickety, narrow attic stairs, steep pull down steps or ladders is a real challenge. For one thing, you are really limited in how much you can carry in each trip. You also risk straining your back or even worse, falling. Your storage items can be damaged when carried or, heaven forbid, dropped.

Imagine lugging a full-size artificial Christmas tree box up the ladder. Yet, attic storage is perfect for holiday decorations: Christmas, Thanksgiving, Halloween, etc. Attic storage is great for seasonal sports equipment. Water skis and surf boards can overwinter. Meanwhile your snow skis and boards can swap places when winter turns to spring. Camping gear is perfect for attic storage. How about your garden tools? End lawn furniture abuse by overwintering it in your attic. Protect your investment.

camping gear with kids in tent shows attic storage is great for camping families

This is exactly why SpaceLift™ Products created its attic lifts. Working in tandem with your attic stairs, the lift is like owning your own mini freight elevator; it’s a dumbwaiter for your stuff. A powerful motor carries up to 200 pounds and 24 cubic feet of storage items at a time. Its superior design is low profile with no vertical limit. So your Christmas tree box will stand up on the platform then lift into the attic with ease. Heavy items can easily slide off of the SpaceLift™ attic lift and onto your attic, home or garage floor. You get so much more use of your attic storage space when you can move items to and from it with ease. No more fear of injury or damaged items. No more hassle and struggle lugging stuff up and down that scary attic ladder.

Resources:

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Do it yourself SpaceLift attic storage is pretty simple. It requires only basic carpentry and minor electrical skills. First, let’s answer six basic questions. One, can you frame a rectangular opening in your attic floor (aka garage ceiling)? Two, are your attic floor joists 4 to 14 inches deep? Three, is your attic floor no more than 15 feet above the home or garage floor below? Four, do you have an attic floor or attic flooring system over some part of your attic? Five, is your attic a rafter or truss system that will support weight of you and your storage items? Six, is 110 – 120VAC electrical service available to your attic? Yes? Then you are on your way to enjoying the convenience of a SpaceLift attic storage lift.

In most cases, answers are all “yes.” If you’re not confident, this job can be done by any competent handy person with basic carpentry and electrical skills. Or if you wish, hire one of our SpaceLift Products dealers and installers located across the U.S.A.

If you have any doubts about your attic construction and capacity for storage, first consult a structural engineer.

FREE Do It Yourself SpaceLift Attic Storage Resources

Your next step is to consult the SpaceLift Products Page. There you can review the installation requirements and framed opening dimensions.

Our website has numerous free do it yourself SpaceLift attic storage resources:

Download the SpaceLift Installation manual PDF

Choosing a Location for Your SpaceLift

First and foremost, your SpaceLift carries cargo only. No people allowed. Think of it as a dumbwaiter. Like your own mini freight elevator. So while you’re improving attic access for storage items, you also need access for people. Pull-down attic stairs are the most common. Sometimes, older homes have regular stairs. Or you may have a narrow staircase. A simple hatch and extension ladder will do. Once your SpaceLift attic lift is installed, you no longer need carry storage items on the ladder. Lift instead!

Unlike competitors, a SpaceLift attic lift is designed to fit neatly between attic floor joists. No part of the unit protrudes up into your attic. This makes it a lot easier to move around your attic. Our carrying platform is easy to load and unload. No bars or chains are in your way.

Even so, we recommend at least four feet ceiling clearance above the lift. No sense banging your head! In fact, installing your SpaceLift where you have the most ceiling height makes the most sense. Take advantage of one of our lift’s best features: no vertical stacking limit. When considering location, think of putting your fill size artificial Christmas tree, or pop-up tent, or ski bag upright on the lift.

Again, our Do It Yourself SpaceLift attic storage Siting Guide offers more advice.

Making the Cut

If you’re like most do it yourselfers, cutting into your home or garage ceiling can be intimidating. Relax! First, you should know our SpaceLift comes with a white cover. Second, your ceiling cut is less than the size of the cover. So it makes a neat appearance. Some customers, like Bill T. even take the time to trim the ceiling opening. Bill used some moulding for a truly finished look. Read Bill’s letter and see his do it yourself SpaceLift attic storage install.

In most cases, our recommendation is to make the cut from the attic floor side. First, you can even lay the SpaceLift box between the attic floor joists to be sure.

do it yourself SpaceLift attic install shown lifting heavy table saw
Bill T.’s Do it Yourself SpaceLift attic storage. Note the moulding around garage ceiling opening. Bill’s a real DIYer. He uses his lift to store a heavy, portable, table saw in his attic.

A Note about Basements

Far and away, most of our do it yourself SpaceLift attic storage installs are for attics. But if you use basement storage, and are tired of lugging up and down the stairs, our lift works just as well for basements. You simply install the lift in your home floor with a trap door covering.

Do it Yourself SpaceLift Attic Storage Done in a Day

Most do it yourself SpaceLift attic storage installations take half a day or less. Once the unit is physically in place, there are a few simple steps to set up operation. Our programmable lifts make for easy set up.

Then say goodbye to the old household storage hassle on your stairs or attic ladder. The low-profile SpaceLift design is ideal for moving seasonal storage and holiday decorations in and out of your attic space. Up to 24 cubic foot capacity (and 200 pounds per trip) allows you to move more stuff in less time. Consult with your contractor and organize you life. You can do it.

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Convenient home storage has one impediment. Access. Attic access is perhaps the worst. Some have only a hatch. Others have those dreaded, pull down ladders. Older homes may have a staircase. Often attic stairs are narrow and twisty. Convenience is not a term that comes to mind.

Inconvenient home storage access may be why drive-up, walk-in rental storage units are popping up like mushrooms all across America. By the way, investing in your own home is always better than renting. Check out our blog and Do the Self-Storage Math. In the long run, using your own attic is cheaper.

Safety is an even greater concern. Lugging a storage container up that pull-down attic ladder is not just inconvenient. It is downright dangerous. Ladders and stairways are one of the leading causes of home injuries. Each month brings a new holiday. Every holiday is home storage season. Regardless of your age, climbing a flight of stairs with a load of storage presents a challenge. Think about it. Your risk increases significantly when you struggle to move bins and boxes on an attic ladder.

Then there are some things near impossible to lug up a ladder. For example, do you have utilities in your attic? This customer had to replace a 50 gallon hot water heater in his attic. Perhaps you want to store a valuable, but little used tool? This customer keeps his job site table saw up there.

Convenient Home Storage Secret: Lift Don’t Carry

The solution? Install a SpaceLift attic storage lift. With the press of a button those awkward bins and boxes are carried up into your attic storage space. The low-profile SpaceLift design makes it easy to load and unload. Because it pulls from all four corners, there is no impediment to storage stacking height. You can stack storage as high as your attic ceiling allows. Think full-size artificial Christmas tree. Or a 10×10 tent. Or a bag of snow skis. You can use a portable wardrobe and your attic lift to clone your closet, rotating seasonal clothes to attic storage.

Heavy lifting is an advantage over any ladder. Our lift carries up to 200 pounds per trip. Greater capacity means fewer trips.

Install a SpaceLift attic lift and see your attic in a whole new light. You can, at last, clean out your garage. Claim more living space. Reduce clutter. Or as Lisa Winkler from Alabama says, “My SpaceLift saved my back!”

Shows a portable wardrobe with seasonal clothes in and out of attic storage. Convenient home storage is looking up!
Once you install an attic lift, you find all kinds of useful applications! Here a portable wardrobe is loaded on the lift and used to swap seasonal clothing to create more closet space in the home living area.

What is an Attic Lift?

Think of it as a modern dumb waiter with smart controls. It’s a mini freight elevator for attics. The SpaceLift attic lift is electrically powered. Its computer controls offer important safety features. Perhaps the most important is obstruction detection. If the lift is blocked by anything, it stops. Some competitor lifts warn against broken storage items, even broken bones, if anything gets in the way of their lifts.

Also the SpaceLift attic lift protects itself. If you try to overload it with more than 200 pounds, it just won’t go. No damage to the motor.

We invite comparison. If you want convenient home storage, you want to get the right lift. It should be the one that is convenient to load and unload. Easy to use. Safe. And of course, cost is always a consideration.

P.S. Basements for Convenient Home Storage Too

Yes, we say convenient home storage is “looking up,” a play on words for attics. But if you use your basement for storage, there’s no reason a SpaceLift storage lift does not also work for you. It is meant to carry items between two floors in your home or garage. It installs neatly between the floor joists. If your floor joists above the basement are 7 inches deep or more, the lift can be hidden beneath a trap door. (At six inches or less, the unit protrudes above the floor. Four inch deep joists are minimum.) SpaceLift Products has lots of installation support, including free, downloadable guides, videos, even CAD files. Many are installed as DIY, do it yourself, projects.

P.P.S. Commercial Installations

This blog posts cites “convenient HOME storage.” However, SpaceLift attic lifts are robust enough for commercial use. They are installed in warehouses, stores and commercial kitchens. Like a dumbwaiter or mini freight elevator, they are perfect for bars and restaurants. Stop lugging cases of booze and kegs of beer up from the basement! Because our lift has no vertical stacking limitation, it fits a keg just fine. Jon Rocket sells model rockets and parts. Its office is in a loft. The owner calls his SpaceLift attic lift a “trade secret.”

SpaceLift attic lift commercial kitchen installation
Commercial kitchen installation. SpaceLift attic storage lift shown to right of stairs. It carries supplies up and down from storage, instead of carrying on the staircase. This is Tiny Drumsticks in New York City.