VM Elevators’ Escalator Maintenance at London Stadium, Stratford

We talk a lot about lifts, so it’s easy to forget that we also maintain escalators. Here’s a few shots of the escalators we look after at London Stadium… and yes, we’re a little obsessed with these photos! 😍

Supporting the operation of London Stadium showcases our ability to deliver premium escalator maintenance in one of London’s busiest and most demanding public environments.

Through technical expertise, proactive planned maintenance and a commitment to exceptional service, we help keep one of the capital’s landmark venues moving safely and reliably, day in and day out.

If you’re looking for a dependable lift and escalator maintenance provider based in East London, we’d love to hear from you.

📞 0800 448 8615
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VM Elevators Awarded Once For All Health & Safety SSIP Certification

VM Elevators is proud to announce that we have successfully achieved Once For All Health & Safety SSIP certification, provided through our Constructionline membership.

This recognised certification follows an independent assessment of our health and safety documentation, management arrangements and working practices. It provides customers, contractors and procurement teams with further assurance that VM Elevators has appropriate systems in place to manage health and safety effectively.

SSIP stands for Safety Schemes in Procurement and was established to improve health and safety standards while reducing unnecessary duplication during supplier pre-qualification. Once For All Health & Safety assesses businesses against the SSIP core criteria, including health and safety policies, competent advice, workforce training, risk assessment, safe systems of work, accident reporting, monitoring and ongoing review.

Supporting a Strong Health and Safety Culture

The successful award reflects the continued importance that VM Elevators places on protecting our employees, customers, subcontractors and everyone who may be affected by our work.

Working within the lift industry can involve complex environments and potentially significant risks. Our engineers may work in lift motor rooms, pits, shafts and other restricted areas, often within occupied buildings and operational premises. Effective planning, competence, communication and supervision are therefore essential to completing every task safely.

Our approach includes:

• Preparing suitable risk assessments and method statements for our activities
• Maintaining safe systems of work for lift maintenance, repair and installation
• Providing employees with appropriate training, information and supervision
• Ensuring engineers have the necessary competence and qualifications
• Consulting with employees on health and safety matters
• Reporting and reviewing accidents, incidents and near misses
• Monitoring our performance and identifying opportunities for improvement
• Working closely with customers, principal contractors and other site stakeholders

More Than a Certificate

Although we are delighted to receive this certification, health and safety is not treated as a one-off assessment or paperwork exercise at VM Elevators.

It is an ongoing responsibility that forms part of our everyday decision-making. We continue to review our policies, procedures, training requirements and operational controls to make sure they remain suitable for the work we undertake and the environments in which our teams operate.

Lessons from inspections, employee feedback, toolbox talks, near-miss reporting and completed projects are used to strengthen our arrangements and encourage continuous improvement throughout the business.

Confidence for Our Customers

Once For All Health & Safety SSIP certification provides independent confirmation that our health and safety arrangements have been assessed against recognised industry criteria.

For our customers, this provides additional confidence when appointing VM Elevators for lift maintenance, repair, modernisation and installation work. It also supports a more efficient procurement process by reducing the need to repeatedly complete similar health and safety assessments for different clients and contracts.

This achievement complements our wider commitment to quality, environmental responsibility, employee wellbeing and consistently high standards of service.

We would like to thank everyone at VM Elevators whose continued care, professionalism and attention to safe working practices contributed to this successful result.

Safety remains a shared responsibility, and we will continue working together to ensure that everyone goes home safely at the end of each working day.

Lift Refurbishment: Upgrade & Modernisation

Lift Refurbishment: What Is Involved, How Long It Takes and When It Is the Right Choice

A lift does not have to fail before it starts costing you money. Rising callout frequency, dated interiors, obsolete spare parts and complaints from building users are all signs that a lift is approaching the point where doing nothing becomes the most expensive option. For many buildings, the answer is not a full replacement. It is a lift refurbishment.

This guide explains what a lift refurbishment actually involves, how long a typical project takes, and how to decide whether refurbishment, modernisation or replacement is the right route for your building.

What Is a Lift Refurbishment?

A lift refurbishment upgrades or replaces selected components of an existing lift while retaining the parts of the installation that remain sound, typically the shaft, guide rails and structural elements. Rather than removing the entire lift, a refurbishment targets the areas where age is showing: the car interior, the doors, the control system and the drive components.

The result is a lift that looks, performs and complies like a new installation, at a significantly lower cost and with far less disruption than a full replacement.

Refurbishment sits on a spectrum. At one end is a cosmetic refresh of the car interior. At the other is a comprehensive programme that replaces the controller, drive, doors and car in a single project, sometimes called a full modernisation. Most refurbishments fall somewhere in between, shaped by the condition of the existing equipment and the priorities of the building owner.

What Does a Lift Refurbishment Include?

Every project is scoped individually following a site survey, but a typical refurbishment draws from the following areas.

Car Interior

The most visible element of any refurbishment. Wall panels, flooring, ceilings, lighting, mirrors, handrails and car operating panels are replaced or re-lined. LED lighting is now standard, cutting energy use and maintenance visits. For buildings where appearance matters, from residential lobbies to hotels, the interior refresh alone can transform how the lift is perceived by users.

Landing and Car Doors

Doors account for a large share of lift breakdowns. Worn door operators, rollers, tracks and safety edges cause the nuisance faults that generate callouts: doors that stall, re-open repeatedly or fail to close. Replacing door operators and fitting modern full-height safety curtains improves reliability and passenger safety in one step.

Control System

Older relay-based or early electronic controllers are a common driver of refurbishment. Spare parts become scarce or obsolete, fault-finding takes longer, and downtime stretches from hours into days while components are sourced. A new microprocessor controller restores parts availability, improves ride quality and journey times, and adds diagnostic capability that makes future maintenance faster.

Drive and Motor

Replacing an ageing drive with a modern variable frequency drive delivers smoother acceleration, accurate floor levelling and a substantial reduction in energy consumption. Where the existing motor is retained, it is inspected, tested and overhauled as required.

Safety and Compliance Upgrades

A refurbishment is the natural point to address compliance. That can include car top controls, emergency communication systems ready for the digital phone network, improved guarding, and any items raised in your LOLER thorough examination reports.

How Long Does a Lift Refurbishment Take?

Timescales depend entirely on scope, but as a working guide:

•      Interior refurbishment only: typically 1 to 2 weeks per lift

•      Doors and door operators: typically 1 to 2 weeks per lift

•      Controller and drive replacement: typically 2 to 4 weeks per lift

•      Comprehensive refurbishment (controller, drive, doors and car): typically 4 to 8 weeks per lift

Lead times for equipment should be factored in ahead of works starting, usually 6 to 12 weeks depending on specification. In multi-lift buildings, works are phased so at least one lift remains in service at all times. A well-planned refurbishment keeps disruption to building users to a minimum, which is one of its main advantages over replacement.

Refurbishment, Modernisation or Replacement?

The three terms overlap, and the right choice comes down to the condition of your existing installation.

Refurbishment suits lifts where the core structure is sound and the issues are concentrated in specific areas: reliability, appearance, obsolete parts or compliance. It delivers the biggest improvement per pound spent.

Modernisation is a broader programme, typically replacing the majority of the electrical and mechanical equipment while retaining the shaft. If your lift is over 20 to 25 years old and problems span multiple systems, modernisation is usually the more economical route than tackling components piecemeal. Our guide to warning signs your lift needs modernising covers the indicators in detail.

Replacement becomes the right answer when the existing installation is beyond economic upgrade, when the building’s requirements have changed, or when structural issues affect the shaft itself. Our comparison of lift replacement vs lift refurbishment walks through that decision.

If you are unsure where your lift sits, the starting point is a condition survey. An independent assessment of the controller, drive, doors, safety gear and car will tell you what genuinely needs replacing and what has years of service left, so you only pay for the work your building needs.

When Is Refurbishment the Right Choice?

Refurbishment is usually the right route when:

•      Breakdowns are increasing but the lift’s core structure remains sound

•      Spare parts for the controller or drive are becoming difficult to source

•      The car interior is dated, damaged or no longer suits the building

•      Door faults are generating repeated callouts

•      Energy costs need reducing without the outlay of a full replacement

•      The lift must keep running with minimal downtime, ruling out a lengthy replacement programme

•      Compliance items need addressing, from emergency communications to safety edges

Our article on the 5 signs your lift needs refurbishment covers the warning signs in more depth.

Planning a Lift Refurbishment with VM Elevators

VM Elevators delivers lift refurbishment and modernisation projects across London, Essex, the Home Counties and nationwide, from single-lift residential buildings to phased multi-lift programmes in live commercial, healthcare and hospitality environments. Every project begins with a detailed survey and a clear scope, so you know exactly what is being replaced, why, and what it will achieve.

If your lift is showing its age, talk to our team about a refurbishment survey. Visit our lift modernisation page or call us on 0800 448 8615 for a free consultation.

Luxury Lifts: Why Custom Control Panels Matter in High-End London Properties 

User experience plays an increasingly important role in modern lift design. In luxury properties across London, the lift journey is expected to feel seamless, intuitive, and refined. 

This is where custom lift control systems make a significant difference. 

The Importance of Lift User Experience 

For many residents and guests, the lift is one of the most frequently used features of a building. Poorly designed controls or slow response times can quickly undermine the experience of an otherwise exceptional property. 

Luxury lift design focuses not only on appearance but also on how people interact with the lift system. 

Intuitive Control Panels 

Custom control panels allow designers to create interfaces that are easy to use and visually consistent with the building’s interior design. 

Buttons, indicators, and displays can be integrated into bespoke materials such as glass, metal, or stone finishes. 

In many luxury developments, control panels are designed as architectural features rather than simple functional elements. 

Smart Destination Control 

Destination control systems are increasingly used in high-end buildings. Instead of selecting a floor inside the lift, users enter their destination before entering the lift. 

The system then assigns the most efficient lift, reducing waiting times and improving building traffic flow. 

Accessibility and Inclusive Design 

Luxury lift systems should also prioritise accessibility. Custom control systems can incorporate larger buttons, tactile indicators, voice announcements, and intuitive displays. 

These features ensure the lift remains accessible to people of all ages and abilities. 

A Seamless Part of the Building Experience 

When thoughtfully designed, lift controls become a natural extension of the building’s architecture and user journey. 

From the lobby call station to the cabin interior, every interaction should feel considered and effortless. 

VM Elevators works with designers and architects to deliver luxury lift user experiences for London properties, ensuring control systems match both the visual and functional expectations of premium developments.  Contact us today and see how we can elevate your building.

Dumbwaiter Maintenance and Lift Service: Repairing Your Service Lift

Dumbwaiter Lifts: Servicing, Repair and Compliance Requirements

The dumbwaiter is the hardest-working lift most people never think about. In a busy restaurant it might complete hundreds of cycles in a single service. In a hotel or care home it runs from early morning to late evening, every day, moving food, laundry and supplies between floors so staff do not have to.

Because dumbwaiters work out of sight, they tend to be maintained out of mind, right up until the moment they stop. This guide covers how dumbwaiters work, how often they should be serviced, the faults we see most often, and where these small lifts sit within UK compliance requirements.

What Is a Dumbwaiter?

A dumbwaiter is a small service lift designed to carry goods, not people. Typical units carry between 50kg and 100kg, with a compact car divided into shelves, serving anywhere from two to several floors. They are usually loaded at counter height, with vertical bi-parting or hinged doors at each landing.

Mechanically, most dumbwaiters are traction-driven: an electric motor and gearbox at the top of the structure raises and lowers the car on ropes or chains, controlled by simple push-button call stations at each landing. Modern units are supplied as self-supporting structures that sit within a builder’s enclosure, which keeps installation straightforward.

The defining feature is that a dumbwaiter is a goods-only lift with a car too small for a person to enter. That distinction matters for compliance, as we cover below.

Where Dumbwaiters Are Used

•      Restaurants, pubs and cafés. The classic application: moving plated food, ingredients and crockery between kitchen and dining floors, quickly and hygienically.

•      Hotels and hospitality. Room service, linen and housekeeping supplies moving between floors without tying up passenger lifts or staff.

•      Care homes and healthcare. Meals, laundry and consumables distributed across floors, reducing manual handling for staff and keeping corridors clear.

•      Schools and education. Kitchen-to-dining-hall service and moving equipment between storeys.

•      Retail and offices. Stock movement between stockroom and shop floor, and post or catering distribution in multi-floor workplaces.

In every one of these settings, the dumbwaiter removes a manual handling task. Staff carrying loaded trays up staircases is precisely the kind of risk these lifts exist to eliminate, which is also why a broken dumbwaiter is felt immediately in day-to-day operations.

How Often Should a Dumbwaiter Be Serviced?

Like any lift, a dumbwaiter needs planned maintenance, and the right frequency depends on usage.

•      Heavy commercial use (busy restaurant or hotel kitchens, care home service): servicing every 3 months is appropriate. These units cycle constantly, and wear on ropes, door gear and locks accumulates quickly.

•      Moderate use (smaller hospitality settings, schools, offices): servicing every 6 months is typically sufficient.

•      Light use: an annual service is the minimum any powered dumbwaiter should receive, regardless of how little it runs.

A routine dumbwaiter service covers the drive motor and gearbox, ropes or chains and their terminations, guides and rollers, landing door mechanisms and interlocks, safety devices, control equipment and lubrication throughout. Just as importantly, regular servicing catches deterioration before it becomes a breakdown in the middle of a Friday night service.

Common Dumbwaiter Faults and Repairs

The faults we attend most frequently:

•      Landing door and interlock failures. By far the most common. Dumbwaiter doors take a beating in commercial kitchens, and a damaged interlock will legitimately prevent the lift from running, because the safety circuit is doing its job. Bent hinged doors, worn rollers on bi-parting doors and failed lock contacts all present the same way: a lift that will not move.

•      Trapped or misaligned cars. Overloading, unevenly loaded shelves or items snagging in the shaft can jam the car between floors.

•      Rope and chain wear. Ropes stretch and wear with use. Left unaddressed, this affects floor levelling and ultimately becomes a safety issue.

•      Control faults. Failed call buttons, worn contactors and control issues on older units, where obsolete boards can make repairs slower than they should be.

•      Motor and brake wear. Continuous stop-start duty is demanding on drive components, and brakes in particular need periodic adjustment and inspection.

Most dumbwaiter repairs are quick once an engineer is on site with the right parts. The units are simple, which is their great virtue; kept maintained, a quality dumbwaiter will run reliably for decades.

Do LOLER and Lift Regulations Apply to Dumbwaiters?

This is the question building owners ask most, and the answer is worth setting out clearly.

LOLER (Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998). LOLER applies to lifting equipment used at work, and a dumbwaiter in a commercial setting falls within scope. The key distinction is what the lift carries. Lifts that carry people require a thorough examination at least every 6 months. Goods-only lifts, including dumbwaiters, require a thorough examination at least every 12 months, or in accordance with an examination scheme drawn up by a competent person. The thorough examination is a statutory inspection, separate from routine servicing, and both are needed: one checks the lift is safe, the other keeps it that way.

PUWER (Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998). As work equipment, a dumbwaiter must be maintained in efficient working order and good repair, which in practice means a planned maintenance regime rather than running the unit to failure.

The Lifts Regulations 2016. These apply to lifts serving fixed landings that carry persons, or persons and goods. A true dumbwaiter, with a car inaccessible to people, falls outside the Lifts Regulations and is instead placed on the market under the Supply of Machinery (Safety) Regulations, CE or UKCA marked accordingly. For more on how the 2016 regulations apply to passenger equipment, see our guide to the Lift Regulations 2016.

The practical summary for owners: a commercial dumbwaiter needs routine servicing matched to its usage, plus an annual LOLER thorough examination by a competent person, with records kept of both.

Dumbwaiter Servicing and Repair with VM Elevators

VM Elevators services, repairs and maintains dumbwaiter lifts across London, Essex and the Home Counties, supporting restaurants, hotels, care homes, schools and commercial buildings alongside our passenger lift portfolio. Our engineers carry out planned maintenance, breakdown repairs and refurbishment of older units, and we can advise on replacement where a dumbwaiter has reached the end of its serviceable life.

If your dumbwaiter is due a service, or has been running without a maintenance contract, visit our dumbwaiter lifts page or call 0800 448 8615 to arrange a visit.

VM Elevators enters 4th year sponsorship with JHKA Karate and Forza Karate Club at the World Karate Federation Youth Cup 2026

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The team is ready to go! 👊

We couldn’t be prouder to be entering our fourth year as the club’s main sponsor and to continue supporting this incredible team on their journey.

Watching the club go from strength to strength has been a privilege. From earning World Karate Federation Youth Cup podium finishes, including two Bronze medals, one Silver medal, and the club’s first-ever World finalist, to seeing every athlete give their all on the world stage, the dedication and determination shown by this team continue to inspire.

Success isn’t measured by medals alone. Every competitor represents the club with pride, resilience and sportsmanship, and that’s something worth celebrating.

Good luck to all our athletes competing at the World Karate Federation (WKF) Youth Cup 2026. We’ll be cheering you on every step of the way, with plenty more exciting moments still to come this season! 🏴

1 July 2026: Sponsorship update from JHKA Karate and Forza Karate Club 

‘𝑨 𝒇𝒂𝒏𝒕𝒂𝒔𝒕𝒊𝒄 𝒕𝒉𝒓𝒆𝒆 𝒅𝒂𝒚𝒔 𝒕𝒓𝒂𝒊𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒊𝒏 @𝒌𝒂𝒓𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒑𝒐𝒓𝒆𝒄2026 🥋 🇭🇷 🔥 😁 𝑺𝒐 𝒊𝒎𝒑𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒔𝒆𝒅 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒖𝒅 𝒐𝒇 𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒂𝒕𝒉𝒍𝒆𝒕𝒆𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒉𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒕𝒐𝒐𝒌 𝒑𝒂𝒓𝒕 𝒊𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒔𝒆 𝒕𝒓𝒂𝒊𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒔𝒆𝒔𝒔𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒔 𝒍𝒆𝒅 𝒃𝒚 𝒔𝒐𝒎𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑾𝒐𝒓𝒍𝒅’𝒔 𝒈𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒔𝒕 𝒌𝒂𝒓𝒂𝒕𝒆 𝒌𝒂! 🌍 🥋 𝑨𝒕 𝒔𝒖𝒄𝒉 𝒂 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒈 𝒂𝒈𝒆, 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒉𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒔𝒉𝒐𝒘𝒏 𝒎𝒂𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒊𝒕𝒚 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒇𝒊𝒅𝒆𝒏𝒄𝒆! 𝑨𝒍𝒍 𝒘𝒉𝒊𝒍𝒔𝒕 𝒉𝒂𝒗𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒇𝒖𝒏 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒆𝒏𝒋𝒐𝒚𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓𝒔𝒆𝒍𝒇 😁😁
𝑫𝒂𝒚 𝒇𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒕𝒐𝒎𝒐𝒓𝒓𝒐𝒘 (𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒑𝒆𝒕𝒊𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒅𝒂𝒚) 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒎𝒐𝒓𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒔𝒂𝒎𝒆, 𝒊𝒇 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒃𝒆𝒕𝒕𝒆𝒓! 🔥 🥋 𝑳𝒆𝒕’𝒔 𝒈𝒐! 👊👏’

2 July 2026: Sponsorship update from JHKA Karate and Forza Karate Club

We are very proud of the whole team!!🥉 🔥 ❤️ 😁

Our first under 21 medalist for JHKA Karate 🔥

World Karate Federation (WKF) Youth Cup 2026

So proud, Ethan, U21 Male -67 kg Bronze Medallist 🥉 🌍 trained three days with World and Olympic medallists and then competed in the WKF Youth Cup where he will be bringing home a world bronze medal!! 🔥

Lots of the team were first timers at international level, lots of positives from their performances! Let’s get back to the dojo and build on this 👏

So proud of our team, with all the hard work and sacrifices we all make, moments like this that we will remember for the rest of our lives 🥇

Exciting times for England! And Team FKA! 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿