Welcome! Here are the website rules, as well as some tips for using this forum.
Need to contact us? Visit https://heatinghelp.com/contact-us/.
Click here to Find a Contractor in your area.

How to move a 350 lbs radiator up 2 flights of winding stairs?

SethK
SethK Member Posts: 43
I managed to get a 250 lbs radiator up the back stairs with a dolly, but it chewed up the stairs. I will get murdered if I do that to the nice stairs.

I hear there are special dollies for this, can someone tell me what they are?

Or should I just hire someone, and if so, how do I do that -- it seems weird to call a professional mover to move one item... Thanks.

Comments

  • MilanD
    MilanD Member Posts: 1,160
    See my post on your other thread.

    Sometimes, pro moving companies can do it, or - piano movers! I used them for rads before - they actually just send 2 of their guys to do a side job on moving the rad. They know it and have done it before. Just talk to them and do make sure they have all the equipment and know how to protect stairs. This is tricky and takes a lot of prep.

    If you do it alone - key is also prep and planning.
  • Zman
    Zman Member Posts: 7,561
    Electric Stair climbers would work for a job like that. I would still protect the treads from scratching.
    Is a crane an option?
    "If you can't explain it simply, you don't understand it well enough"
    Albert Einstein
  • j a_2
    j a_2 Member Posts: 1,801
    Sure would hate for side job Sammy, to destroy his back...on your property...Think a lawyer would be lurking. Jmo
    MilanD
  • Ecorad
    Ecorad Member Posts: 9
    If you can remove a window or get it out balcony, you can use a sky jack. Ecorad uses a hiab.
    Trish
    ecorad.ca and ecoradusa.com
  • MilanD
    MilanD Member Posts: 1,160
    edited June 2017
    FWIF, as a home owner, or as a property manager if you have rental properties, in Ohio, you can carry State Worker's Comp insurance for hired help (doesn't cover you but others). As a sole proprietor, $0 payroll gives you cheapest insurance for injuries on your property or on other property by hired hands on your behalf. Does not cover property - for that you get pro liability/property damage insurance. IMO, you should carry insurance for anything you plan on doing. This is called transfer of risk, and it protects your assets against accidents.

    That being said - you don't ever substitute safety, safety planning and care, for insurance, regardless of who does the move. Just like any moving professionals, if you do this yourself, you need to plan the move to the minute detail: safe handling of the load, how you will execute all the lifts, turns, stairs, narrow areas, how you will secure the load, etc, while protecting life and property.

    If this is not clear from the get go, you or anyone you hire (or buddies) to help you do it have no business doing the move of any heavy objects. In that case, call and contract with a professional moving company, and pay to have the rad moved by them - no involvement from you other than paying the final bill on the contract for moving the said object.

    Yes, this can get expensive on the pocket book - but worth repeating again - life is the greatest asset that needs protecting! Sometimes, it's ok to walk away if you can't do it safely yourself, and the hired help is too costly.
    j a_2
  • Jamie Hall
    Jamie Hall Member Posts: 23,169
    Anybody else remember this movie short? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QgqXVeIPSzA
    Br. Jamie, osb
    Building superintendent/caretaker, 7200 sq. ft. historic house museum with dependencies in New England
    Zman
  • BobC
    BobC Member Posts: 5,476
    I used to watch those every Saturday morning as a kid on our 12" round screen Tele-Tone tv.

    That job really wore Ollie out!

    Bob
    Smith G8-3 with EZ Gas @ 90,000 BTU, Single pipe steam
    Vaporstat with a 12oz cut-out and 4oz cut-in
    3PSI gauge
  • flat_twin
    flat_twin Member Posts: 350
    Yes but in black and white
  • SethK
    SethK Member Posts: 43
    Thanks everyone for your help!

    I moved a Corto down from- and a Verona up to the attic just by bear hugging them, but you all have convinced me to hire someone if I buy these monsters. The sky jack is also an interesting idea too, the windows are small dormers but the sashes aren't too hard to remove.

    Sadly I heard someone offered to buy the whole lot so I may be out of luck (I only wanted 2 of the 13 rads), but at least that way I can wait for lighter radiators and maybe avoid injuring myself.