Click image to enlarge.
It may look like a new Olympic event,
but it’s really an easier way to carry a ladder alone (see photo).
With the ladder overhead and your arms locked, you’ll be able to maneuver
through openings and around corners with no trouble.
Leverage and Wheels for Heavy Stuff
Click image to enlarge.
Wheels are the ultimate tool for
moving heavy stuff. So when it comes time to move your stove, dryer or other
heavy, bulky items, don’t forget your local rental store. Appliance dollies and
other special dollies are available to move everything from trees to
pianos.
Appliance dollies ($15 per day to rent) like the one
shown have straps to secure the load and rollers on the back to assist in going
up and down stairs. The strap mechanism can be confusing, though, so ask the
rental salesperson to show you how it works.
Load the appliance onto the dolly by pushing against the
top to tip it away as you slide the lip of the dolly underneath. Then wrap the
straps around the appliance and tighten them. Be careful, though. Properly
tightened straps exert a lot of pressure, so make sure they’re underneath and
away from handles or other parts that could be damaged. Now brace the bottom
with your foot and pull back on the handles of the dolly to tilt the appliance
off the ground and roll it away. It’s easiest to roll backward over bumps or
rough surfaces. Get help if you have to go up or down stairs. To set the
appliance down again, brace the bottom with your foot and hang from the top of
the handles. Let your weight do the work as you gently lower the appliance to
the floor.
Click image to enlarge.
We all know how easy it is to move
heavy stuff in a wheelbarrow, but what if you can’t load it alone? Use the
technique shown here to avoid having to lift heavy stones, bags of potting soil
or shrubs up into a wheel-barrow. Just tip the wheelbarrow on its side and roll
the stone into it. Then push on the top edge while you lift on the bottom to
right the wheelbarrow. Be careful when you reach the top not to tip the
wheelbarrow over in the opposite direction. Balance the load in the wheelbarrow
and you’re ready to roll.
