In a warehouse or on a shop floor no one worries that a hand truck may leave scuff marks on the ground. The main concern is simply transporting loads back and forth across the floor quickly and safely. At home, moving items with a hand truck involves a little more consideration to protect the floors and the objects being moved.
A hand truck is perfect for moving those heavy appliances around your home, but you really have to be careful. The hand truck is made up of metal, either steel or aluminum, and so is the appliance. The friction rubs metal on metal and you could end up scratching your brand new washing machine on the hand truck.
If you follow the advice given here you can easily protect yours and your clients furniture and appliances. Just take a piece of tubing insulator and slice it down running length wise, then attach it to the sidebars of the hand truck you are using thereby making a economical buffer and protector of your costly items. It only will take you 2 minutes and cost you a few dollars but it is well worth it!
Even if your hand truck has skid-free tire you must still take precautions when moving your appliances. This is because of the heaviness of the hand truck after it is loaded up. If anything sharp such as a stone should get caught up in the wheels it can inflict a nice scratch on a previously beautiful floor, so try if possible to cover the expensive floor with cardboard.
For those who don’t have big pieces of cardboard another option is to use a drop cloth which is readily available at any home improvement center. While it is easier to use than cardboard it doesn’t offer the same level of safety because it is not as thick and another co is that you will need someone to hold the cloth tight as you wheel the hand truck or it will just get all messed up.
Now don’t just say forget the whole hand truck think, I will just move mu appliances and furniture by hand. That can cause a lot more damage than using a hand truck. WE are talking about damaging your back and stressing your muscles. So just stick to that hand truck and follow the ideas here and you will be glad you did!!
A great choice would be a 49″ 600 lb. aluminum hand truck which will give you the height you need and the more than average weight capacity. Some might prefer a tall aluminum high back hand truck