We're having our kitchen refinished and we're absolutely paranoid about moving back our appliances onto the new flooring. (Red oak if that could matter).

The wood folks offer for $200 to move out and in all our appliances, but that's not a tiny amount for a few minutes work (albeit likely hard work!)

Any advice here?

Here is a great utility I use for appliances

http://www.airsled.com/appliance.htm

Dont know if you can rent it though.

Keith

With the air-sled. It actually is easy work. However, It can also be money well spent to let someone else have the liability of the possible damage. Consider your fear and the fact that you could pay a professional to let you have no worry or concern.

I use runners of scrap vinyl flooring to protect the floor in addition to the air sled. And have lent my system to certain customers and they have still managed to mess it up.

You should be able to rent one. Try your flooring retailers. They undoubtedly would know were to get one if they don't rent one. I rented one a number of times from a local rental store before I realized I couldn't do without it. I know our local Standard Paint rents one here in town.

I simply used a spare piece of Formica. Just make sure you tape the formica to the floor using painters tape, just to keep it from sliding. Then manuever your appliances to that piece using a handtruck. Then lower the appliance onto the formica and slide it into place. Worked for me like a charm.

airsled :drool: Definatley want one of those, but we use cardboards and masonite.

We put down cardboard or rosin paper on the floor, then put 1/4 in masonite on top of that. Its strong enough to be able to roll refridgerators and pianos across the floor.

Air sled. That is a cool tool. Unfortunately I tried it out on a sub zero once and it blew a hole in one of the hoses. Great for regular sized appliances though.

http://hardwoodflooringnut.blogspot.com ... loors.html

An air-sled is a tool you don't realize how much you need it until you get one. Same deal with the Powernail Powerjack tool.

As you should be. Lots of people make the mistake of thinking they can roll a frig back into place just because it can be rolled; they don't realize until it's too late that that'll leave a dent path.



We charge $30 per appliace and even that feels like a bit much since it''s not all that hard and as you say, only takes a few minutes. We use two pieces of 1/4 luan over cardboard. We roll it on to luan piece 1, place piece 2 behind it, roll onto that, move piece 1 to end of line, roll, etc...
Stoves & DWs are light enough that we just place small squares of carpet (soft side down) under the feet and slide them back into place.

(Little carpet squares are great for moving just about everything 'cept frig's. Soft, won't scratch, and slides so easily even a lone female can push furniture around unassisted. Plus carpet scraps are free, you can cut as many pieces as you need, and you can leave them in place under the furniture for the homeowner who wants to do more rearranging after you're gone.)