I am perplexed. Don’t know who else to ask.
I have a “commercial-style” 6-burner gas range that weighs about 450 lb. It’s new, and has been sitting in the middle of my kitchen about 30″ off the wall, while I finish the kitchen cabinet installation. I have to figure out how to move this monster straight back into its’ final home, without either wrecking the cabinets or countertop to either side, tearing up the floor, or damaging the stove itself. It sits on four metal glides that are adjustable by screwing in or out for height. The floor is slate and scratches if you so much as look at it sideways (well, mayeb not that bad). I’ll need to move this thing in and out of its’ “space” two or three times to adjust it for level before it goes in to stay.
Any of you guys that have moved a heavy appliance such as this into a tight spot, can tell me the best way to do it without damage? The stove is all hooked up, gas and electric plugged in, but it’s still in the middle of the kitchen. My brother suggested a low-profile car jack (racing jack) but I don’t know if I can get it far enough under the stove to lift it. I thought I might try some UHMW tape but I still worry about sliding it back and forth, even on the tape. I’ve heard of “air bags” or “air dollies” but don’t know where to find one. I bought this thing two years ago so the appliance store won’t come out and install it without me paying big bucks for them to do so. I’m stumped.
Replies
Home Depot and others have several neat little things to handle this sort of thing. One item is a disk with three small casters. You set something like a table leg in it, and it can be moved anywhere. Another is furniture glides. These are disks that have slick undersides. With the weight you're describing, I would go with the casters. I assume that this stove, like others I've seen, allows access to the supports by removal of a lower drawer or something.
I would buy four of the caster sets and get them under the legs of the stove. Slide the stove in place and remove the front two caster sets. Then tilt the stove forward to get the rear two out. You may still have to slide the thing a little bit, but any damage should be hidden under the stove.
I've worked with the casters myself, though not with something that heavy. Here's another idea that I have not tried, which might work to your satisfaction. Cut two strips of plastic long enough to fit under the stove all the way to the wall. Raise one side of the stove far enough to get these under the supports on that side, then repeat for the other side. Slide the stove into position along the plastic, letting the legs tear the plastic up instead of the floor. Then pry the stove up on one side while a helper pulls out the plastic strip. Repeat for the other side.
The 3 wheel casters work great but I doubt you could get the back ones out in this situation. The disks you speak of are sold at HD, lowes, linen's and things, bed bath and beyond, etc. They are furniture moving disks and meant for carpet. They would not work well on tile and that weight would be a problem for the thin plastic unless you spread it out with a piece of wood or metal.
Here's another idea that I have not tried, which might work to your satisfaction. Cut two strips of plastic long enough to fit under the stove all the way to the wall. Raise one side of the stove far enough to get these under the supports on that side, then repeat for the other side. Slide the stove into position along the plastic, letting the legs tear the plastic up instead of the floor. Then pry the stove up on one side while a helper pulls out the plastic strip. Repeat for the other side.
Maybe he could try that using the high molecular weight plastic stuff. I think Lee Valley sells it. It is very slick and very tough.
Some pergo or similar strips would work fine. For the stove to slide easily on the strips, I find little squares of carpet, upside down work well. You should have some adjustment ability with the stove in place. if you don't, try to level it as best as you can before you put it in place, you might get lucky or at least be close so another adjustment is just minor.
I wouldn't try a jack or anything like that, you need to lift on the frame of the stove, if you miss, you'll cause at minimum a big dent. The store where you purchased it won't do it for free, but if you bought if from them, explain that your ready to slide it in and what would they recommend. The will charge for the install because it is costing them labor and exposing them to some liability. Advice on the phone will take them no time at all.
I recently had to wrestle a wall-mounted oven into, and out of it's eventual home, several times by myself. Spec sheet said it weighed about 350 lbs. (this was a porcelein lined, convection/conventional oven). First thing I did was remove everything that could be removed to lighten the load. In my case, the removable stuff only amounted to the shelving and the door. In your case, I'm sure much of the top will come off as well. Then I laid a piece of countertop laminate on the bottom of the cabinet, added almost no height and was a lot more slippery than the plywood base. Gliding it over the laminate wasn't effortless, but it wasn't to bad. After the final install, I simply left the laminate in place.
The low profile, 3-wheel casters that someone else mentioned work very well. I recently had to move an oak sideboard (chock full of dishes) by myself to paint a kitchen floor. Once I got a caster under each leg, I could easily move it in any direction. You could probably do it with just one or two if there is a solid bearing plate under your range and you pay attention to carefully balancing the load. You only have to raise the oven about an inch or two to get the casters underneath.
A desk mover might do it, depending on how low you have to go, and depending how far back it needs to be to balance.
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Edited 10/9/2007 10:49 pm by DanH
In the high end condo's I do, we run into large wolf ranges on fake wood floors that can't handle sliding discs & small casters without scratching the floors.
I like Dday's idea about pergo or other laminate flooring, we use masonite & blue tape down the edges to help keep the masonite in place.
“The Hand of providence has been so conspicuous in all this, that he must be worse than an infidel that lacks faith, and more than wicked, that has not gratitude enough to acknowledge his obligations.” —George Washington
JonE, what you need is the airsled @ http://www.airsled.com. My company uses them to move around appliances after installing new cabinets, they really work. They're like a mini hovercraft that you can slide under the oven and then inflate. Try calling local rental places or call their 1-800 number, they have been very helpful to us in the past.
I did this island a couple of years ago and the installer rented a pallet jack to move the range into position. Luckily, there was plenty of room in front of the range to manuver the jack so the job went well.
This was definitely a high "pucker factor" job. That's a glass counter top on the island and it took over a month to get it custom fabricated, delivered, and installed. (IIRC, it cost ~$3,500.) The range opening was just barely big enough, so we were all holding our breath while the installer moved it into place and lowered it. - lol