Advice on how to move a heavy vanity into bathroom?

[RickFlorida]

Hi Everyone. I'm about half done with my bathroom remodel and realized upon delivery of my 49 inch vanity with single sink that because it came with the marble top already installed, it is quite heavy. When I'm ready to put it in the bathroom, it's going to be very awkward lifting it without breaking or scratching it it seems to me. I do have clearance easily for the actual bathroom door if I remove the door I have an extra 2 or 3 inches so that the vanity can easily pass through without having to be angled or anything. So that is not a problem. The problem to me is that it is so heavy and I don't want to lift by the marble top at all and you only have one easy side to grab. (You can open the drawers and lift that way). But on the back side of the vanity, it is flat.

My only idea to move it without any professional equipment or knowledge is to unscrew the back of the vanity, and then I could have hands under each side. (Myself and my brother could then place our hands under the drawers and under the backside). I think this is a good option because I can lift it above a few steps and my hallways is pretty narrow so extra equipment would get in the way.

How would a professional installer move a heavy vanity that already had the top installed into a small hallway and bathroom? I was just curious if there are other approaches. There are a lot of "tricks" professionals use with some items like fridges having their doors removed to get them inside, etc.

Thanks,
Rick

 

[Twowaxhack]

Use a couple of these. Make a plywood runway if need be.

https://www.harborfreight.com/18-in...MQdSg4CPsq-JR5KECQE_06nCNFEFdtRAaAoTlEALw_wcB

 

[RickFlorida]

Use a couple of these. Make a plywood runway if need be.

https://www.harborfreight.com/18-in...MQdSg4CPsq-JR5KECQE_06nCNFEFdtRAaAoTlEALw_wcB

Ah yes, this would fit through my narrow hallway and save my brother and me's back so that we are not lifting it the whole time. I did invest recently in a nice hand truck with solid wheels. I mind as well purchase one of these too if they are in stock. A lot of stuff like this is out of stock lately. My Lowe's didn't have a single hand truck in stock but I got lucky and but a nice one with solid wheels from Harbor Freight. It was the last one in my county I believe. Good idea on the plywood runway as that would be useful from the garage to inside. This item is in stock for me at Harbor Freight, thank you! I might buy two at that price and give one to my brother who is also remodeling a bathroom and has to maintain two homes. We are slowly figuring out all this crap together.

 

[havasu]

I lay them on their sides on a blanket and simply pull them in and out of position. I've also used rubber backed throw rugs, with the rubber against the furniture, which makes them slide very easily. I've also used the pictured furniture sliders to move my washer and dryer so it doesn't scratch my floors.

 

[RickFlorida]

I lay them on their sides on a blanket and simply pull them in and out of position. I've also used rubber backed throw rugs, with the rubber against the furniture, which makes them slide very easily. I've also used the pictured furniture sliders to move my washer and dryer so it doesn't scratch my floors.

View attachment 32442

Nice ideas! I have all Tile and Terrazzo so the sliding trick would work for me if I need it.

 

[Twowaxhack]

This reminds me of a contractor I met while eating lunch one day at a new steakhouse that opened.

He was building a house and the shower walls were to be huge pieces of 1”+ thick granite.

The granite company pulled up and two little guys jumped out. So the contractor offered to help get the granite slabs in the house.

He ended up with 2 blown out disc in his back and the only way he could pee is get down on all 4’s and have his wife hold a bucket under him.

Dr said if he didn’t have surgery immediately he risks having to wear a diaper for the rest of his life due to nerve damage.

Be careful

 

[Jeff Handy]

This reminds me of a contractor I met while eating lunch one day at a new steakhouse that opened.

He was building a house and the shower walls were to be huge pieces of 1”+ thick granite.

The granite company pulled up and two little guys jumped out. So the contractor offered to help get the granite slabs in the house.

He ended up with 2 blown out disc in his back and the only way he could pee is get down on all 4’s and have his wife hold a bucket under him.

Dr said if he didn’t have surgery immediately he risks having to wear a diaper for the rest of his life due to nerve damage.

Be careful

I have a bad back with pinched nerves, so this story is hitting close to home.
Meanwhile, it is so funny I am barely able to not piss myself from laughing!
How ironic!

 

[havasu]

But did he lift his leg?

 

[RickFlorida]

This reminds me of a contractor I met while eating lunch one day at a new steakhouse that opened.

He was building a house and the shower walls were to be huge pieces of 1”+ thick granite.

The granite company pulled up and two little guys jumped out. So the contractor offered to help get the granite slabs in the house.

He ended up with 2 blown out disc in his back and the only way he could pee is get down on all 4’s and have his wife hold a bucket under him.

Dr said if he didn’t have surgery immediately he risks having to wear a diaper for the rest of his life due to nerve damage.

Be careful

I want to say thank you for this story as I do feel so bad for people who make a mistake they pay forever for. My brother and I do have experience with demolition of things like bathrooms and even thick slabs of concrete where we did it all by hand. (Wheel barrows, sledge hammers, and our backs). I always practice safe habits. The only reason I posted this topic is because I'm just not used to moving a heavy perfectly painted vanity with a marble top and we all know how brittle marble is. So I was just double checking any ideas. But when it comes to just the brute force aspect and dangers, I'm good there.

However, I will tell you this. I did injure myself a few years ago but it was kind of a freak accident you could say. My brother and I tiled his large house for 5 days straight. I had tiled before but only small rooms at a time. For those 5 days I was kneeling and when doing so, I was letting my left hand but fully bent/extended which was slowly injuring my radial nerve in the wrist. But the whole time, I felt no problems. But a few day after the job was done, my index finger and my middle finger went complete numb! It was numb for about 2 months but slowly got feelings back. It took a long time to feel perfectly normal.

So I did injure myself once and learned you should never hyper extend your hand for long periods of time or you will injure/pinch your radial nerve.

 

[BlueSkyHigh]

Nice ideas! I have all Tile and Terrazzo so the sliding trick would work for me if I need it.

They make those sliders for carpet (with hard plastic sliding surfaces) and for hard floors (with carpeting on the sliding surface) so if you choose this method make sure you get the correct one.

 

[Jeff Handy]

I recently had to move a heavy toilet down a tiled hallway and into and out of a tiled bathroom.
My back is bad from discs degenerating, and my client suggested I just drag the toilet around, using the two Harbor Freight moving blankets I had brought to lay the toilet on.
It worked great, sliding and steering very easy, and nice thick cushion to protect the china while sliding around.