01 Sep 10 Great Tool For The Home-The Hand Truck

When you are using a hand truck around your house you will want to make sure that the wheels are not leaving scuff marks. While in a warehouse this is of no concern in your house it is unbecoming to make and leave scuff marks. This is especially true if you are doing a job for somebody else. No one likes an unprofessional job.

Another concern is to take measures to ensure that the body of the hand truck which usually consists of medals such as steel or aluminum does not scratch your appliance or furniture. This true if you are transporting a metal appliance or a piece of wood furniture, either way if you are not careful you can damage the cargo you are moving.

To prevent this kind of heartache, here is a simple solution. Take a piece of pipe insulation and cut it in half length wise. If you are in a generous mood take two pieces and make a slit downwards. Then take these two pieces and attach them to the side bars of your hand truck, using a strong tape to ensure that it won’t slip around during heavy use.

Although a hand truck has rubber tires and the rubber is soft, they have a tendency to pick up sand and grit. The grit then rubs into the floor, leaving marks and scratches behind. You will also need to protect the floor from the tires, especially if it is your brand new hardwood floor. One of the first things that you can do is to find a clean and flat piece of cardboard to put under the appliance. Disconnect the appliance beforehand and be sure to get every tube or cord connecting it to the wall before you try to pull it out of there. Tilt the appliance back and slide the cardboard underneath. Put another piece of cardboard down to protect the floor when going out the door.

A shorter path is best because when you are moving your hand truck along, the cardboard will shift and slip along the floor. You may have to stop in between to fix the path or get someone else to help you. Another option is to use drop cloth, which creates more friction with the wheels on the hand truck. The problem is that drop cloth is prone to shifting as well and you may get stuck as you go along.

Although because of all these issues you might just thing that it is just easier to move the furniture or appliance by hand, DO NOT MAKE THAT MISTAKE. Doing that can easily cause injuries to your back which is a lot more costly to repair that any appliance or furniture and a lot more painful to boot. So be smart and just use that hand truck wisely!

A 2 handle steel hand truck is great to have in your garage in case the need arises. Some people prefer to use a continuous handle steel hand truck because they like the freedom that it offers .

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