Getting a 200kg woodburning stove up a flight of stairs

[mangocrazy]

As the thread title indicates, I have a small quandary; well, a quandary that weighs around 200kg to be precise....

I'm planning on installing a woodburning boiler stove in my gaff in the South of France. The living room (where the stove is going) is on the first floor, with a garage directly underneath. There are two possible access routes to the first floor - the staircase from the ground floor or the balcony on the first floor, leading to the living room via a sliding French window. The balcony is about 2.5m wide by about 1.5m deep.

I can unload the woodburning stove from my van using an engine hoist, which can also be used to lift the stove into place on the plinth in the living room that the previous occupier had thoughtfully provided. But the big problem is getting the stove from the ground floor to the first floor.

Is this just a case of organising half a dozen burly chaps and mauling the stove up the stairs (it will be delivered palleted, for convenience sake), or is there an easier, smarter way to do this? The stairs are spacious enough to do this, but the idea of 200kg sliding back down towards the poor ******s at the back end of the lifting action doesn't really inspire me with confidence.

I had thought of hiring a forklift to lift the stove up to the first floor balcony, but the road outside is steeply cambered side to side and the house is also on a steep incline, which would make using a forklift a tad precarious.

I'm also at a loss to think of anywhere solid enough that I could attach a block and tackle to. I suppose some kind of crane hire is a possibility, but finding somewhere to get that from in rural France (along with the language difficulty) could be interesting.

Any ideas (off the wall or otherwise) gratefully accepted...

 

[mart13]

you must be able to hire one of these somewhere.

http://www.stairclimbersales.com/index.php?orderby=product_price&DescOrderBy=ASC&Itemid=120&option=com_virtuemart&page=shop.browse&category_id=7&manufacturer_id=0&keyword=&keyword1=&keyword2=&virtuemart=c9ad0207cf86357bb30e7b09a20ecdb0

 

[madkayaker]

You can get three wheeled sack barrows that can do stairs or a few big blokes

 

[madkayaker]

Or lay plans on the stairs arrange a tirfor type winch at the top and haul up the stairs

 

[Shox Dr]

More than likely the quoted weight is for the stove built up.

 

[mangocrazy]

Or lay plans on the stairs arrange a tirfor type winch at the top and haul up the stairs

Not come across tirfor type winches before - that sounds like it would work. Something like a couple of lengths of contiboard should give a good 'slip' to get the load up. I'll see if I can find a place to hire stuff like that in France.

 

[Lawnmowerboy]

Get 2 heavy lads to carry it? crate of beer each?

or a tirfor

 

[Shox Dr]

Or lay plans on the stairs arrange a tirfor type winch at the top and haul up the stairs

Only if you have something suitable to tie it to, a heavy wall pipe across the door opening would do, but if there is little room on the landing, what do you do then?

 

[mangocrazy]

More than likely the quoted weight is for the stove built up.

It is, but the problem is it doesn't dismantle. It's an all-welded construction. So the weight has to be lifted in one hit. Here's a link to the specs:

http://www.boilerstoves.co.uk/Aquatherm-Eco-F21-wood-boiler-stove-904.html

 

[awemawson]

Can you not rig an A frame or suchlike using scaffold poles and hoist it to the balcony level from below?

Any local farmers with a Loadall or other such machine close by?

 

[moose]

Why not put scaffold planks down on the stairs and use a bread type trolly, with couple of blocks pulling on ropes?

 

[mangocrazy]

I was thinking of wheeling the engine hoist out on to the balcony, with the jib at full extension, attaching a block and tackle to the hoist and pulling the stove up like that. But I had visions of hoist, block, tackle and stove all crashing to earth with a very expensive crash...

The balcony has a steel guardrail, but the centre section can be unbolted giving free access. But even if I could winch the stove on that way, manoeuvring the engine hoist and stove around the balcony would be fun.

 

[Shox Dr]

I'm sure if you ask locally there will be a hoist, they use off the Balcony, that's why the centre section is removable

 

[zzr1200]

Just out of interest where abouts in the South of France (nearest largest town)???

 

[mangocrazy]

We're about 15-20km away from Beziers and about 50-60km from Montpellier. I'm going to give a couple of people I know down there a ring and ask if anyone has a crane/hoist/winch for hire in the area. Woodburners are very popular in our part of France and I'm sure I can't be the only person who wants to bung one in an awkward location.

 

[zzr1200]

We're about 15-20km away from Beziers and about 50-60km from Montpellier..

My family is a bit far away from you unfortunately to be of any help...

 

[MattF]

I assume there's no protruding beam or suchlike above the balcony, for attaching a block and tackle to?

 

[astro_al]

I don't know about down there, but when I lived in Paris everyone use these funny little kind of fireman's-ladder-attached-to-the-back-of-a-truck / lift-on-runners type contraptions to lift their belongings straight up the outside of the building to whatever floor they were moving into. Basically a cage which gets winched up a ladder type track. I know Paris is more densely populated and I guess there are more high buildings with no lifts, but surely they have the same thing down south? Sorry, not sure what they're called.

Failing that 200kg is nothing between a few guys, just carry it up.

Al.

 

[mangocrazy]

I assume there's no protruding beam or suchlike above the balcony, for attaching a block and tackle to?

No - that would be far too simple...

I think it's time to ask the locals and see what everyone else uses. Either that, or call in a few favours...

 

[voipio]

The quoted weight is 175kg but I would expect some bits to come off. The door, for instance, (which looks quite heavy!) and probably the grate and a few other bits, such as the ash pan. Before you know it, the weight will be closer to 100kg, which is much more manageable.