Staircases, steps and the problems they might pose
Below are various examples of the types of staircases and steps that we encounter on a regular basis. Please take a look at these images and read their associated description. If you see a staircase that looks similar to yours, it is recommended that you read it's details so that you are fully informed of what is possible, whats risky and what your options are.
NOTE: The following information is meant for large/heavy items such as: Pianos, Safes, Vending Machines, Viking/Sub Zero/Wolf Appliances, XXL Speakers, Large Fish Tanks, Large Arcades, Gym Equipment, Medical Equipment and Pool Tables.
Outdoor Concrete & Pebble Steps
These are some of the most common steps that we run into on a day to day basis. Although they are heavy, solid and have a good reputation (it's why they are used by many buildings), they are not meant to support items that weight about 1000lbs.
Bringing refrigerators, washer/dryers, dressers and other regular household items won't be a problem. The steps can more than handle the weight.
However, if you are moving a: Pianos, Safes, Vending Machines, Viking/Sub Zero/Wolf Appliances, XXL Speakers, Large Fish Tanks, Large Arcades, Gym Equipment, Medical Equipment and Pool Tables, these steps need added support.
Concrete & Pebble Steps with Support
Here we have a concrete & pebble staircase. As you can see, the steps are wider than the staircase above. It would generally mean that the center is weaker, however, there are 2 important factors there. First, the steps are thicker than the ones shown above. Almost 1.5-2" thicker. This means that the steps can hold more weight, but that weight rating decreases when the steps become wider. In this staircase, the steps have been reinforced with a central support unit. This means that if a large heavy item is moved up these steps, directly above the middle support frame, it is highly unlikely that the steps will cave in.
If you have questions regarding your steps load limit, please call us.
Broken Concrete Step!
This is what can happen when an extremely heavy safe goes up steps that were not meant to withstand such weight.
In most cases, when its only 5 or 6 steps, we use ramps. A ramp will bypass each step and therefore remove the risk of damage to each step.
If these steps were cracked due to moving a heavy item, it means they did not have a ramp. Make sure that your movers come with a ramp if you have a small staircase and are moving something extremely heavy.
Why not use a ramp on all staircases?
We use the ramp shown on the next image. Although very handy, a ramp can only cover about 5-8 steps on average (depending on the height and depth of each step). As you can see on the image shown, all of the steps have been bypassed and will therefore not ever experience the weight of a large/heavy item.
If a ramp is not long enough, we resort to other methods such as: Stair Climbing Dolly, Blankets Laid and Item slid up/down, manually carried when possible, Forearm Forklifts and stair sliding (not climbing) hand-trucks.
Each situation requires its own method depending on the situation.
Concrete Steps with support
Here we can see that the steps, although not fully filled (like the next example) does have solid support. This staircase can handle much more weight than the examples above. It is important to know which steps have a good chance of supporting heavy weight and which ones are just too risky.
Sometimes, there will also be a crack in the step (wood or concrete) that may be concealed but was cased over time. These are known as stress cracks. Stress cracks are usually inside or under the steps and are not seen from the top/birds eye view.
Just about every step has one or more stress crack. Most of the time, they are not a big deal because they take about a 250lbs impact daily. However, when moving a 500bs piano, 700-1200lbs Viking/Sub Zero Fridge, 900lbs Vending Machine or a 500-2500lbs safe over these steps, the risk of a step giving out goes up.
