Plasterboard & manual handling

Any ideas for transporting and moving 8x4 sheets of plasterboard from A to B without needing to go upstairs. I'm soon going to be taking a delivery of 28 sheets of soundshield board 15mm. I took a delivery of 12.5mm standard board once on my own (28 sheets) and it ****ed up my wrists for two weeks as I had to lift the board on edge and then walk it down three steps and through a door way and and then another 8 metres to lie flat. I don't want to go through that again and at the moment I'm working with an old fella who I don't feel right asking to help. All mates are out of town.

We are talking 34.27kg per sheet. It will be fine fitting them on the ceiling as I've got the use of a hoist, it's just transportation to worry about, any ideas?

N.B the boards must be placed on edge to get through the doorway into the house. If necessary I can make some formwork over the stairs to help any wheeled device, will be difficult but not impossible

I'd be inclined to bung the delivery guy a tenner and ask him to give you a hand.

I don't fancy my chances, they are notoriously useless, don't even want to get out of the van most of the times I found. And no doubt would pawn me off say they need to get to the next job ASAP

Two man job...

+1 for a 2 man job.

Size and weight are the issue. I know you said you have done it before but now you know why it's a 2 man. Far too easy for a board to bend and break if only 1 man and too heavy to move easily.

Ok fair enough, just wondered if there was some magical little tool for these sorts of thing. I've hired a second pair of hands for the day

When you say on edge, you mean so its 2.4m tall?

If not, I've used one of these before and it makes it alot easier:

http://www.spear-and-jackson.com/product/drylining-tools/panel-carrier

It helps to sit the boards on blocks of wood at either end you can literally pick up and go with it.

I've used normal panel carriers for up to 50kg before. Steps were a balancing challenge, as were tight corners, but it would have been impossible for me to do so without it. You use one arm for carrying and one for steering.

The sprung end carriers glaziers use are good for plasterboard, ply, etc, normally up to around 70kg each but will need two people. The ones like this:



I have used a pair on 130kg acrylic panels. Use them on the edges and not on the top with large sheets.

A cheaper version is two webbing straps with one at each end. They are just as manoeuvrable as the sprung carriers but need two hands and are easier to use on slopes where there is a risk of pulling a sprung clamp off the edge if you don't keep the handle parallel to the sheet.

All of them work in the same way - they keep your arm and wrist straight and untwisted. As you found out before if you twist your wrist you will regret it over the following days.

If you want to transport multiples in one go then a wheeled carrier could help but get one with a stop so it can be balanced without holding. They do need secure ground though and are not very good with steps. They are basically a sideward sack truck.

Gottcha, had to read "without needing to go upstairs" twice before I understood your question. I doubt the board carriers will really be much of an aid on stairs, coz the length of boards when you go over the top of the stair i.e. over the nosing requires the last bloke to lift the boards clear (chest hight in my experience) meaning the carry handle would be out of reach, mind you the first bloke could use one! I found grip and manoeuvrability to be the overriding requirement and a pair of rubber gloves (brickies gloves) best suited for both...sore hands are just part of the job...you toughen up after a while ...pinenot