Sliding washing machine on vinyl floor - avoiding damage

[kevin_robson]

I've a washing machine that fits under my kitchen worktop. There's only about 1-2 cm gap under the worktop so I cant put it on rollers and cant really lift it, so to remove I need to slide it across the floor.

We are getting a new vinyl floor fitted in a week or so and am obviously keen to avoid damaging it by sliding a heavy washer over it.

What are my options? As repairmen you guys must regularly have to remove these without damaging people's floors - is there a trick of the trade?

Cheers

 

[bathjobby]

Walk it side to side.

 

[johnxl1s]

put some fairy liquid under and walk it, , not a lot really just take care or get it tiled

john

 

[kevin_robson]

As I said the gap at the top is not very big at all - and at the side for that matter - walking it will be impossible.

Any other ideas?

 

[bathjobby]

Your setup is standard and walking them in and out is standard, even though you may only be able to walk it an inch (30mm) or so (or less) at a time. Yes it takes a while to do it.

 

[Diyisfun]

put some fairy liquid under and walk it, , not a lot really just take care or get it tiled

john

Spot on, but if you also have a thin sheet of metal, you can tilt machine back, slide metal, add washing up liquid (dosnt need to be fairy )
Sooo easy

 

[johnxl1s]

mmm ........10 years with indesit, north london.

retired form it at 30,

john

 

[empip]

This looks good ...
Don't know if available in UK, probably not difficult to make up from plastic tho'...

You get six interlocking polyethylene tracks with lipped edges; two of the six 3-3/4"x26" long tracks remain under the appliance feet and out of sight. When it's time to move your fridge or stove, simply interlock the other four tracks with the two already there, and slide the appliance out easily - on the tracks, not the floor, protecting it from scratches and gouges.

 

[JohnD]

... When it's time to move your fridge or stove, simply interlock the other four tracks with the two already there,

50p says "the other four tracks" will have been put in the shed or garage, and lost or thrown out.

 

[breezer]

when i was with HP, we had a "rolf harris wobble board" due to us engineers causing so much damage (no more damage since i had one)

one customer said to another engineer
"where's your wobble board like the last engineer had?"
engineer "don't need one"
customer "well, i think you are wrong as you just ripped my lino"

the rolf harris wobble board was basicaly a 3mm thick sheet of semi rigid plastic that was about 2 inches wider than the m/c (i used to polish mine on one side to make it even easier)

I was the only enginneer to keep re ordering them, as after a few uses the corners broke off

what about a sheet of perspex from a diy shed and polish one side (mr sheen)

 

[Trog]

I pull my appliances out by feeding an upside down thin door mat under the front feet. Then just sliding them out, pulling from near the top so as to keep the weight of the back end.

 

[kevin_robson]

Cheers All,
There's a few ideas there for me anyway. I like the wobble board one. Has it got a proper name to search for on the web?
I'll have a wander around b and q and see if anything looks like it might be suitable.