I am planning to install a large wooden work table in my basement. The top is 10 x 4 x 3" which means it will weigh about 500 pounds.
The problem is: how do I get it into the basement? The only access to the basement is down a flight of stairs. It is a straight shot, no turns, but I still need to get it down the stairs without damaging anything, so sliding is not a good idea.
Even with 4 men, each can only lift about 100 pounds, so that is not enough strength, and I don't see how I could get more than 4 men lifting the table. In fact, going down the stairs, it would be difficult to fit more than 2 men, one at either end.
Best Answer
That is a big piece of wood. There are three obvious approaches:
Get some professionals to do it. A grand piano weighs more than that (and is more awkwardly shaped). Professionals will have the experience and equipment to do it safely, and the indemnity insurance to pay if anything gets damaged.
Slide it gently down the stairs (possibly manufacturing a slideway out of a plank or two, or just cover the steps with blankets). Use ropes looped around the table to restrain it, and possibly a block and tackle to reduce the load until it is manageable. (With the block and tackle, you can probably arrange not to have anyone standing below the table as it goes down - which strikes me as desirable).
Don't try and move the top as a single element. There is no way it can be made of a single lump of solid wood, so buy the elements separately, and assemble them at the bottom of the stairs.