In a warehouse or on a shop floor no one worries that a hand truck may leave scuff marks on the ground. The main concern is simply transporting loads back and forth across the floor quickly and safely. At home, moving items with a hand truck involves a little more consideration to protect the floors and the objects being moved.
A hand truck is perfect for moving those heavy appliances around your home, but you really have to be careful. The hand truck is made up of metal, either steel or aluminum, and so is the appliance. The friction rubs metal on metal and you could end up scratching your brand new washing machine on the hand truck.
To prevent the hand truck from scratching the appliance, you will need to obtain some pipe insulation that is made from dense foam rubber. Cut the pipe insulation to the length of the hand truck and cut a slit down the back of it. Slide it over the hand truck rails on either side and secure it with a few pieces of duct tape. You may need to tape it to the hand truck itself, otherwise the tubing will slip out of place when you lift and tilt the appliance onto the hand truck.
Even if your hand truck has skid-free tire you must still take precautions when moving your appliances. This is because of the heaviness of the hand truck after it is loaded up. If anything sharp such as a stone should get caught up in the wheels it can inflict a nice scratch on a previously beautiful floor, so try if possible to cover the expensive floor with cardboard.
For those who don’t have big pieces of cardboard another option is to use a drop cloth which is readily available at any home improvement center. While it is easier to use than cardboard it doesn’t offer the same level of safety because it is not as thick and another co is that you will need someone to hold the cloth tight as you wheel the hand truck or it will just get all messed up.
Although because of all these issues you might just thing that it is just easier to move the furniture or appliance by hand, DO NOT MAKE THAT MISTAKE. Doing that can easily cause injuries to your back which is a lot more costly to repair that any appliance or furniture and a lot more painful to boot. So be smart and just use that hand truck wisely!
If you have heavier loads and are looking for full control the magliner 2 handle hand truck is a good choice. If you have lighter loads you might want to look at the magliner single handle hand truck