Saturday 1 October 2016

Moving a Wardrobe

For the whole of September our street has been blocked. Our neighbours across the road, Laurent and his family, have had their roof completely redone by local Preuilly firm Couverture Veron. The house is a holiday home and Laurent et al live in Alsace, coming down a few times a year for short breaks and a whirlwind of renovations. The truck and lifting machine used by the roofers, not to mention their scaffolding, has meant that the street has been blocked from 8am to 5pm every week day at the level of our courtyard. At night and over the weekends they have been parking their lifting machine in our courtyard, and that led us to have an idea.

 The wardrobe is loaded into the scoop.

In return for the use of our courtyard, which didn't really inconvenience us because we have space out the back as an alternative to park the car, we asked the roofers if they would help us get a wardrobe upstairs. They benefitted by being able to leave the big machine on site for the whole of the job, rather than having to drive it back to the depot every evening. The wardrobe we wanted moved has lived in our sitting room and stored things like guitars ever since we moved here and discovered it was too big by just a few centimetres, to go up our stairs and into our bedroom. What we wanted was for them to lift it up to the first floor bedroom window, which it would easily fit through.

 The apprentice rides up with the wardrobe. 
(I suspect he is taking the opportunity here to perve into Anne and John's workshop across the road.)

I explained our problem and we set a date for just after lunch the day before they finished Laurent's roof. We shuffled furniture as necessary and cleaned behind things that hadn't seen a vaccuum cleaner or a duster for quite a long time. I was rather shocked to see just how dirty one corner of our bedroom really was. 

 I couldn't get a photo of him doing his tightrope act, but here is the roofer, 
one foot on the windowsill, one on the scoop.

We lined the lifting machine's scoop with cardboard and lifted the wardrobe out of the sitting room window on its side. It isn't heavy or very large and fitted quite neatly. Just to be sure it wouldn't move though the apprentice roofer travelled up in the bucket with the wardrobe. On reaching the right height and distance from the upstairs window the roofer driving the machine stopped, hopped out of the cabin, tightrope walked up the hydraulic arm and jumped in through the window. Then he, the apprentice and Simon lifted the wardrobe in and set it down. Unbelievably easily done, taking no more than 10 minutes (probably less).

 Simon and the roofer lift the wardrobe in through the first floor window.

The wardrobe matches the other one in our bedroom, and the bedside tables. It is part of a suite of furniture that Simon acquired when he bought a house in Australia and the furniture was left in the house. There is also a bed and a dressing table, which we have in the guest bedroom. It is well made of some Australian hardwood (no doubt a eucalypt of some sort). It will be nice for Simon to have something a bit classier than a blue teflon zip up wardrobe for his shirts. But the guitars will have to find a new home.

A big thank you to the Veron roofing guys, who were friendly and careful throughout.

16 comments:

Colin and Elizabeth said...

One good turn deserves another... Great idea well executed by the looks of it.

Le Pré de la Forge said...

Guitars... easypeasy....
a blue, teflon, zip-up wardrobe!!

Susan said...

Unfortunately not so easypeasy. The blue teflon thing doesn't have a floor and there isn't space for it in the planned new arrangement in the sitting room. It will have to live in the barn and hold coats we never wear or something. The guitars really need to be in the sitting room for easy access if Simon wants to play I think.

GaynorB said...

Good idea.
A few guitar stands and they will be nice to look at and so much easier to pick up and play...

Unknown said...

Imagine - the adventures of a well travelled wardrobe.
Jocelyn

Jean said...

A problem solved.........until you decide to move house!

Simon said...

It's actually more a question of environmental concerns. They don't like extremes of heat or cold

Le Pré de la Forge said...

I was not even considering anyone putting them in the barn..... I go with Gaynor's suggestion!!

Susan said...

We have a 3 guitar stand somewhere...

Susan said...

Hi Jocelyn! Good to hear from you.

Susan said...

Well, yes, I know. It crossed my mind when we did it...

Simon said...

A few guitar stands won't cut it - I have 2 basses, 3 guitars, a banjolele and a uke...

Unknown said...

I lurk - and appreciate your informative posts, and envy you.

Jocelyn

(Don't know how to become known.??)

Susan said...

You could sign up for a Google account, but it probably isn't worth it. I know who you are when you put your name at the bottom of the comment. I'm glad you enjoy the blog.

Le Pré de la Forge said...

Not a problem Susan... you now have the contacts!!

Aussie in France said...

My brother in Australia has all his guitars and Ike's and whatever hanging on the wall of the living room. It has one of those hanging bars along its entire length which makes it easy to take the guitars on and off.

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