# Forum Home Renovation Structural Renovation  how to lift up heavy roof beams by yourself?

## wozzzzza

i am building a carport and verandah, there are 5 x 200C section beams i have from 4-6 metres in length that i need to lift up 3.8 metres to bolt them in place.  i cant do it myself, i have only 1 ladder, is there anyone who can give me methods of lifting these beams up into place somehow? pulleys or something?
i can do the 150C section beams myself, easy enough,not too heave but the 200C ones are too heavy.

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## DJ's Timber

The norm is to hire a small crane or get a crane truck, especially at that height

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## echnidna

Hiring a crane isn't convenient sometimes so I've used a pulley and rope and towed them up with my ute  
or pulled them up with a ratchet hand winch (a chain block would be a great way too)

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## Calm

If you can handle one end use the ladder at one end and ropes & pulley at the other end. Take it a bit at a time and you should get there.  Get one bolt in the ladder end then go to the other end and bolt it up.

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## pharmaboy2

hi 
2 methods I've used. 
the first is to simply hire a genie materials hoist - place under and wind up to required height - about $150 a day to hire 
the other is to attach to the frame a series of steps (timber will do) so that lift it 500mm, sit on frame, secure with a  ratchet strap, go to other end do the same  etc etc, slowly getting it to the top - I usually go in 1.5m increments which is from feet height to shoulder - but that depends on how heavy 50% of the weight is. 
if the lifter will do it, it is by far the easiest method, especially if you have a few to do.

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## peter_sm

No chance of getting any nearby helpers. There are often willing helpers once beer is mentioned!

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## Make it work

I made a crane using 75 X 75 RHS and a 4wd winch, worked perfectly and is now sitting in my back yard waiting for another job. Shame you are so far away.

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## DavidG

A slab or two. Some bread, sausages and onion plus an invite to nearby board members???????

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## skot

wozzzza,
I recommend using a Genie Duct Lifter as pharmaboy2 said. 
I am in the process of building a Mezzanine Floor in my workshop and I used 2 different types and found both of them did a brilliant job. 
The smaller one pictured below only went to 2.7 metres which was great for the beams but then I needed to get the 21 mm plywood floor sheets up onto the joists I hired a bigger one which lifted approx 300 kgs up to a height of 5.5 metres. I did it all by myyself and it only cost $115 for a days hire and that included the hire company cost of delivery & pickup. 
Mind you that was a local Hirer and not one of the big ones...eg Kennards..but it was worth it even if it cost twice that much...only way to go. 
The only requirement is that you would have to have your floor down already...preferably Concrete Slab 
Hope this helps

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## wozzzzza

yeah i was thinking one of them lifter things, but thought i would ask if anyone has any better ideas, might try the pulley system first. thanks.

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## OBBob

I use two of them together to lift a 450 x 115mm 7m long laminated beam ... 5.5m up! Worked well even on my own.

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## autogenous

> there are 5 x 200C section beams i have from 4-6 metres in length that i need to lift up 3.8 metres to bolt them in place

  How much is it to hire a Tom Thumb or a Franna for 2 hours?  
Get any other stuff up there at the same time? Get any other stuff craned into the backyard same time. Timber?
If your organise you can drop the trusses on top of the C channel and lift them up later with a mate and nail them off. 
Honestly risking your mate blowin spinal vertebrae or tearing the back out of your car for the sake of what maybe only $200? 
4 hours, job done, no wheel chairs involved. More work done. Some times money spent is less danger, more work done, no havin to do 6 other blokes week enders. 
If you have plate to go on the C channel drill and bolt the truss plate off before you lift them up. 
You place the steel while the crane does the work. It doesn't get easier than that. 
Make sure the Mrs does some top of the wazza grub and a 6 pack of good beer or wine for ya mate to take home.

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## DaveD-75

http://www.funnyphotos.net.au/userim...1149744710.jpg   :Biggrin:

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## quercus

Definitely use the Genie lifter, I had some 300 UB's to lift, and it was a piece of cake. safe too. Getting them half up with pulleys and drunk mates might be possible, but that's when things start to go wrong, and gravity has a habit of making big bits of steel very dangerous on the way down. 
I had to get a franna to move a 5 ton concrete tank the other day cause the crane truck that delivered it couldn't get in the driveway. Cost $460 for about 10 minutes work, mainly because it was after hours, and I couldn't leave it out in the street. -( Minimum hire, and travel time depot to depot)

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## attie

I sometimes use a painters trestle, sometimes 2, depending on the weight with a block and tackle

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## wozzzzza

hired one of the genie lifters for a day, $100, lifted them all up, bolted them on, piece of cake, wish i owned one of them lifters, easiest beam placement ive done this whole project those larger ones with lifter.

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