How to Move Heavy Marble

Marble's unique, variegated structure makes the material both very fragile and extremely heavy.

Marble is a versatile material that's used in a variety of different artistic and functional applications from home countertops to priceless works of art. While marble's relative softness as a material for carving and shaping makes it ideal for intricate work, its density and fragility make it a challenging material to move. Follow the proper procedure when moving a heavy marble object to prevent damaging the item or hurting yourself.

1. Crate your marble piece for extended moves in crowded cars or freight trucks. You can obtain an appropriately sized custom marble crate from specialty movers in your area.

2. Prepare your marble for transportation by wrapping it in moving blankets. Secure the blankets tightly with bungee cords.

3. Determine the number of people needed to move your piece. Remember that marble is remarkably heavy for its size. A good rule of thumb for marble pieces with a large surface area, such as countertops, is to allot one person per 2 feet of marble edge.

4. Lift the marble piece into a vertical position. Because marble is extremely prone to cracking, the weight load should be distributed vertically for the duration of the move. Stand countertops on edge with the long sides of the rectangle parallel to the ground. Although it can be tempting to lay tall, unstable marble pieces such as columns or statues on their sides, this orientation dramatically increases the risk of fracture.

5. Grasp the marble at the base, with your knees bent and your back and arms straight. Lift the marble straight upward, flexing the legs, rather than the back. Slowly move the marble to the desired location and lower the piece back to the ground while bending at the knees.

6. Lay several stacked moving blankets on the floorboard of your vehicle if you must transport the marble by car. Slide the marble sideways into the car and onto the blankets and allow it to rest upright against the back seat or side panel.