On Sat, 13 Oct 2007 17:22:39 -0400, john
wrote:

A chain hoist properly fastened to the garage ceiling would make
unloading easy. A couple of tempory vertical columns on each side of
the ceiling attach point would hold 1000 lbs.

You are making some Really Huge Assumptions without knowing a single
thing about the structure you suggest be used as a lifting point. And
it's rash assumptions like that which get people hurt or killed, when
the building comes down on them.

But that's okay, we know you wouldn't dare try it yourself. But
it's real easy to make a Usenet posing for some other schlub to do it
at his house. ;-)

It might be doable IF there's a suitable heavy wood structural beam
(Say a 6"x16" supporting a set-back 2nd floor room) already right
where you need it...

and IF you can rig a suitable pick point fitting to spread the load
evenly from a lifting eye onto the beam...

and IF you can place lally columns to get that extra load down to
the floor with as short a span as possible...

and IF you can provide enough cribbing to spread the load out on the
garage floor slab - remember, there's no footings and if the sub-soil
wasn't compacted right or is water saturated a heavily loaded column
foot could punch right through.

Concrete doesn't carry tension loads worth beans, and they don't
require much steel in a garage slab - might have one sheet of 1/8" x
6" x 6" welded wire if you're lucky, and that's nothing.

Before I tried a trick like that, I'd invite my friend the Architect
and his wife the Civil Engineer over to take a look (I'd probably end
up buying dinner...) and make sure I was on the right track and not
overlooking something obvious. And potentially deadly.

-- Bruce --