Moving one piano can be more complicated than moving an entire house. This large instrument is not just heavy, it’s highly delicate. Making a mistake while moving it may ruin the sound quality while scratching your walls, cracking staircases, and hurting your back.
The best way to move a piano is to hire professional piano movers. These people know all the ins and outs of the process and are highly likely to get the piano to a new location in one piece.
However, if you’ve decided to do the job yourself, you’ll need these smart tips.
1. Use Special Equipment
Even if you are trying to save on the professional moving services, you can’t save on the special moving equipment. Four or six-wheel dollies are a must for a large piano. You also need to invest (or rent) in special piano straps, piano loading pads, piano covers, skid board, skid board clamps, and more.
By failing to take advantage of the special equipment, you could ruin the piano.
2. Make Measurements
Before moving the piano, you have to ensure there is a secure path for moving. Measure doorways, elevator doors, and other places you are planning to move through. Perhaps you’ll need to wrap something around sharp corners and use floor protection.
If you live in an apartment, timely elevator measurements can help you understand whether you need to take the stairs. If you do, make sure the stairway is duly cleared for the move.
3. Practice Weight Distribution
The key to moving the piano successfully is to distribute its weight during the move. Scratching or denting a piano slightly is unlikely to damage it. However, it may never work again after falling. You should ensure proper weight distribution to prevent over tilting.
While tipping over a piano may ruin it, it’s likely to injure the movers in the process. That’s where straps come in. Ideally, at least one of your helpers should have some experience moving heavy furniture using a dolly.
4. Get a Team
You won’t be able to move a piano with just one assistant. According to experts from a Toronto moving company, Torex Moving, you need at least four people to do the work. Two of them will be moving the piano. The other two will support them and deal with the equipment.
Correct use of the moving equipment can ensure proper weight distribution. However, lifting, pulling, and pushing is unavoidable. Accordingly, all four movers have to be in good shape. If you have back or neck problems, leave the task to someone else.
5. Go Slow
Moving a piano is tough work. Don’t try to rush through it. The slower your pace is, the less likely you are to make a mistake. Remember, if it took you 15 minutes to move a desk from the office to the truck, it’s likely to take you at least twice as long to move a piano.
Rushing a piano move doesn’t just make it tougher on the instrument, it may result in unfortunate injuries.
6. Load It First
The piano should be the first thing you load into the truck in order to provide the best safety. When you load the piano, make sure you adjust the dolly’s caster wheels so they don’t move when you don’t want them to.
To ensure the piano’s safety, you may want to wrap blankets around it. This way you can avoid scratches and cracks.
If you follow the above tips, you can simplify your piano-moving task and get it to the new location in one piece. However, if you want to have peace of mind, it’s better to hire a moving company.