What is the Safest Way to Move a Piano? Hire the Professionals
Moving a piano requires a lot more skill and forethought than simply being able to lift heavy weights. If you have chosen to move your instrument without the help of a professional removals company, then there are some important points to consider in the process.</>
Firstly, under no circumstances should you try to undertake the task alone. The job requires a team of between 2 and 4 people, all subject to the type and style of the piano and its uplift and delivery requirements.
Once you have found your moving partners, ensure that you have sourced the correct equipment, including:
Heavy duty straps; to give you something to grip.
A furniture dolly; for easy movement, ideally specialist Piano Wheels.
Wrapping or padding; to cover the piano and protect it from inevitable bumps and scrapes.
Packing tape; to secure the wraps.
Remember that each piano differs in shape and size, so you will need to choose specific straps, dollies and wraps to match. You may need advice from a professional piano removals company in order to get most suitable pieces for the job.
With all of your materials to hand, it is time to prepare the piano for lifting. Before you do anything, you must remove as many items as possible to lighten the load and ensure they don’t fall off during transport. Following this, you should secure the lid by either locking it or wrapping it tightly. Never use tape on the wood, as when removed, it could damage the finish.
Once the lid is secure it is time to wrap it – once again avoiding the surface of the wood when you tape the blankets up. It can be a hard task ensuring that the entire piano is covered well enough to remain safe. It is best to get expert advice on how to manage the job properly.
When everything is sufficiently wrapped, you can start to move it. This is the most critical point as, unlike a lot of other pieces of household furniture, the inner mechanics of the piano are extremely delicate and one wrong move could spoil it.
Tilt the piano onto one end and then slide the dolly or piano wheels under the piano, or pick the piano up by placing the straps under the bottom. Each take hold of one end of the straps and then lift in unison and shift the piano to the dolly.
Next, move the piano to the truck. It is advisable to secure it with the moving straps at the back of the truck (nearest the driver). It is imperative that the piano doesn’t move around in transit. One way to help this is to sit it on pieces of wood, so it doesn’t have to battle with uneven truck flooring.
To get the piano out of the truck and into the house requires the reversal of everything above. Pianos are best situated next to an interior wall where they are away from cold and damp. Don’t forget, you will need to get it re-tuned once it is in place.
Taking into account the manpower needed to move a piano and the risks and costs involved with doing it wrong, not to mention the added hassle of trying to navigate stairs, elevators or awkward spaces, it is recommended that a professional is called to do the job.
Companies such as Britannia Sandersteads are specialists in piano logistics and have been in the piano removals business for years. They can be trusted to do an exceptional job and deliver your beloved instrument safely to its new home competently and cost-effectively. Please get in touch with us today to find out more about our expert services.