How to Move a Piano
Should You Do It Yourself or Hire Professionals?
The piano is one, if not the most valuable item in your home. It is heavy, delicate and awkwardly-shaped that moving it across the room requires careful planning and some muscle. Now imagine the kind of effort you need to put when you need to transport the piano through a flight of stairs, elevator, and then load it into a truck before heading towards its new home interstate.
Sure, you might think that you have enough strong friends to help you lift the piano up and place it into the truck, but you probably didn’t realize how things can go wrong in so many ways just by attempting to do it yourselves. The small delicate parts could move inside, its surface can get scratched, it might hit walls and furnishings or you might even break your back. Without expert knowledge and understanding, these mistakes could very well be more expensive than you thought.
How to Move a Piano
What type of piano is it?
It is essential to know your piano first before you move it. Spinet pianos are the most common types of piano found in most homes. It stands upright, weighs approximately 300 lbs. and around 3 feet in height.
There’s also the upright piano which varies in size and weight. Smaller “studio” versions can weigh between 400 to 500 lbs., while large ones can go half a ton. They also stand somewhere between 4 to 5 feet.
And then there’s the grand piano. Baby grand pianos weigh around 500 lbs. while grand concert pianos typically weigh around 1300 lbs.
Now, knowing what piano you need to move, you can remove the legs if they are removable, close the lid and then cover it up.
Get the right measurements
First, you need to measure the piano itself, as well as the staircase, doorway, and elevator which it needs to pass through. You also need to measure the space where it will be relocated to make sure it fits. Its new home must have little to no sun exposure and ideally has enough room for an audience.
Get the right gear
Don’t attempt to lift and move the piano with your bare hands. It wouldn’t suffice, and it’s only a disaster going to happen. You must secure some heavy-duty straps and non-slip gloves to help you lift the piano up safely. You also need a thick padding to cover the piano up as it is being transported and prevent the risks of scratches and dents. Importantly, you need a dolly to easily bring the piano up to the truck and then bring it down when it reaches the destination.
Cover it up
Although the piano looks massive and heavy, it is also very delicate. A scratch can easily mar its beauty. You need to cover it up with a thick blanket or padding to keep it safe and secure on the move. For added measure, secure the blanket or padding into the piano with a packing tape.
Plan your route
You should have a clear path as you move the piano. Move furniture that may be blocking your way as well as keep the door open. If the door has any sharp ages that may scratch the surface of the piano, cover those up with towels. It is also essential to set up ramps and dollies to make the transport as seamless and straightforward as possible. Set up the ramps should you need to go through a flight of stairs and get the dollies ready to load the piano up the truck quickly and securely.
Lift the piano the right way
Improper lifting can cause severe damage to the piano, as well as to your back. Before lifting it up, you need to use heavy-duty straps to secure the piano in place. You also need at least one person each side to lift the piano properly and safely. Do not lift the legs of the piano as they aren’t as strong and solid as they seem to be. Remove the legs first then lift the piano up. Gently place it down on the dolly and slowly move it inside the truck.
PIANO STORAGE
If you’re planning to move the piano by a great distance, such as to a new city or interstate, you need to make sure that the piano is stored correctly to keep it in good condition. It should be the first thing you load into the truck. You can then load other boxes to keep the piano in place and stable during the drive. When you reach the destination, the piano should also be the last thing you unload.
If you find it problematic where to store the piano for the meantime, you can enlist the services of professional piano movers who can both move and store the piano for you. When it comes to storage, your piano must be kept in a secure and well-ventilated place. The piano must be wrapped with a thick padding or wrap and elevated for a couple of inches to maintain the right airflow.
Should you do it yourself or hire professional piano movers?
The piano may be a huge musical instrument, but deep inside it is thousands of tiny moving parts that can get knocked off or misaligned due to poor moving practices. It may be tempting to ask friends for help, but without proper experience and the right knowledge, the move could end up a disaster.
It is in your piano’s best interest, then, to find the right people to move it. Hiring professional piano movers with the right equipment to make the move as seamless as possible is the smart play. They are insured and bonded which serves as protection for your precious piano as they do the job. They also know the piano and understand how delicate the moving process can be. In short, they make sure that your piano is in good hands and will arrive at the destination, safe and sound.
Earlier I didn’t realize that pianos were so heavy! But now I know Piano moving is an art. It makes sense why my mother would prefer to have a professional handle moving her piano instead of letting me do it.
Great tips on piano moving. Out of all furniture moving services we do, piano moving can definitely pose a challenge to a non-professional. Not just for injury prevention, but any minor mistakes can really damage the piano. Big risk! Hire a professional
The piano is very heavy stuff. Not possible for yourself moving and the piano is expensive and furniture stuff so very carefully to move. I am reading your blog and I get the easy tips for piano moving. Thanks for useful tips.
You did a great job on everything, thank you. Pianos are extremely heavy and their finishes are very vulnerable to scratches, nicks and dents.
That’s a good point that you should cover up the piano when you move it since they’re often very valuable and easy to scratch. I imagine there are special covers you can find, or you can use blankets and rope. If I were moving anytime soon, I would definitely want to hire a professional piano mover to avoid a lot of the problems I’ve heard about from friends.
Generally I do not read post on blogs, but I wish to say that this write-up very forced me to try and do so! Your writing style has been surprised me. Thanks, quite nice post.
I like how you brought up that piano movers have the right equipment for moving a piano. My wife and I don’t even know where to start on the idea of moving our piano, and we don’t want to ruin it either. Maybe calling in the professionals would be the best way to make sure it is moved without any damage to the piano itself and to our backs.
My friend’s dad has a beautiful and old piano that he has had for years and now that they are moving to another house, they don’t want to damage it. I like how you said to don’t attempt to lift and move the piano with your bare hands. I will recommend them to contact a professional piano moving company so that they can move it to the new place safely.
Amazing tips for moving a piano in the safest way. I’m totally agreed with the facts you explained in your article and this will really help a lot in the moving of a piano. You have to hire a professional moving company if you want to move your expansive piano safely.
My wife wants to purchase a piano so that she can start playing again, and then eventually give lessons to people who want to learn. I’m glad you mentioned that if lifted incorrectly, a piano will receive severe damage. It seems like it would be best to find a moving service to help us when we find one that my wife likes.
It’s good to know right off the bat that you’re not going to move the piano with your bare hands. My brother is moving this next week and he has a big piano. We’ll have to hire movers.
It was great that the article talked about using straps to secure the piano and to also have the help of another person lift the object. My cousin manages a moving company, and last week they had to move their first piano. It seems like a transport dolly will be something he should consider next time he as a heavy object to move.
Yes, I agree that the piano is one of the most valuable items in our home and also very heavy. If anyone wants to move somewhere he will have to face so many problems to move the piano from one place to another but your blog contains some amazing tips and information for us. Which will really help us, Keep posting.