21 February 2023 Piano Moving: How to Transport Your Instrument Safely

Piano Moving: How to Transport Your Instrument Safely

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Did you buy a new house? Are you ready to move?

Moving a piano can be a daunting task. 

Pianos are heavy, bulky, and delicate instruments, and even the slightest mistake during the move can result in severe damage to the instrument. Whether moving your piano to a new home or transporting it to a performance venue, it is essential to take the necessary steps to ensure its safe transportation. 

Where do you begin?

Plan ahead

Safety increases when you plan ahead. Decide on the route you will take, and make sure that it’s clear of any obstacles. Consider narrow doorways, stairs, or tricky corners that might make it difficult to move your piano. You should also consider the weather conditions on the day of the move. If there is rain or snow, ensure that you have the equipment to protect your piano from moisture.

Hire a professional piano mover

Moving a piano is not a job for amateurs. If you are not confident in your ability to move the piano, it is best to hire a professional piano mover. These professionals have the experience and equipment to move your piano safely and efficiently. You can also use a piano dolly or a board to safely transport the piano.

Prepare your piano for transportation

Before moving your piano, you need to prepare it for transportation. Remove all loose items from the piano, including sheet music, covers, and other accessories. Secure the piano lid to prevent it from opening during the move. Wrap the piano in a moving blanket or bubble wrap to protect it from scratches and other damage. You can also use a piano dolly or a piano board to transport the piano safely.

Use proper lifting techniques

Pianos are heavy, and lifting them improperly can result in serious injuries. If you lift the piano yourself, make sure you use proper lifting techniques. Bend at the knees and use your legs to lift the piano, not your back. It is also a good idea to wear gloves to get a better grip on the piano. However, keep in mind that pianos are bulky, oversized, and very difficult to move. One wrong shift can break off the legs or compromise the keyboard. If you don’t have experience, it’s best left to the professionals. 

Transport a piano carefully

When transporting a piano, make sure it is adequately secured. If you are using a truck or a van, the piano should be secured with straps or ropes to prevent it from moving during transport. If you are transporting the piano on a dolly, ensure the wheels are locked to prevent it from rolling during the move. You should also drive carefully and avoid sudden movements that can cause the piano to shift.

Conclusion

Moving is complicated at best. While getting into a new home might be exciting, arriving with damaged goods can lessen the experience. 

Transporting a piano requires careful planning, preparation, and execution. Whether moving your piano to a new home or transporting it to a performance venue, it is essential to take the necessary steps to ensure its safe transportation. If you are not confident in your ability to move the piano, it is best to hire a professional piano mover to do the job. We can help. 

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14 July 2015 5 Biggest Challenges To Avoid When Moving A Piano

5 Biggest Challenges To Avoid When Moving A Piano

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Moving even under the best of circumstances is stressful at best. But when you add in oversized items that have special meaning, the stress can increase tenfold.

Proper planning is the starting point for a successful move, followed by having access to the correct resources for the job. Many times problems can be avoided simply by relying on resources that have experience doing the task at hand. A general mover has experience in moving standard items – boxes and furniture. When you throw in out of the ordinary items – like a piano – the struggle begins.5 Biggest Challenges To Avoid When Moving A Piano

Packing and Unpacking

When a mover comes into your home, they have experience in moving everyday items. They bring the right box for your dishes, for example, and understand that by wrapping each in bubble wrap, and tightly fitting them together in the box, they will most likely make the move in perfect condition. The same does not apply with out of the ordinary things. A grand piano cannot fit in a box, and bubble wrap will have little effect. A proper piano mover has access to the right equipment and the right protection to make sure your piano is moved safely from location to location.

What if it breaks?

A grand piano can be worth thousands of dollars. A grand piano may have sentimental value, or have been in the possession of one of the greatest piano players of our time, making its value priceless. Regular movers don’t understand that as they are trying to “heave-ho” it through a small doorway. And in many cases, they won’t offer full value when mistakes are made and your piano is damaged. Regular movers may say they “cover” and insure whatever is on their list to move, yet you may think twice about the likelihood of your prized possession actually making it to its final destination in one piece.

Safety

Imagine two guys lifting a grand piano onto its side and trying to wedge it around a corner, down the stairs, and through tight doorways. That’s a lot of stress on a piano. It’s even more stress on the bodies of the people moving the piano. Moving is a high risk job, with injury potential at every turn. And when you add in out of the ordinary items, risk and injury is almost guaranteed … unless you have the skills and the tools necessary to do the job the right way.

Moving day

When moving day arrives, the day stretches on and most often takes far more time than anticipated. Now add in additional time for moving a large, bulky piano. What if it gets wedged in around a staircase? What if it simply won’t go down? A move can increase from a day to several days if you don’t have the proper resources in place. And calling in an expert with emergency expectations is always far more stressful than having it planned from the beginning.

Storage

What if you are moving into a rental until your new house is complete? What if you downsize into a home and your piano simply doesn’t fit? Where will you store your piano until further accommodations can be made? A general mover may recommend a storage unit out by a warehouse. A piano mover can guide you to proper placement to keep your piano in the safest conditions until decisions can be made.

Generalists are rarely the answer when doing out of the ordinary things. If you are planning a move in your future, start by calling an experienced piano mover first, and reduce your stress immediately by having one less thing to worry about on moving day.

Filed Under: Owning a Piano, Piano Moving Tagged With: ,
24 June 2015 Why Hire A Piano Mover?

Why Hire A Piano Mover?

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I was visiting a friend over the weekend, and took notice of the neighbor’s moving out of their home. They had hired a moving company to help with the furniture. Two men quickly went back and forth between the home and the truck, loading up the belongings.Why Hire A Piano Mover?

After a short while, they exited the home with a large upright piano between them. Huffing and puffing, they pulled, pushed, wiggled and shoved this poor instrument until it made its way out of the door. Needing a rest, they leaned it up on end, balancing it on its weakest, most fragile legs. And from there, they banged and bumped it down a flight of stairs, rocking it as they made their way down to the ground level and out to the truck. Then not so carefully, they wedged it between a dresser and a table, and threw a blanket over the top. On to the next piece of furniture.

Unfortunately, that is a common scenario.

Pianos – both uprights and grand – are not furniture. And moving like it is just another piece of furniture can have its costs.

  • Imagine breaking a leg off the front.
  • Imagine breaking a pedal.
  • Imagine a heavy dresser or table smashing and breaking through the frame.

Your valuable instrument can have extensive damage in a matter of moments.

Piano uprights can be moved intact. Grand and concert pianos must be carefully dismantled and moved in pieces. These parts must be wrapped in special blankets, with a board fastened around it with straps.

Once a piano is secured, only then should it be moved from its location to the truck. A piano moving company will have a special dolly to help move it across surfaces. Great control is needed as a piano is moved down stairs and through tight corners and doorways. A professional piano mover also understands that it is sometimes easier to hoist a piano rather than move it up or down stairs.

A piano is a refined instrument that is highly sensitive to moisture, heat and cold. Imagine what happens to a piano that spends several day in below zero weather during transport. Or a piano traveling across desert climates in the middle of July. Without a properly equipped truck to handle varying levels of temperatures and humidity levels, a piano can quickly be damaged from the inside out. It’s not just the bumps and bruises that have impact.

While movers are invaluable for getting you into your new home, rely on them for your furniture, and rely on professional piano movers for your piano. You won’t be disappointed.

Filed Under: Owning a Piano, Piano Moving Tagged With: ,
6 August 2014 5 Things You Should Know Before Moving Your Piano

5 Things You Should Know Before Moving Your Piano

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Have you ever witnessed how a furniture mover works? They are very efficient in the way they move. They can lift easier, turn it to make it fit perfectly even through the narrowest of spaces, and pull out a tool or two to make the job even easier.

You hire them because they are efficient at what they do.

Yet no matter how much experience they have moving a large dresser or an extra long couch, doesn’t prepare them for the delicate items that need a little more TLC.

That’s where expert service is needed. And in the case of moving your piano, anyone but a piano mover simply can’t provide the amount of expertise needed to make sure your piano arrives in the best of shape. They are heavy. They are bulky. They are quite valuable. And in many cases, a standard moving company won’t offer you any guarantees that your piano will arrive in great working condition if you choose to include it in on your move.5 Things You Should Know Before Moving Your Piano

Piano movers are efficient in the way they work because that’s all they do. They have the right tools for the job, and know exactly how to move your piano from one place to another without the problems.

Ready to move your piano? Make sure you keep these things in mind.

Plan The Move

Moving is difficult; there are many things to think about. Yet the more planning you do upfront, the more you share with your movers, the more seamless the process will be on moving day. Tell your piano movers what type of piano they will be moving, and provide details on where your piano currently sits, and where it will be moved to. Provide information on narrow doors, long hallways, or how many stairs there are in the process. The more they know, the better prepared they will be the day of the move.

Work With The Other Movers

Movers have their own rhythm. They know what to move into the truck first to maximize space. They can also create a “mess” in the process as they move things around to get to the things they want first. Before the move begins, tell your movers what time the piano movers will be at your old house and when they will arrive at your new one. This is especially important if you aren’t in one place or another – make sure they know about each other and work together.

Clear A Path In Both Places

What makes moving a piano different than other furniture is its bulk. A piano – especially a grand piano – needs more space for the move. Make sure the movers leave a clean path for piano moving, to ensure greatest efficiency of everyone’s time.

Do You Want The Piano Tuned?

When a piano is moved, it goes through a lot of movement and jostling. Its also the easiest time to lose its pitch. If you would like your piano tuned once its in its new home, be sure to mention it so its included as a part of your set up.

Remove Personal Items

Its easy to assume the piano bench is the perfect place to keep music and books safe during the move. Yet its also an easy way for things to get lost. Take an extra minute and place all personal items in a box for full protection until you are in your new home, unpacked and ready to go.

Filed Under: Piano Moving Tagged With: ,
8 November 2013 Piano Moving Myths and Facts

Piano Moving Myths and Facts

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Myth: Anyone can move a piano

Fact: Piano moving is a specialty in itself. The average upright piano can weigh anywhere between 400 to 900 pounds. Grand pianos start at Piano Moving Myths and Factsaround 600 pounds and can go up to 1300 pounds and beyond. The value of a piano can range from several hundred dollars all the way up to a million or more, depending on make, model, age and condition. Add in the bulk, shape and size a piano has, and its easy to see why a piano has very unique situations when it comes to moving. Household movers understand how to move furniture and appliances in and out of your house. But adding in the unique nuances a piano gives adds a whole new dimension to the common every day move. If you trust anyone outside of a professional piano mover, you have to ask yourself first “Am I willing to take a risk?” Not only is it risky to the mover – injuries can be substantial – its also risky for the piano, especially if its antique or has sentimental value.

Myth: Moving a piano just needs more people

Fact: While brute force works in some cases, piano moving isn’t one of them. Imagine 8 people trying to move a piano by manhandling it. They pull and shove, rock and flip it, push and jerk it around until they move it from your room to the truck. Then repeat to get it back from truck to house. Piano movers believe in leverage, and with a series of special techniques can move a piano in what might appear to be effortlessly. People always exclaim after witnessing piano moving “I’ll never attempt it on my own again.”

Myth: A professional piano mover won’t damage the piano

Fact: Yep, we’re all human. Just because you hire a professional doesn’t mean the chance for injury or damage still isn’t there. Its simply decreased tenfold because of the knowledge and experience. A professional will assess the situation and will offer you options if there is a risk. And though they will do everything in their power to make sure your piano makes it safely from one place to the either, understand that at times, things happen.

Myth: To find the best piano mover, simply call the first one you find

Fact: Just like in every other industry, not all businesses are created equal. Some piano movers will take shortcuts and do things in a less than professional manner. While some piano companies that have been around for years will offer you the best customer service and attention to detail as possible. Call around. You’ll quickly be able to tell who you should trust.

Myth: Moving a piano takes very little time

Fact: If you need your piano moved on a specific day or for a specific event, make sure you give yourself plenty of time to make the move a reality. In most cases a piano mover can be scheduled for your move with a day or two’s notice. But the more specific your arrangements are, the more lead time you may lead. As soon as you know a move is in your future, start the process so you can ensure you get the true professional you need to ensure the safety and security of your piano.

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