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.

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.