It is not cheap or simple to move a piano. Piano movers are specially trained to move these instruments, and the top long-distance moving companies hire them. If you are already paying for a full-service mover, hiring specialists may be the safest and most economical course of action.
Without expert assistance, moving an upright, baby grand, or grand piano is still feasible.
Despite being weighty musical instruments, pianos are fragile. Especially for long-distance moves, hiring a reputable moving company is the best method to guarantee your piano gets at its destination unharmed. Here are the procedures to follow while getting ready to transport a piano, nevertheless, if you wish to do it yourself.
Moving a piano requires more than one person, regardless of the kind. To assist with the heavy lifting, we suggest enlisting the aid of three or four other adults in addition to an additional person to oversee the project.
Pianos are not simply big, unwieldy, and heavy—they can break easily. Drops can be disastrous for both the piano and the people transporting it, making their safe transportation challenging. The expense of replacing or repairing a damaged piano should be taken into account when calculating the cost of employing professional piano movers. It may turn out that hiring an expert is the most affordable and safest course of action.
Whether you have an upright or grand piano will affect the materials you need to move it. What you might require is listed below in brief:
Tape measure
Bungee cords and packing tape
Shifting cushions or bedding
Strong lifting straps
For an upright piano, use a hand truck or piano dolly.
The grand piano’s piano board
You can get moving blankets from Uboxes, Walmart, Amazon, Home Depot, and Lowe’s, among other home improvement companies. Additionally, businesses like Penske, Budget, and U-Haul rent them out. Make sure you have enough blankets to completely enclose the piano and plenty of tape to secure them in place. These retailers also sell lifting straps and tie-down straps.
A 500–600-pound upright piano may require a dolly to sustain its weight. You will require a piano board, sometimes referred to as a piano skid board, for a baby grand or grand piano. Hand trucks, dollies, and skid boards are usually available from businesses that rent or sell moving materials.
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Lastly, make a plan and clear the way. After drawing out your route with the piano, take out any roadblocks. Move furniture aside, open or close doors, and keep children and pets out of the room.
Whether you are transporting an upright or grand piano will determine which actions to take once you are ready to move the piano.
To relocate an upright piano, use these procedures.
Shut the keyboard lid and lock it if you can. This will shield the keys. You can use tape to seal the keyboard lid if it doesn’t lock. Use caution when choosing a tape to prevent destroying the finish. Wrap the pedals in plastic or bubble wrap, then screw on the top cover.
After that, cushion the piano with blankets or other materials. Make sure the wrapping is thick enough to prevent scratches and bumps from damaging the piano, especially the corners. The blankets can be fastened using ratchet straps, bungee cords, or packing tape. An alternative method to secure the blankets is to encase the piano with plastic.
Assemble your moving crew. Placing two persons on opposing sides of the piano is the bare minimum for lifting it; nevertheless, it is preferable to have four people—two at each end. A second assistant should be prepared to direct the lifters and slide the dolly under the piano.
Underneath either end of the piano, slide a lifting strap. In a team of four, every member clutches one end of a strap. Every corner is thus supported by a different person. After arranging everyone, raise the piano onto the dolly or hand truck.
It might be necessary to move the piano outside before placing it on the dolly. Think about hiring a professional if you have stairs or an elevator to navigate. There is a significant chance of damage or injury due to these barriers.
The piano can be rolled into the truck after it is fastened to the dolly. A ramp is usually present on moving vehicles to facilitate this process. When transferring various objects, it is best to load the piano into the truck first and position it against the back wall. When moving a piano, use ratchet straps to keep it from toppling, rolling, or sliding.
Utilizing the dolly, unpack the piano from the truck after driving it to your destination. The piano should then be carried to its new place using the lifting straps. To clear paths and remove impediments, proceed in the same manner as you did when relocating the piano from your previous residence.
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To transfer a grand or baby grand piano, use these procedures.
Grand pianos require more preparation, even though an upright piano may be moved by one person. Before you begin wrapping, make sure everyone on your team is present. We advise using a five-person crew while working on a grand piano.
Take out the music rack and wrap it differently. After covering the piano lid with moving blankets, fasten it firmly with tape or a bungee cord.
The piano should be tipped over. As you use a screwdriver to remove the piano’s legs and disassemble the pedals, have your team assist it. Also, wrap each of these parts separately. To keep the screws from falling out, put them in a bag and secure it with tape to one of the legs.
In conclusion, cover the whole piano, including the keys, with blankets. To keep the blankets in place, loop tape around the piano many times or re-wrap it in plastic wrap.
While sliding the piano board underneath it, gently tilt the piano back to its original position. An alternative method would be to tilt the piano back and slide the lifting straps underneath before lifting it onto the board. To prevent harming the piano, go cautiously and slowly in either case.
After loading the piano onto the skid board, it may be rolled through the house and onto the vehicle. One individual should remain on each side of the instrument. Ratchet straps are used to fasten the piano to the rear wall of the vehicle. Fill the bench, legs, pedals, and music rack with gear.
Move the piano to your new house by driving the truck there. Place an individual on each side of the piano. The fifth person should aid in controlling the piano’s fall down the ramp and provide support or direction as required.
