Best Practices Before Moving a Piano

Anyone who has attempted this is likely to agree that it is challenging to move a piano. Besides being heavy, pianos are very awkward to move around. A single misstep can cause damage, and piano keys are very fragile and easily shifted. Trying to move a piano without any knowledge or experience to move one can be very frustrating for both the movers and the instrument. Learning how to move a piano is largely about having foresight, planning, and common sense.

Planning How To Move Your Instrument

The first thing to do before even lifting or figuring out how to move a piano is to plan out exactly what will be done with it. This means understanding exactly what kind of piano is being moved, how heavy it is, and how far it needs to go. Even the smallest variations of the instrument can weigh several hundred pounds, and the more common studio or grand pianos can weigh from 500 pounds to over 1,000. The next thing to know when figuring out how to move a piano is its exact size and shape, as well as the exact size of every doorway and hallway it needs to move through. Here is a guide on how to get an estimate of the weight of your piano. Determine whether wrapping is necessary, as this will help minimize potential damage to both the piano and the home.

The Actual Piano Moving

There are a few ways actually to move the piano. If there are no stairs to be dealt with, it can be lifted onto a balanced trolley that can support its weight and then pushed to a moving van. When stairs are involved, or trolleys aren't an option, however, things become complicated. Before moving, always close the lid on the piano keys because of their fragile nature. Make sure everyone who is lifting knows where they are going and keep everyone on the same page. When moving downwards, have more people lifting the downward end, where most of the weight is. Always move slowly and take frequent breaks to catch a breath to ensure a safe, clean move with minimal damage or problems.

Safety Measures

A significant part of knowing how to move a piano is knowing how to be safe while moving it. Because the average piano weighs over 500 pounds, mistakes can be painful, damaging, and sometimes fatal. When moving a piano downstairs, make sure everyone on the lower end has enough room to move out of the way should control be lost.

It is also important to research the staircases involved and make sure they can support the piano and all people who will be carrying it at once. Using equipment such as straps or dollies helps to minimize risk. As previously mentioned, planning can save hundreds of dollars in property damages and, in the worst cases, hospital bills.

Knowing how to move a piano comes down mostly to common sense and an understanding of safety measures. Although being safe can certainly make it a slow process, it is necessary and useful to know exactly how to move a piano beforehand to keep the damages low and the process smooth.

If you are looking to move a piano around Florida or for piano movers in Sarasota, call our hotline at 941-202-5554.