...
Icon

Tips and Techniques for Moving a Piano

Moving a piano to another location is no easy feat.

No doubt, you’ve seen plenty of movies and cartoons that show how creative people can get when moving a piano. We’ve seen pianos precariously dangling from the side of a building as people walk below or being carried up a flight of stairs before one false move sends it crashing down. This is because pianos are notoriously hard to move due to their size, weight, and odd shape.

If you’ve got a piano that needs to be relocated and accepted the challenge to move it yourself. Here are some tips and tricks:

Find Out How Much the Piano Weighs

Grand pianos weigh anywhere between 500 to 1200 lbs; even a baby grand can weigh as much as 800 lbs. If you have an upright piano, it probably weighs somewhere between 300-350 lbs. Knowing how much the piano weighs helps you determine how many helping hands you will need.

Wrap the Piano

If the trip is a long one and you worry about the piano in the back of the truck along with other items that could damage or scratch it, wrap the piano in thick blankets that are secured with packing tape. Don’t forget to lock down the piano lids.

Find Helpers

There’s no way you can carry the piano all by yourself. Once you’ve figured out the weight, you’ll need muscle who will help you carry the piano from your home to the truck. A 500-lb piano is typically a 4-person job, possibly more. Once you get to your destination, you’ll have to get it off the truck and into its new space.

The job would be a lot easier if you had a piano dolly. You can either rent one or build your own. A piano dolly is a 2- or 4-wheel trolley that can help you smoothly move the piano along a ramp and flat surface.  It will help you fit the piano through tight spaces. After placing the piano on a dolly, you need to secure it with moving straps.

Assign a Leader and Plan Your Route

Assign a leader for everyone to follow as you maneuver the piano from the truck to the house. Whoever is leading should make sure everyone is holding the piano securely before anyone takes a step forward or back. You will need everyone working together especially if the piano needs to be carried up a flight of stairs.

As mentioned, a piano dolly would make life a lot easier when moving the piano from the truck to the house, through the doors, and up the stairs. You would simply use a ramp to move it along. You can build your piano dolly, but have to confident your level of craftsmanship; make one that’s not sturdy enough, and it could be crushed under the weight of your piano.

Alternatively, you could buy a dolly but those will cost a few hundred dollars. In fact, you’ll find that they range between $250 and $800. A more cost-effective option for moving your piano would be to hire professional movers. Born to Move only charges $300 for moving a piano. Give us a call today and let’s plan your piano’s move.