A piano is a heavy yet delicate instrument that absolutely requires special handling when it comes to moving. Professional moving services that have experience transporting specialty items will ensure the move goes smoothly. Proper planning, proven techniques and the right equipment is used to protect both the instrument and your home’s walls, corners and floors. The following tips will help you safely move your piano.
Essential Tips for Moving a Piano Safely
How the times have changed. Twenty years ago, it was much more common to see people in Chicago moving pianos–be they uprights, baby grands, or grand. Today, well, it’s easier to buy an electric keyboard or synth containing thousands of pre-built sounds. Nonetheless, we still see our share of piano moves and a question we get is “How to move a piano?” Well, there’s an easy answer and a hard answer to that question, so let’s get into it.
The Easy Way—Hire Professional Movers
Yes, we get it. We consider ourselves some of the best Chicago professional movers, so of course, we’re going to advise that you hire other professional movers or us when transporting a piano. Hiring a full-service long-distance moving company can make a complicated piano move much safer and less stressful. Why? Despite the fact that the sheer number of different types of pianos each creates a different kind of moving obstacle, you then have to contend with the challenges posed by both where you’re moving it out of and to, which are likely considerable.
Plus, while packing art yourself is one thing, given that art is often priced similarly to some pianos, it sometimes makes sense to call in the professional. So, call us biased, but this is one situation where we consider using specialists. Plus, pianos are heavy and awkward. If something goes wrong, you could really hurt yourself as well as potentially damage your pricey musical beauty.
The Hard Way—Doing It Yourself
Now, when it comes to moving a piano yourself, there are countless articles online to advise you on the many different types of pianos out there and how they should be moved. As we often say, planning is key to any move and it’s especially important here.
- Confirm Piano Type and Needed Equipment – You’ll likely need at least one dolly, furniture straps, and a rental truck, depending on the size of the piano. Oh, and you’ll want a team of willing friends, as moving a piano by yourself is a recipe for an emergency room visit.
- Wrap It – When preparing the piano, wrap it in blankets and do not trust those metal casters or wheels to get you any further than a few steps; they were not built for this kind of moving.
- Communicate – Teamwork makes the dream work, right? Get your team together and organize a plan for how you’re all going to work together to get the piano into the truck or van, either by lifting it or placing furniture steps and working it gently onto the dolly. In some cases, the piano may be light enough to carry onto the truck, but believe us, those cases are far and few between. If it’s an upright piano with a flat top, your best bet is to flip it upside down and place the flat top on the base of your flat dolly. This will make it much easier to move and provide a solid foundation for transport.
- Use Your Ramps – Once the piano is safely on the dolly, now is the time to use a metal ramp to bridge the gap and mind it ever so carefully as you inch that precious piano up into your vehicle of choice.
Now, if you’re set on figuring out how to move a piano by yourself, at least give us a call so we can give you a few pro tips. But really, if hiring a full team of movers is outside your budget, consider hiring at least one of our expert specialty movers to oversee the move. After all, no matter how much research you do on the internet, nothing beats the experience of a Chicago moving professional.
Ensure a Safe, Stress-Free Piano Moving Experience
Moving a piano is a big job that requires careful planning, the right techniques and the appropriate tools. While doing it yourself is possible, hiring a professional moving company is your best bet to avoid the risk of damage or injury. Professional movers have the skill and experience to ensure your piano arrives at its new location safely.
Move Your Piano Safely With Chicago’s Top-Rated Moving Company
At New City Moving, we understand that a piano is a valuable instrument that deserves expert handling. From start to finish, our team of professionally trained movers will ensure your piano is transported safely. Call 872-314-2148 today or schedule a free quote online.