Challenges You Have To Deal With When Moving a Piano

Moving a piano is no easy feat, and it's something that should never be taken lightly. Whether you need to move from your home, move to a new performance venue, or store it elsewhere, you will likely face several challenges when moving a piano.

This blog post will guide you through the two biggest challenges you might have to deal with when moving a piano and how a moving company can help.

Handling the Size and Weight

Pianos are incredibly heavy and bulky. Unlike an ordinary piece of furniture that you can lift or move easily, pianos can weigh anywhere from 200 to 1200 pounds. In fact, grand pianos are particularly challenging to move for this reason. Not only are they heavy, but they are also oversized, which means they cannot be transported like an upright piano.

Some large grand pianos may require disassembly, and you might need to remove the legs and pedals to transport them more easily. These parts can sometimes be difficult to put back in place when you get the piano to its new home, especially if you don't have the right tools or know-how.

That's why it's always best to hire a professional piano mover who knows how to dismantle and transport a piano safely. When planning the move, the movers may also need to measure the piano to determine the best way to get it out of your home and into its new one.

They have to make sure it will fit through any spaces, door frames, and hallways it needs to go through. This way, qualified experts can guarantee that they can actually get your piano to the new location in the same condition it was when they picked it up.

Navigating Stairs and Narrow Doorways

Unfortunately, many homes aren't built to accommodate large items like pianos. Even if you have a smaller upright piano, you may still encounter some issues when moving it in and out of your house.

Stairs and narrow doorways can make the task much more difficult, especially if you don't have enough people to help with the move. The situation gets worse if the piano has to go upstairs or down steep stairs. Even the smallest of bumps can damage the piano and cause irreparable damage.

Thankfully, professional movers understand this and will use specialized equipment like furniture sliders, straps, and dollies to ensure your piano is safe. Furniture sliders, for instance, are placed between the piano and the floor to allow the piano to slide more easily. Dollies are also helpful if the movers need to navigate through tight doorways, as they help distribute the piano's weight evenly.

If you're moving a grand piano, they may need to install heavy-duty equipment like stair climbers and hoists on each level of stairs. Stair climbers are basically large wheeled carts that help the movers transport heavy items up and down stairs.

The hoists come in handy when the stair climbers aren't an option since they allow the movers to lift and lower the piano through windows or other openings. But before doing this, they must first check if the frame is strong enough to support the piano's weight. They'll also cover delicate surfaces with padded blankets to protect them from scuffs and scratches.

Prioritizing your piano's safety and taking precautions against scratches, dents, and other damage is key to a smooth move. Entrusting the job to reliable movers like Christofferson Moving & Storage ensures you can move your piano with minimum stress and worry. Just give yourself plenty of time to go over the details of the move with us, and we'll be sure to get your piano safely delivered to its new location.