Any move is stressful for homeowners and their families. Stressing about the fate of their belongings can turn the process into a nightmare. Besides expensive equipment, some people have to think about moving large musical instruments like pianos.
Pianos are large, heavy, and extremely delicate. It’s especially important to move them properly. Otherwise, they can get damaged and fail to work as well as before. Expensive and easily damaged items like pianos require extra care. To make sure your piano survives the move, you have to take a serious approach to preparations.
Here are a few tips to help you move your piano quickly and painlessly.
1. Choose the Right Moving Company
To move a piano, a moving company should have experience with relocating delicate musical instruments. The move also requires special equipment and packing materials. To make sure your piano is moved properly, you need to ask the moving company of your choice if they can get the job done.
Since not all moving companies may be ready to perform such a move, you need to make plans in advance. Start selecting movers the day you set the moving date. It could take several days to find the right one.
Remember, moving companies in any area are usually the busiest on weekends. Try to plan your move between Monday and Thursday. These days are the slowest for movers so you could make sure your company of choice is free to provide its services.
2. Wrap The Piano Properly
If you don’t plan to take advantage of professional packing services, it’s up to you to pack the piano well. Its safety and integrity depend on your packing efforts so make sure you have the right materials.
First and foremost, you need to protect the keyboard. Keys are extremely fragile and need to be protected especially well. If the keyboard lid doesn’t lock into place, you need to make sure it’s fully closed while wrapping the rest of the piano. Don’t use tape to keep the lid shut since it can leave a stain on the wooden surface.
The next step is to remove piano legs and pack them separately.
You don’t need to buy special wrapping materials to move a piano as long as you have several thick blankets. Wrap the entire piano in blankets and secure them with packing tape. Make sure the tape doesn’t touch the piano surface.
3. Learn How to Lift the Piano
If you don’t plan to hire professional movers, you need to learn how to lift the piano. When lifting the piano, make sure never to use its legs (they should be removed and packed separately). Once you lift it into a position, make sure it’s still upright. Putting a piano on its side can damage its delicate mechanism.
To move a piano, you need at least two people. You need to put furniture straps on each end of the piano. One person should lift the piano by one strap. To make sure their actions are synchronized, you may want to bring in another person.
The third person can also watch the process to make sure the piano doesn’t hit any corners or furniture while on its way to the truck.
4. Choose a Place in a New Home
Before you move the piano, you need to choose the best place for it in a new home. It should be the last item to go into the truck and the first one to come out. If you leave bringing it into the house for later, you maximize the risk of banging it against furniture.
Make sure to tune the piano after the move. No matter how carefully you relocate this instrument, it’s likely to need tuning.
The Takeaway
Pianos are delicate instruments that need to be moved with utmost care. Ideally, you should hire professional movers and get moving insurance to minimize losses in case something goes wrong.
If you need to move a piano on your own, ask at least two people for help. Take your time packing and lifting the instrument to avoid any unnecessary damage.
