Need to move a piano, but not sure how? We understand! After 25 years of moving pianos on a weekly basis, we know these large, fragile and heavy objects are not the easiest things to move.
If you want to tackle the piano yourself, find out in a few steps to see how our professional piano movers would handle your piano.
1. Measure
Before you start moving, measure the piano, walkways, doors and staircases to make sure there is a clear path and no obstacles in the way. This includes sharp turns and bends the piano may have to manoeuvre through because the last thing you want is your piano getting stuck in the elbow of the hallway.
You also want to measure the new location where the piano will be going and the path that needs to be taken so there are no hiccups at the delivery destination.
When hiring a moving truck or van, make sure the truck comes with a moving ramp or hydraulic lift so you can easily place the piano onto the truck. If you are hiring a van, make sure the van is tall enough to accommodate the height of the piano when kept upright.
2. Equipment
To ensure you don’t dent any walls, pull a muscle or scratch up your piano, you will need the following equipment:
- Piano dolly/trolley
- Furniture blankets
- Tape or shrink wrap
- Moving straps
Piano dollies, furniture blankets, moving straps and shrink wrap can be purchased at Bunnings or your local hardware store.
Piano dollies can be quite pricey especially if you only need them for a one-time use so it may be better to hire them from an equipment hiring company. They are a very strong construction and are able to sustain the weight of a piano. They have solid rubber wheels and have thick rubber bumpers along the top and ends of the dolly to protect the piano. The rubber wheels make it easy to manoeuvre the piano via non-flat surfaces such as steps.
3. Protection
Before you begin moving an upright piano, you want to secure the piano with tape and furniture blankets so it is protected during the move.
Start by taping down the lid so it covers the keyboard and doesn’t open up during the move. Then, wrap the pedals with a seperate furniture blanket and tape or shrink wrap. Once all the components are ready, wrap the entire piano using furniture blankets until it is completely covered. Secure the furniture blanket in place with tape and shrink wrap so it doesn’t come undone while it is on the go.
If the piano is a baby grand piano or a grand piano, it will need to be dismantled prior to wrapping it up. The legs and pedals should come off and wrapped in furniture blankets separately.
You can add extra padding to the corners of the piano if you are worried about marking your walls while navigating the piano to the truck or van.
4. Lifting
The weight of the piano will determine how many people are required to move it. Most upright pianos can be moved with 2 or 3 people if the access is flat at the uplift and delivery address. If the piano has to go through a flight of stairs, then 4 or more people may be required. Baby grand pianos and grand pianos may need up to 6 people depending on the weight of it.
Begin by having 1 person on each end of the piano. Bend at your knees, and lift the piano up and place it on the piano dolly. If a third person is available, have the third person help put the dolly in place. You can use moving straps to help lift the piano up.
Tie the piano in place to the dolly with moving straps.
Making sure there is 1 person on each end of the piano, carefully move the piano to the truck or van. If the truck has a ramp, you will need to push and pull the piano at the same time to balance out the weight. If the truck has a hydraulic lift, make sure there is one person on each side of the piano holding it in place with a third person controlling the lift.
Take the piano off the dolly and secure the piano to the truck or van using the moving straps so it does not move around during transit. If you are moving other items along with the piano, it is best to load the piano as the first item on the truck so it can be secured towards the back of the truck and other furniture items and boxes can be placed in front of it for additional protection.
When you have arrived at the piano’s new home, repeat the process in reverse. Don’t forget to organise a piano tuner before you begin playing again.
