One of the greatest challenges for anyone who owns a piano is moving it. Apart from being heavy, pianos are oddly shaped and very fragile—which makes it a challenge to move them. However, this doesn’t mean you cannot move a piano. In fact, the job is very easy—so long as you have the right piano moving equipment.
so, what moving equipment?
These are the tools that you will need to lift, secure, and move piano safely from one location to another. Having the right tools will protect both the piano and the movers during the entire moving process. You will avoid issues like strained muscles, a scratched piano surface, dented railing, and scuffed walls so long as you have the right piano moving equipment.
You will need the following tools when moving a piano:
- 4-wheel dolly
- ramp
- Dolly straps
- Moving straps
- Dense cloth/blanket or plastic wrap or padding
Please note that all these items are interdependent and you will need all of them for the move to be a success. You can easily find these items in most hardware or home improvement stores.
In this post, we shall discuss how to use a piano dolly to move a piano.
How to use a piano moving dolly properly
First, you will need to look for the right moving dolly, if you don’t have to make some costly mistakes. The 4-wheel dolly should be at least half the length of the piano you want to move.
Step 1: ensure you have at least 4 movers and the right dolly
Place the dolly under the piano (make sure it’s in the middle). It should be a few inches—around 2 inches from the pedals. Now, ensure there’s a move at both ends of the piano, and an extra move in the front to assist in steadying the piano as you move it on the dolly. Lastly, you should have a fourth mover, who should help you to spot any possible collisions with the furniture or walls.
Step 2: hold the piano firmly
The movers on the sides of the piano should lift the piano from underneath the end of the keyboard area using their left hand, and use the right hand to firmly grip the handle behind the piano. Now, the mover standing in front of the piano should stand behind the piano dolly, and hold underneath the keyboard.
- In case the piano doesn’t have handles on its backside, you should find a horizontal board close to the top of the middle of the frame—the movers can grip that. If the board is close to the top of the frame, use your palm to push it upward.
Step 3: place the piano on top of the dolly
Now, the movers on both ends of the piano should start lifting the piano from a crouching position. This prevents their backs from straining since their legs will bear most of the weight. Now, lift the piano to clear the dolly’s height. The person standing in front of the piano should support and guide the piano and assist the other movers to ensure the piano is placed in the middle of the dolly.
- When placing the piano on the dolly, be careful not to support its weight on one or both of its fragile front legs. You can avoid this by slightly tilting the piano backward as you lift it.
Step 4: securing the piano on the dolly
You will need straps to secure the piano on the dolly. To do this, pass the straps over the piano and beneath the dolly. Once done, you can now tighten the strap ratchet once you are done. You can use a rope to secure the piano on the dolly—don’t forget to tie a rope knot when you finish securing the piano. Besides, ensure you cover the piano with sufficient padding to prevent the straps or ropes from damaging the piano’s surface. Lastly, ensure there’s enough tension so that if you lift one end of the piano, the dolly moves with the piano.
Step 4: rolling the piano out of the home
The movers at both ends of the piano should slowly guide it outside the house, and into the moving truck. Cautious when moving the piano over uneven surfaces—always make sure it’s stable. The mover who was lifting the piano from the front side can assist the spotter to guide the piano.
Step 5: securing the piano on the truck
Slowly roll the piano into the truck, and push it to the wall between the truck’s cabin and carrier section. Now, fasten the piano lengthwise using the moving straps to the fastening points inside the truck. Always make sure the straps are well-fastened to the extent that you cannot shift the piano by more than an inch.
Bottom Line
According to the professional movers at Torex piano moving company from Toronto ensure you have enough manpower for the entire job to be smooth. Besides, you will need to check the dimensions and weight of the piano, as this will allow you to get the right moving tools.
