A DIY Moving Guide: How To Move A Piano Like A Pro?

Dec 29, 2022 Did you know that over 20% of households in Australia have a piano, and over 31% of Australians play this popular instrument? Playing the piano at home is considered good as it helps ease any stress, anxiety and depression you might face. It also helps improve your memory, motor skills, focus, comprehension, and IQ. But when you move in and out of homes in Canberra, it can be difficult to carry these pianos with you. This is because pianos are heavy to carry as an upright piano can weigh anywhere between 135 to 400kgs, and a grand piano can weigh around 200-544kgs. Besides the weight, pianos are also delicate and expensive items that cost you a fortune. Thus, you must take utmost care when moving a piano, and it is always good to hire professional removalists in Canberra to help you out. However, if you are tight on money or want to move your piano on your own, you must follow the below safety tips and methods: Safety Tips

• An upright piano is narrower and lighter than a grand piano and is thus easier to move on your own. But grand pianos are heavy and need to be lifted and moved with advanced equipment, and thus it is advisable to get professional removalists in Canberra to help you out or ask 4-5 strong friends to help you.
• You should gather all your packing and moving supplies to keep your piano secure so that it does not get damaged while you are moving the piano.
• You should use the proper techniques to lift and load your piano so that you do not injure yourself by falling with the piano or straining your back.

Keeping these safety tips in mind, you can now follow this DIY method to help you move your piano like a pro:

Method To Move Your Piano

1. Measure Your Piano

The first thing you need to do is to measure your piano to know what its dimensions are and whether it will fit in your new home. There is no point in enlisting professional removalists in Canberra to help you and buying all the moving supplies to find that your piano does not fit through your doorway.  This step is useful when you are moving any kind of furniture items to your new home so that you can do it safely and efficiently.

2. Measure Your Doorways And Paths

Once you have measured your piano, you must measure the hallways and doorways of your old and new home so that you can map out a route for the same. If your piano is too wide for your doorways, you might have to unhinge a few doors to move your piano.

3. Map Out A Route

With these dimensions, you must map out a route and find the quickest and easiest path to get your piano onto your moving truck. Find the doors and hallways wide enough and closest to your main door, so you do not have to carry your piano for a long period.

4. Gather Your Supplies

Now that your route is mapped out, you can arrange packing and moving supplies. Here are some important supplies furniture removalists in Canberra recommend you arrange for a stress-free move:

• Moving blankets to wrap around your piano
• Piano dollies to move your piano
• Piano skid boards to move your grand piano
• Tie-down straps to keep your piano in place on the dolly and truck
• Stair ramps to help move your piano up and down your stairs
• Packing tape to keep blankets in place
• Strong gloves that will protect your hands and give you an extra grip
• Bubble wrap to protect the piano lid and pedals

5. Moving An Upright Piano

With all your supplies in place, you must follow this checklist to move your upright piano safely:

• Start by closing and wrapping the lid and pedals with bubble wrap.
• Next, drape moving blankets over your piano from all sides and secure them with tape.
• Your moving blankets should be strong and thick to protect the piano from scratches and dents but should only add a little weight to the piano.
• Next, disassemble the legs of the piano to make it easier to lift.
• Ask your strong friends and neighbours for help lifting this piano onto your moving dolly.
• Once you have lifted the piano onto the dolly, secure it with tie-down straps and carefully move it via your set route.
• Next, load your piano onto the truck via the dolly and secure it with tie-down straps to keep it safe in the vehicle.

6. Moving A Grand Piano

The procedure for moving a grand piano is slightly different than an upright piano, as the former is heavier.

• Start by disassembling the legs of the piano to make it lighter. A grand piano has two sides, a flat and a curved side. You must remove the legs from the curved side to keep the piano balanced.
• Once you have disassembled the legs, place bubble wrap over the lid and pedals.
• Next, wrap the piano with moving blankets to secure the front, bottom, and sides.
• Use packing tape to keep these blankets in place.
• Next, you must ask your friends or neighbours to help you load your piano onto a piano board.
• Move your piano along the route you have mapped out and use stair ramps if you are moving your piano along any stairways.
• Load the piano onto the rental truck and secure it with tie-down straps to keep it from moving around and getting damaged.

Additional Tips

• Have someone at the front of the truck when you unload it so that you can easily carry it into your home.
• You can place moving blankets at the bottom of your truck to keep the piano from getting damaged.
• Always lift with your legs and not your back to avoid any common moving injuries.
• Ensure you keep the piano close to your body and do not twist or turn your body, as you could get injured.
• Lastly, get as much help as possible, and if it seems too daunting a task, it is better to let professional removalists in Canberra move your piano.

Conclusion

Using the above tips and methods, you can move your upright or grand piano to your new home in Canberra. You must make sure that you use enough safety precautions and lifting techniques to keep yourself and your piano secure. Once you have moved your piano to your new home, tune it after a day.