Pianos are among the most popular musical instruments in the world. They are beautiful. But as beautiful as they are, they are also extremely heavy (a small upright piano can weigh more than 350 pounds, while Grand pianos can easily weigh over 1,000 pounds) and their finishes are very weak against scratches and dents. This all means that moving a piano requires some planning and definitely some effort. And if you’re not hiring professional movers, you absolutely need to know the following tips. For more, please join our Facebook community, ‘LIKE’ and jump in the conversation. #1. Get 3 physically fit friends to help you. There’s no way you (or just you and your partner) can do it alone. #2. Have all the right equipment in place. You’ll need: Heavy duty straps to hold the piano tight. A furniture dolly that can support its weight (preferably a four-wheel dolly with rubber wheels), lots of padding material, and a truck big enough to hold the piano and have enough room around the edges, so nothing comes in contact with it. #3. Close and lock the piano’s keyboard lid to make sure that it won’t open during the move, and damage the fragile keys. #4. Lock down the fall board. #5. Wrap the piano in padding that is secured with tape. You can also use protective plastic over the padding for extra security. #6. Never lift the piano by its legs and never wrap any straps around the legs, or tie them down. #7. Always keep the piano in the upright position. Lying it on its side can disturb the internal mechanics. You can put the straps under the piano and have one person each hold one end of one strap. The piano can then be lifted on to the furniture dolly and secured tightly. Since most of the weight of a piano is located towards the back, it will have a tendency to tilt over, so be very careful. #8. While moving the piano toward the truck or from the car to its new location, make sure that you hold on to the handle all the time. Lookout for door jambs and thresholds which can make the ride bumpy. #9. Have a clear route from point A to point B in mind, before moving the piano. #10. Most of the times, a piano will need tuning after a move, regardless of distance. The best thing to do is to let the piano "sit" for at least one month in the new location before tuning it, to allow all the mechanics to adjust to the new environment. Join us on Facebook and SHARE a pic or video with us of you playing the piano, we’d love to share the moment with you. To beautiful music, US Storage Centers
