How to move a piano the right way

Everyone loves doing big projects by themselves, especially when you can save money! However, moving a piano is not one of those tasks. Most people will think that all it takes is muscles to move a piano. But they often forget that protecting the instrument is just as important. You may know that a piano has 88 keys, but did you know that they usually have more than 10,000 moving parts? Moving such a delicate, heavy, and complicated instrument without damaging can be difficult. That’s why you should hire professional piano movers NJ because we are equipped to do this safely. But a bit of preparation can still help.

How to move a piano yourself

If you’re really keen on the idea that you could move a piano by yourself, it’s important to be prepared. You’ll need proper equipment and the help of Aceline Moving NJ professionals. You also need to make sure the piano goes through every doorway in your house. Measure everything and protect the piano by covering it and adding padding. Carefully put it onto a dolly or piano skid board, making sure you strap it down to make sure it’s secure. It’s best if you have someone to help you do so. Once you move a piano into the moving truck, you will need to secure it with more straps. Take a look at our checklist below:

1. Measure your new space.

You want to ensure that your piano will fit in its new place. Measure the room, doors, and staircases to see if there are no obstacles to getting the instrument to its new home.

2. Make sure you have the right equipment to move a piano.

You will need piano dollies, straps, and padding. However, the specific supplies you’ll need to purchase will vary based on the type of piano:

• For an upright piano: Piano dollies.
• For a grand piano: You will need to find a specialized piece of equipment called a piano board or piano skid board for easier packing. This board will require additional materials such as strapping and padding. So you need to ensure that it is the right size for your specific piano.

3. Understanding what size moving truck you’ll need.

This is a rather tricky step, but you can start by making an inventory of all your stuff. Especially write down and measure large items such as your piano and other furniture. You can use that data to select the correct size of the moving truck for your move. Or call us, and we’ll easily handle this step for you because we have years of experience.

4. Clear all the paths before attempting to move a piano.

Make sure you have a clear path from the point where your piano stands, through every door, and all the way to the new location for the piano.

5. Depending on the type of instrument you have, you will need to take several steps to move it:

• Relocating an upright piano: Make sure that the piano dollies you have bought are able to carry the whole weight of the piano.
• Relocating a grand piano: You should detach the legs of a grand or baby grand piano before moving it. Secure the instrument to the piano board we described above with straps and a screwdriver.

6. Loading the piano in the truck and making sure it is securely tied down.

The piano should be one of the first things you load on the truck. You need to double-check that you’ve secured the piano with straps and ropes that will prevent movement during travel.

7. Retune the piano shortly after you relocate.

Moving a musical instrument, even when everything goes perfectly smoothly, can cause the piano to go out of tune. Be prepared to call a professional who will tune it after the move. But you will also find that many experts advise waiting a month before doing so.

What not to do when moving a piano

Now you know the steps to properly and safely move a piano by yourself. But we need to advise you against it. Still, here are a few mistakes you can avoid you follow our tips:

1. Don’t forget pianos are heavy.

Putting the piano on a scale to find out how big the project is going to be is tricky. But do not worry. We are here to help you figure out how much the piano weighs. Weight guides the strategy you need to implement for the move. You will need to navigate tight passageways, corners, doors, and, maybe even stairs. Here are the weights of some popular piano brands and styles:

Upright

• Young Chang 121: 496 Pounds
• Steinway & Sons Model 1098: 480 Pounds
• Bösendorfer 130: 582 Pounds
• Baldwin BH-122: 542 Pounds
• Yamaha P22: 490 Pounds
• Steinway & Sons Model K-52: 600 Pounds
• Kawai K300: 500 Pounds

Grand / Baby Grand

• Mason & Hamlin Artist Grand Piano BB: 1,090 Pounds
• Steinway Model D Concert Grand Piano: 990 Pounds
• Steinway Model S: 540 Pounds
• Yamaha C3 Studio: 705 Pounds
• Young Chang Y185: 671 Pounds
• Mason & Hamlin CC: 1,399 Pounds
• Steinway & Sons Model B: 760 Pounds

2. Don’t cut costs when it comes to enlisting the help

Those weights present a pretty big challenge, so you’ll need to recruit a lot of help. You will need to use the right equipment and protection. Call us, because you will need a lot of professional gear, and a helping hand. To move a piano, you need a four-wheel piano dolly, specially designed piano padding, and piano straps tightened to the correct tension.