How to Move a Piano Up Stairs or Down

Moving a piano is a hard thing to do. It is actually harder than moving a regular household. Pianos are fragile and extremely valuable. They have both sentimental value and material value. And when you’re moving something so valuable your best shot at succeeding is by hiring professional piano movers NJ. Especially when you have to move a piano up or down a flight of stairs. However, you can also move a piano yourself. All you need is the right equipment, enough helpers and to know what you’re doing. So, if all you lack is the knowledge then you’ve come to the right place! Here you’ll learn how to move a piano up stairs or down!

DIY or hire professionals?

Moving any type of piano up stairs or down is one hell of a job. However, some types are harder to move than others. Just compare a grand piano with an upright piano and you’ll know what I mean. If you have a grand piano and a flight of stairs, no one would blame you if you changed your mind. After all, professional piano movers exist for a reason.

So, what you can do is hire a piano moving company and sit back and relax. Or if you’ve already hired some moving company to relocate your household maybe you won’t even have to look further. Because who knows, maybe your residential movers NJ have an extra service that you need. Go to their website and look for extra services. If they offer piano moving you’ll find it there. If however, you feel confident enough to move a piano up or down stairs then keep reading to find out how!

The most important thing when moving a piano

There’s no use in getting the needed equipment and enlisting helpers if your piano can’t fit through your doorways, is there? So, the first thing you need to do is to measure all. By all, I mean your piano, doorways, hallways, stairs, corners and basically everything along the way. If your piano can’t fit through your doorway you’re in trouble. Again, you should think about hiring professional local movers in that case. Because they will deal with this now an even harder job with ease.

Taking all the help you can get to move a piano up stairs or down

If you didn’t know, upright pianos can range from 300 lbs to 800 lbs, while grand pianos can weigh up to 1200 lbs. Knowing exactly how much your piano weights is an important piece of information. Because depending on that you will decide how many people you’ll have to ask for help. Most professional movers move pianos in a team of 2 to 4 people. However, since you need to move a piano up or down stairs you’d better think about asking a few more people.

Now that we’ve cleared out that there’s no way you can move a piano up stairs or down on your own, let’s talk about help. Obviously, the first ones that come to mind are your friends and family. You should try to get, as mentioned above, at least 4 friends to help you. But you can try to enlist as many helpers as you can.

What equipment do you need to move a piano?

The last part of preparations is getting that much-needed equipment. Let’s just say that without the right equipment you risk injuries and damage to your piano. The equipment is the same no matter whether you’re moving a piano up stairs or down. So, here’s what experts like Aceline Moving NJ say you need:

1. moving straps
2. dollies
3. (plywood) planks
4. moving blankets
5. duct tape
6. gloves

Dollies and planks are the most important thing here because they are the key to maneuvering the piano. Keep in mind that you will need enough planks to cover the entire length of the staircase.

How to move a piano up stairs or down

Believe it or not, there are only three steps to moving your piano up stairs or down! And without further ado:

Step 1

Remember that route we talked about? Well, your first step is to map out the route. It should be the shortest way from the piano to the moving truck. Use those measurements to determine the best route. It is of the utmost importance that you do this step before you start moving the piano. Because the alternative is to try one route only to find out that you have to change it all the while carrying the piano.

Once you know the route, it’s time to prepare it. Move all the furniture along the route. And finally, starting at the bottom, use those plank to create a ramp over the stairs.

Step 2

The next step is preparing your piano. The first thing to do is to close the lid over the keys and secure it. Now, depending on what type of piano you have, you can either disassemble it or not. If you have a grand piano you can remove its legs and pedals. Whereas, if you have an upright piano you won’t be able to remove any parts.

After doing that it’s time to wrap the piano with moving blankets. It’s imperative that you cover the piano completely so it doesn’t get damaged. Use the duct tape to secure the blankets. Once the piano is completely covered you can put it on the dolly and secure it with moving straps.

Step 3

Here comes the hardest part – moving your piano up or down the stairs! At least one person, but preferably more, should pull the piano on the dolly while the other person pushes it from the other side. Furthermore, at least one person should be next to the piano to keep it steady on the dolly. Roll the piano till you get to the staircases and ramp. Once there, proceed very slowly down or up the ramp. It’s important that you communicate with your helpers and to do everything in sync. And that’s how you move a piano up stairs or down!