7 Do’s and Don’ts When You Move a Piano

Whether you want to relocate your piano to a different room in your existing house, across town to a new home, or put it in storage for a short time, there are some dos and don’ts you should keep in mind to help safeguard your delicate yet expansive instrument.

Pianos have over 10,000 moving parts and components, with most having an average of 230 wires (strings). Because of the inner workings of your piano, you must exercise caution when transporting or storing it to avoid harm.

Moving a Piano – The Do’s and Don’ts 

Furthermore, the piano’s size and design might make moving and storing it difficult. The weight of a standard upright piano can range between 300 and 800 pounds. Some uprights may weigh over a thousand pounds! Grand pianos are approximately double the size of an upright piano and weigh between twelve and thirteen hundred pounds.

There are also some incredibly elaborate grand pianos that may cost upwards of £2,000! Then there came the baby grands. While the term “baby” implies that they are genuinely lower in size, their weight falls between uprights and grands, so they are still incredibly heavy. 

The Things to Consider 

Aside from the weight and delicate nature of your piano, you must consider the limited doors, narrow stairwells, and other structural obstacles of your present home or apartment building while moving the piano. 

Do questions like can you transport a piano on its back or can you lay a piano to move it often crosses your mind? We’ve got your back by putting together the 7 most relevant dos and don’ts of moving a piano in this blog post! 

The Crucial Do’s

• Do Close & Secure the Keyboard Lid

Do close and secure the keyboard lid. Even if you are not going that far, you must preserve the piano’s sensitive sections.

• Do Take Lots of Measurements

Do take measurements of your piano. Take hallway measurements. Doorways should be measured for width. You want to be sure your piano will fit; otherwise, you’ll have to disassemble it. Remove the legs and other sections if it won’t fit through doorways or hallways. Most pianos have detachable parts that make relocating them simpler.

• Do Hire Professional Moving Support  

Do hire the services of a professional piano moving company. The sheer weight of the piano necessitates using the proper moving equipment to transport it from one room to another—not to mention, if you have to disassemble it, you’ll need a professional who understands how to reassemble it correctly. 

• Do Clear the Path 

Do remove any impediments in your path. You want a clear passage from the piano’s existing location to its new placement. Furniture, lamps, end tables, carpets, and other items must be moved out of the way. There should be nothing in the path that you can run into or trip over.

• Do Check If the Piano Is Securely Fastened 

Check that the piano is securely fastened inside the moving vehicle. To secure the piano inside the truck, your piano moving company will utilize special furniture-grade straps.

• Do Remove the Legs of Your Piano

Always remember to remove the legs of your grand piano when moving. They are a very delicate part and can easily break. Also, removing them can help easily fit the piano into your moving truck, but if you’re wondering can an upright piano be moved on the side to manage space, it’s a clear no. This can result in severe damage to the settings of your piano. 

• Do Reset the Tuning of Your Piano after Moving

Always remember to resent the tuning of your piano after the movement process gets completed. Whether you’ve touched them or not, there’s a chance that your tuning gets disturbed amid the movement. 

The Don’ts for Piano Moving

• Don’t Push or Tug on the Piano’s Wheels

The wheels on the ends of most piano legs are ornamental. Because they are seldom utilized, these wheels will seize. If you try to push or drag the piano and the wheels lock, it will put additional strain on the legs, which may shatter. Furthermore, the metal wheels might cause harm to hardwood floors and carpeting.

• Don’t Push the Piano Movement to the Last Minute 

Don’t push the movement of your piano to the last minute. It can put both you and the moving support into haphazard and might result in causing damage to your very delicate yet expansive equipment. 

• Don’t Use Plastic for Wrapping 

Don’t wrap the piano or any of its parts in plastic. Plastic is non-breathable and prevents air circulation. Use breathable cloth-based cushioning and materials that allow air to flow so that your piano’s detailed design and delicate material remain safe and secure throughout. 

• Don’t Leave the Keyboard Lid Open 

It’s very important to close the lid of your piano keyboard before starting to move. The keys of a piano are very delicate and could get badly damaged if left open. 

• Don’t Start Moving Your Piano without Professional Support 

You might feel like moving your piano isn’t that big of a deal and that you can handle it alone. The truth is that this instrument’s weight and delicacy are too much to handle, and only a professional mover can understand the cordiality of this process. 

• Don’t Use Cargo Straps To Secure Your Piano 

Since the piano is a very heavy instrument with all the delicate material integrated, always use heavy-duty furniture-securing straps as you load the piano into the truck. The cargo straps aren’t enough to secure your instrument. 

• Don’t Put Your Piano Last into the Truck

Since the piano is a heavy yet delicately crafted instrument, always make sure you put it first into the moving truck for ensured security. Also, ensure that the instrument is placed on a balanced surface. 

• Don’t Put the Entire Weight of Instrument on a Single Side 

Wondering can you lay a piano on its back to move? Well, the answer is a clear no. You must not put the entire instrument’s weight on a single side. It can end up damaging your piano. 

Now that you know all the dos and don’ts of moving a piano, you must wonder where to find the best movers to get the job done. Well, you’re at the right place because Orlando express movers are exactly what you need. We’re a top-notch moving company helping clients move from one location to another with all they have without any hassle or damage. 

No matter if your relocation was planned last minute, we also take same-day and next-day bookings to cater to clients with urgent moving needs. And the good news is – we’ve got the best piano moving experts on our team who can easily relocate your instruments with 100% safety.