Moving a Piano: What to Know
Pianos are heavy, top-heavy and full of delicate parts, which is a hard combination to move. Here’s what goes into a safe piano move and how to prepare.
Why pianos need a pro
An upright can weigh several hundred pounds and most of it sits high, so it tips easily. Grands are even heavier and awkward to carry. Under the case are thousands of parts that don’t like being jolted. Lifting a piano wrong can damage the instrument, the floor and the people carrying it. This is a job for experienced movers with the right equipment, not a few friends with a pickup.
Moving an upright
Movers wrap the piano in thick pads, close and secure the keyboard lid, and move it on a dolly, keeping it upright and balanced. Stairs, thresholds and ramps are taken slowly with a mover on each side. In the truck it’s strapped against the wall so it can’t shift.
Moving a grand or baby grand
The lid is secured, the pedal lyre and legs come off, and the piano is turned on its straight side onto a padded piano board, then strapped down. At the new home the steps run in reverse: legs and lyre back on, and the piano set level in its new spot.
How to prepare
- Measure doorways, halls and turns at both homes, and note any stairs (how many, and whether they turn).
- Clear a wide path and remove rugs that could slide.
- Decide exactly where the piano will go: an inside wall, out of direct sun, away from heating and cooling vents.
- Tell your mover the type of piano (upright, spinet, baby grand or grand) and the rough size when you first ask about the move.
After the move
Let the piano sit for a couple of weeks to adjust to the new room’s temperature and humidity, then have it tuned. If you need to store a piano, choose a space that stays at a steady temperature, because heat swings are hard on the wood and strings.
Olympic moves upright and baby grand pianos across Fresno and Clovis. See piano & specialty moving.