How to Move a Piano to Refinish Hardwood Floors
Though pianos are massive in size, they become rather delicate when they are being moved. Any misstep can cause damage to the instrument or injury to people moving it. Special considerations need to be made to move your piano between two locations. Does this Spark an idea?
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Instructions
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Enlist two or three adults to assist in the moving of an upright piano. You may need additional adults to move a grand piano, depending on its size; concert grand pianos are much longer than baby grand pianos. Most upright and grand pianos already have wheels attached to the bottom of each leg.
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Inspect the route. If you are moving the piano across a hardwood surface, you should be able to push it across the floor without any additional equipment. If you need to move your piano across any areas of carpet, you will need a piano dolly or heavy-duty dolly. This is an oversized and reinforced three- or four-wheeled rolling piece of equipment that lessens the strain on your muscles when moving bulky and heavy furniture.
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Lift the piano onto the dolly. You and your helpers should spread out around the instrument so it can be lifted evenly. You do not want one side to be higher or lower than the opposite side, as it may collapse due to the uneven distribution of weight. A couple people should be reserved for steadying the base of the dolly, so it does not roll as you are trying to place the piano onto it.
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Begin rolling the piano and dolly slowly across the floor with your helpers. Do not try to roll them too fast, as the inertia from swift movements may send the piano flying off of the dolly. Helpers should place one or both hands on the piano to guide during any movement. At least a couple people should move across the floor on their knees to ensure the piano legs stay on the dolly.
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Tips & Warnings
Grand pianos are extremely heavy. If you do not have enough manpower to help you move your piano, it may be wise to employ professional piano movers for this task. This will ensure your instrument is not seriously damaged during the move.
