How to Pivot a Bookcase

Redecorating or staging a home will give a home a fresh appeal. It is also an opportunity to move furnishings such as bookcases. To move a bookcase, you'll have to "pivot" or "walk" it from its current position to another place in the room or the house. This is a simple but not an easy task. Bookcases tend to be bulky and awkward to move. Care should be taken to avoid injury when pivoting a bookcase.

Things You'll Need

• Tape measure
• Furniture sliders

Instructions

1. Decide exactly where the bookcase will be "pivoted" or placed into the corner at angle. Measure both the bookcase and its destination space to ensure that it will fit and not protrude too far from the corner or wall.

2. Remove all books, pictures and other decor that's on the bookcase; the shelves should be completely empty to avoid injuries from falling objects. Place everything off to the side. In addition, move any other furnishings that may be in the path of the move to avoid tripping; this includes coffee tables, area rugs or any other potential tripping hazard.

3. With the aid of a family member or friend, tip the bookcase forward a few inches. Have your friend or family member place two furniture sliders under each corner. Lean the bookcase back into its upright position and then tip backward, placing two more sliders on each front corner. Remember to lift with your legs and not your back.

4. Gently and incrementally "walk" or "pivot" the bookcase toward its destination space, moving one side forward then the other, letting the sliders glide across the floor. Do not push from the back of the case straight forward as this may cause it to tip over.

5. Position the bookcase just outside of its new location and tip it forward to remove the front sliders, then backward to remove the rear sliders. Have your helper stand on one side of the bookcase while you stand on the opposite side. Using both hands, bend at the knees slightly and then "walk" it into place.

6. Stand back from the bookcase and visually inspect it from a distance to make sure it is pivoted against the corner or walls correctly and neither side protrudes more than the other. The goal is to make it appear evenly arranged in the new space.

7. Replace the books and any other belongings that were on the bookcase previously. Put back any furniture or decor you may have moved to move the bookcase across the room.

References

• "Home Staging for Dummies"; Christine Rae, Janice Saunders Maresh; 2008
• "House Beautiful: Decorating with Books"; Marie Proeller Hueston; 2006