How to Move a Piano
Know your piano., Plan your route., Prepare the piano., Move the piano.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Know your piano.
The spinet piano is the smallest type of piano commonly seen in homes.
Manufactured from the 1930s on through the end of the 20th century, a spinet piano's compact size is achieved by clever engineering of the key mechanisms inside.
Spinet pianos are not very tall, topping out at about 3 feet (0.9 m) in height, and they are generally 58 inches (147.3 cm) long, the same as other types of upright piano.
Despite their relatively small size, they usually weigh at least 300 pounds, making the job of moving them a team effort not to be undertaken lightly. -
Step 2: Plan your route.
Have a clear route from start to finish in mind before you begin to move the piano, and communicate it to everyone who is helping you move.
Using a tape measure, ensure that the spinet will fit through every door or opening you plan to move it through.
If the piano is being moved out of the house to a moving truck, have the truck open and any moving ramps deployed in advance of the move, and plan to move the piano before any other, lighter furniture so that there is plenty of room for your team to maneuver it into place.
For safety reasons, one person per 100 pounds is recommended for this and all upright piano moves.
This may work out to more people than are strictly needed, but extra personnel can help in other ways (such as opening doors), and can step in should somebody start to get worn out. , Lock down the spinet's lid and the keyboard lid, if there is one.
Wrap the piano in thick blankets or special moving blankets and use packing tape to secure the blankets around the piano.
This will prevent scuffing on the finish and corners. , A spinet's low profile makes for a relatively easy move.
Using as much help as you deem necessary, have each person lift up a different part of the piano at the same time.
Be sure that everyone is lifting from firmly underneath the body of the piano.
In small, measured steps, walk the piano to its destination.
Never move the piano more than a few feet without stopping to reset your grip. -
Step 3: Prepare the piano.
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Step 4: Move the piano.
Detailed Guide
The spinet piano is the smallest type of piano commonly seen in homes.
Manufactured from the 1930s on through the end of the 20th century, a spinet piano's compact size is achieved by clever engineering of the key mechanisms inside.
Spinet pianos are not very tall, topping out at about 3 feet (0.9 m) in height, and they are generally 58 inches (147.3 cm) long, the same as other types of upright piano.
Despite their relatively small size, they usually weigh at least 300 pounds, making the job of moving them a team effort not to be undertaken lightly.
Have a clear route from start to finish in mind before you begin to move the piano, and communicate it to everyone who is helping you move.
Using a tape measure, ensure that the spinet will fit through every door or opening you plan to move it through.
If the piano is being moved out of the house to a moving truck, have the truck open and any moving ramps deployed in advance of the move, and plan to move the piano before any other, lighter furniture so that there is plenty of room for your team to maneuver it into place.
For safety reasons, one person per 100 pounds is recommended for this and all upright piano moves.
This may work out to more people than are strictly needed, but extra personnel can help in other ways (such as opening doors), and can step in should somebody start to get worn out. , Lock down the spinet's lid and the keyboard lid, if there is one.
Wrap the piano in thick blankets or special moving blankets and use packing tape to secure the blankets around the piano.
This will prevent scuffing on the finish and corners. , A spinet's low profile makes for a relatively easy move.
Using as much help as you deem necessary, have each person lift up a different part of the piano at the same time.
Be sure that everyone is lifting from firmly underneath the body of the piano.
In small, measured steps, walk the piano to its destination.
Never move the piano more than a few feet without stopping to reset your grip.
About the Author
Sara Diaz
Brings years of experience writing about crafts and related subjects.
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