If you own a piano or any other musical instrument, you probably know they are very delicate, and moving them from one place to another requires a lot of care and attention. It’s really challenging, and it becomes even more complicated if you don’t have an elevator, or if there is no option to separate the parts and assemble them together in your new place.
One thing piano movers Toronto know pretty well is that pianos are fragile and expensive to repair, and that’s one of the reasons why professional mover services exist. Moving the instrument up or down a flight of stairs can be challenging. The piano is susceptible to many things such as hits and scratches, and it is advisable not to do it yourself when moving this musical instrument.
We all know that professional pianos are really expensive, and they are made of quality materials, and no one wants to cause any damage to them. Some things can’t be prevented from happening, but you can always look forward to the best possible solution, even if that means you will need to pay more money for the service.
There are many considerations to make when ascending and descending stairs carrying a piano. Failure to follow these guidelines poses a danger to the people carrying the piano and the piano itself. Therefore, always ensure you follow the guidelines before moving the piano. Check this page for more information about moving a piano safely.
1. Preparing The Upright Piano For Carrying
Ensure you center the piano and balance it on a dolly on its sides. The piano movers Toronto will then strap it to the dolly using piano straps to secure it. Once they have strapped it, the top side of the instrument is padded to protect it from impacts that can destroy it.
This is the most important step because you are taking care of the essential things, like basic and advanced protection of your belongings, before someone else puts their hands on it. You, together with the professionals, can make sure everything is covered and padded nicely before the parts are packed up and moved from one place to another.
2. Carrying The Piano
Before lifting the piano, check if it is securely strapped on the dolly to avoid accidents that could cause damage to the piano and hit you. This also makes it easier to move the piano because it will be firmly held on the dolly when moving.
Ensure the straps are tight because small movements can cause damage to the piano. Also, it should be placed at the center of the dolly for perfect balancing. Once you confirm the piano is tightly fixed on the dolly, thread the humpstrap under the dolly. Make it pass inside the two dolly wheels that are closest to the ground. Wrapping the hump strap over the leg will only break it the moment you lift the piano.
3. You need the right equipment
Without proper equipment, all packaging and protection are in vain. Ordinary bags will not do much work, so you need to look for ones that will not allow the surface to be scratched or damaged. Protect the piano keys as well as any delicate parts that can be removed and packed separately. Use protective pads with air bubbles, sponges, harder paper – everything you need to make sure you protect your instrument from further shocks and damage. Take this task very seriously.
4. Handle it with a lot of care
When correctly handled, the hump straps can hardly break because they are strong enough to carry heavyweights. As you pack the piano, ensure the bottom is facing the steps. The piano’s keyboard side should face the wall, and the back should be facing the railing.
This secures the instrument from damages if it gets out of balance. When packed this way and the piano slides, its backside will hit or slide off the railing. Also, if the piano loses its balance, the padded keyboard will not be harmed but will slide against the wall. However, the piano can still be moved into an upright position after these happen again.
If you packed the piano with the keyboard facing the railing and the backside facing the wall and a minor accident happens, the keyboard will get stuck in the railing. This can cause damages to it and even complicate removing the piano from the condition.
The hamp strap makes it easier for the top man’s reach to the top and bottom of the piano. This way, he doesn’t have to do a lot of back bending when lifting the instrument, which can cause harm to the back.
5. You can be there when packed up into the vehicle
Just to make sure everything is fine, you can be there and see how the movers are handling the whole thing. All the parts must be secured in the truck. Also, if you are moving the whole piano, you still need to see if the things are done properly.
During transportation, the straps are wrapped around the top man’s wrists and forearms to extend their reach to the instrument for easier moving. They are also able to move up or down without asking for help. They do so using their leg and abdominal muscles to support the piano.
This way, they can also direct the guys at the bottom to balance the instrument. They can also balance the piano using the strap, helping the two bottom people who carry most of the instrument’s weight on their shoulders.
The bottom men do the most job when carrying the piano. Although they have the piano’s weight for a short take, they do the most work to carry the piano on their shoulders when the distance is longer.
Also, it is the responsibility of the person on the keyboard side to do the piano lifting and balancing during transportation. Over lifting the piano will cause accidents to the other men at the bottom. The piano will move from the balancing position, and this can cause them to wrench their backs. Therefore, the guys have to ensure they only lift the piano when they need to.
There is another person on the bottom handling the piano from down there. The piano at that position is very heavy, and so this person bears all the weight on their shoulder using the leg and stomach muscle.
The fourth person at the bottom ensures the piano is in position and straight up. They are always ready to help if the piano stops being in position.
While the piano movers Toronto cost can be high when you hire movers, it is worth it.
Conclusion
Musical instruments are very delicate, whether it is a piano, a harp, or any other. They are made of many parts, wires, keyboards, which you should pay special attention to when moving and you need to transport it from one place to the new apartment.
Professional relocation services are the best solution, but you must also monitor the whole process, especially if it is an expensive instrument or one of sentimental importance.
Do not try it yourself, because, in addition to being very difficult to carry, you can easily damage them by hitting walls and doors, or by stairs. Therefore, do not hesitate to seek professional help and be satisfied with the end result.
