How to move a piano in NYC

Are you looking to move a piano in NYC? Piano moving is always an important part of a move, usually because it is difficult and sometimes it feels like an impossible task. Unless you are moving a piano within your apartment, we recommend that you hire professional piano movers U.Santini Moving & Storage Brooklyn New York to help you with the task at hand. You don’t need to secure the internal parts of the piano, regardless if it is an upright piano or a grand piano. Whether you are moving a piano short or long distances, there are certain precautions you should take.

Floor protection

All reputable piano movers Brooklyn will protect your home while moving a piano. Whether you have decided to move the piano by yourself or hire professionals, you need to prepare your home for relocation. This means you should clear out the area as much as you can. Remove everything, both large and small from the way to the doors. The last thing you need is to jump and try to avoid obstacles while handling a piano.

If you intend to move the piano yourself then you should use floor protection materials before moving the piano. The floor can suffer damage from dragging a “locked” caster. Also, it can get scratched by an unsecured pedal, caster (wheel), or piano leg that might be protruding from the bottom part of the piano. Clear all potential obstacles out of the way, before starting to move the piano. You can protect floors with moving pads, moving blankets, or cardboard sheets. Also, it is not the same whether you will use a moving blanket or you’ll use an old blanket.

Moving padding or blankets are specially designed materials. They are sturdy and they cannot be as easily ripped as an old blanket can. They are great assistance if you want to move a piano in NYC. And also excellent floor protection. Use them to wrap the piano during transport. You will avoid damage or scratches on the piano.

Moving the Piano

Safety should be your first consideration. All pianos are heavy and hard to handle. All upright pianos are top-heavy and could easily tip over. Even short spinet pianos are prone to tipping if you are not careful.  The casters (wheels) underneath could be clogged with a foreign object, rusty, broken, or swung in the wrong direction, preventing the piano from rolling easily.

If you can’t move the piano on its wheels, you should lift the piano on a professional moving dolly. Lift one end of the piano onto the dolly carefully. Keep in mind all the rules for lifting heavy objects. Lift with your legs, not your back, and make sure that all of the protruding and delicate parts such as pedals, legs, and others are secured and protected. When lifting, try not to lift one end of the piano any more than is absolutely necessary, because the strain applied to the structure of the instrument can cause enough twisting or bending to knock sections of the piano out of tune.

It is necessary to have plenty of help, only to move the piano a step or two up or down. If there are more than a couple of steps, get a professional, insured moving company, that offers expert piano movers to do the job, even if it is only within the house. Make sure that you choose movers that offer this type of service. Also, check their moving rates when you hire movers. It is necessary that they have needed expertise. This also means they have the required tools and experience.

Grand Pianos – how to move a piano in NYC

A grand piano requires more care while moving. If you are moving the grand piano in the same apartment, make sure that you don’t put too much stress on the piano legs and that it is going to fit indoors without being disassembled. Measure the piano and the door openings carefully before starting the move.  Make sure that you have enough people to lift the piano slightly above the ground as you move it around the apartment. Get as much help as you can. If needed, hire residential movers Brooklyn to help. It is better to have more people than you need instead of lacking helping hands. Another important thing if you are relocating is to tell your friends in time. Make sure that you check with them if they are available on the moving date.

One more important thing to have in mind is that you shouldn’t tip the piano on its side. Also, you shouldn’t lay it on its backside. It is best to simply lift it and carry it like that. Of course, you can slightly tilt it on a side – it won’t damage the piano.

Move a piano in NYC

If you are moving a piano from one building to another, across town, or long-distance, consider using a professional moving company. They will have experience and equipment for piano moving.  Use professionals like Usantini Moving and storage who know how to move pianos. Use only moving companies who are experts in piano moving. A piano is a delicate and expensive instrument. Don’t try to save a few dollars by hiring a “Man and a van” instead of a professional and equipped moving company. Your piano might not arrive safely at your new location if you use untrained, uninsured, and nonprofessional movers. Hire a professional piano mover or technician to supervise the packing, loading, unloading, and unpacking. Or supervise it yourself, if it is at all possible.

In case your move-out and move-in dates do not align, you can use a storage facilities Brooklyn,  for your piano. This is the best solution for this particular situation. Before you hire movers to transport your piano, make sure that you find suitable storage facilities.

If you are moving a piano into another room, you can try it on your own. With the help from friends, of course. However, if your piano doesn’t have casters you should secure the piano. It is smart to wrap the piano, just in case. When you need to lift the piano, you are risking damage. The best way to move heavy and bulky items is to slide them onto something. Depending on its size, you can use a moving blanket or sturdy board – as a slider. Use a piano board to slide a piano to another room. This will keep the piano and the floor safe from scratches and damage.

Tuning after a Move

Most pianos need tuning after a move. Even a short-distance move might influence the piano’s tuning. We recommend that you include this expense in your budget. Hire a piano tuner to tune the instrument after it reaches its new destination safely. Certainly, if the move is from one city to another, or across town, the new environment with its unique level of temperature and humidity will affect the piano’s tuning.

Usantini Moving and Storage professional Piano Moving service

Usantini Moving & storage offers professional moving services in Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens, the Bronx, and Staten Island. We have been moving pianos successfully for more than eighty years and have many satisfied clients. Call us today if you need to move your piano safely in NYC or long distance.