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How to move a piano. Tips and rules to move a piano
On the outside, the instrument looks like a sturdy monolith, but inside it has a precise and quite fragile mechanism. Each key is actuated by its own individual block of 60-70 small parts, and there are about 6,000 of them in all! Any knock or knock on the piano can damage its construction, making it harder to play. It is therefore recommended by movers https://a-plus-moving.com/ that the piano be transported upright and with great care. It is best to leave this difficult work to professionals.
Piano Packing Before Moving
Before moving, it is necessary to
cover the keyboard and strings with foam rubber or paper, pack the instrument in film or blankets, fix everything with scotch tape. Packaging should not be slippery, otherwise the movers may drop their burden.
Piano weight and dimensions
The cast-iron frame and massive wooden body parts inside give the tool a serious weight - from 500 to 900 pounds! To lighten the burden, you can remove the heavy parts, which are easily dismantled:
- Top and bottom wooden panels - they have snap fasteners on the inside
- The keyboard cover - it slides forward out of its grooves
- Sometimes the hammer mechanism is unscrewed and transported separately
To carry the tool special devices are used: straps, carts, skids. There are even some standards for the calculation of the number of loaders: 1 person for every 45-50 lbs of weight. If the piano does not fit in the elevator and take it down the stairs, then in front of them should go a few people.
When ordering freight transportation, the dimensions of the item must also be taken into account. In order not to scratch or ruin its appearance, you should remove everything that gets in the way: furniture, belongings, and, if necessary, even take the doors off their hinges.
Is it correct to transport the piano lying down?
There
are many moving companies engaged in the moving of large and delicate cargo. They have vehicles equipped with lifting platforms. Lifting a musical instrument in the back for them in an upright position is a matter of technology.
The need to transport the piano lying down when it does not fit in the truck vertically, or the body of the car does not have the lifting mechanism, and there is no possibility of using other vehicles. Then the movers on the move do the following: they lift the instrument and gently tip it into the car, bringing it to a horizontal position.
In any case, if such a situation arises, it is necessary to agree with the owner or customer - whether it is possible to transport the piano lying down.
Piano Moving Problems
Changing the position of the piano body inevitably leads to a loosening of the tension of the strings, so that the instrument must be tuned again. This should be done no earlier than two weeks after it has been transported.
There is a risk of damage to the soundboard, the main sounding part of the entire structure. The soundboard is a 1-1.5 inches thick piece of wood glued together from multiple spruce planks. In fact it is the back wall of the instrument, which is protected only by the ribs of the frame (futor). The part of the soundboard between them is open and can therefore be easily damaged if the piano is lying upside down.
The following conclusion can be drawn from the above: a piano can only be transported lying down if it is of no particular artistic or antique value, and tuning the instrument is not a problem for its owner.