My sister is moving her piano out of our second floor apartment, and has a couple of friends to help her. We are wondering if there are any tips/tricks/methods for moving a piano down a flight of stairs?
2006-07-09 06:30:53 · 10 answers · asked by Carrie B 2 in Home & Garden ➔ Do It Yourself (DIY)
Get more people on the downstairs side of the piano than you do upstairs. One person on each side of the keyboard, one person on each side of the sound board and one person on the downstairs side to act as a brakeman. Remove the handrails if the landlord/manager will allow it. Place an old blanket or bedspread across the top to protect the finish. There is a lifting lug on each side of the soundboard in back. If you can get a couple of 2x4's to make rails, place them on the stairs and set the casters on the rails. The three people on the downstairs side are the brakes. One person on the upstairs side is the pilot. Eat your Wheaties!
2006-07-09 06:41:13 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
I will tell you this by experience...
We have an old player piano, (it doesnt play with the rollers anymore, as the guts are out of it), and that thing took 8 men to bring it into the house!!!
It looks to be about 800 pounds or so! (upright piano).
We only took it up three steps,and that was actually from the back of a pick up truck, to the front door! (over the steps).
I put a 3/4 inch plywood sheet leading from the truck to the door of the house and we had to get the workers from the business next door, (yea we thought we could do it with two guys, my brother in law and me...we were wrong).
So, get pulleys...(and I DO NOT KNOW how you are going to attach it to anything, that will HOLD that much weight, going down those stairs...)...
Maybe, you can get a large 4 inch by ten foot, conduit at an electrical supply store, and put the thing through the window, and along the wall, (if you have it in the position where you can), and brace it that way... The window will hold it, and the wall will hold it, and then you put pulleys on the thing, and Plywood sheets down the entire lenght of the stairs...
DO NOT USE ANY WOOD, TO DO THIS WITH!! YOU MUST USE A STEEL POLE OF SOME SORT, THE WOOD MAY (PROBABLY WILL), BREAK AND YOU WILL BE LIABLE FOR DAMAGES...
(DO NOT LET ANYONE, WHAT SO EVER STAND IN BACK OF THE PIANO!!! IF IT BREAKS LOOSE, THEN THEY ARE DEAD!!)...
You then winch it down to the bottom. (I hope that you dont have to make a curve, or, there is more trouble in river city on that part! As you will not be able, with out difficulty, to do so and will probably rip out the bottom post!).
I wish you well..
Jesse
2006-07-15 20:04:37 · answer #2 · answered by x 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
I would advise against moving the piano on your own. There could be damage done to both human and instrumental parties. Moving the piano without special equiptment will hurt the piano and your sister will spend money hiring someone to come fix it and tune it anyway. Save the money and hire a couple of guys to do it the right way.
Take it from a musician! I've seen too many abused pianos from being dropped during a move. They are heavy by 'reputation' because they are heavy. Be afraid of the weight and leave it to the professionals.
2006-07-09 19:33:12 · answer #3 · answered by Jenn 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
you move it very carefully. my wife and i have a upright antique piano. it ways several hundred lbs. the best way i have found to move it is to get 2 taller people that are fairly strong because going down the satirs they will have all the weight on them and to just as strong on top holding. there should be a handle in the back of the piano if not hold it dead center and go doen 1 step at a time it will take a while but in the long run nk 1 will or should not get hurt
2006-07-09 06:40:17 · answer #4 · answered by waywordson68 1 · 1⤊ 0⤋
get some heavy duty rope, and some pulleys. thread the rope through the pulleys and tie it too the piano. put a ramp on the stairs for the piano to slide on and slide it down the stairs very carefully. she might want to have 3 or 4 people handleing the rope to slide the piano and 2 or 3 people monitoring the piano while it slides down the stairs.
2006-07-09 06:38:13 · answer #5 · answered by gayleLloyd 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
The best way to handle moving your piano safely is by finding the passion to find a way to pay professional movers to handle your upright, so you won't be uptight at night because you didn't do right by your upright.
2016-03-15 21:49:23 · answer #6 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
1
2017-02-17 12:05:34 · answer #7 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I would advise against doing it yourself. You will either damage the piano or someone will end up seriously injured.
Depending on the size of the piano you may need special equipment to move it.
2006-07-09 06:34:42 · answer #8 · answered by ChooseRealityPLEASE 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋
carefully!
take the wheels off
use a rope
take it slow
dont be afraid of the weight, they are only heavy by reputation
2006-07-09 06:36:23 · answer #9 · answered by a tao 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Let gravity do all the work.
2006-07-09 06:41:20 · answer #10 · answered by jeffma807 4 · 0⤊ 2⤋