Moving A Piano – How The Experts Do It
Moving a Piano: By Courtney Pianos.
Pianos are big and they are heavy, they are also expensive instruments to replace or repair if they suffer damage.
Both facts that make moving a piano difficult and why we would always recommend using a specialist mover when transporting your piano to have it restored. Tempting as it may be to call upon ‘the man and a van’ who helped your next-door neighbour with his new sofa, we urge you to only use specialist removers for your precious piano.
Courtney Pianos are pleased to offer a specialised transportation service for anyone who needs to get their piano to us for restoration and repair.
What Should You Take into Account When Moving Your Piano
There are several things that will need taking into consideration before your piano is moved to our premises; as experts, we understand the issues involved and can safely and efficiently handle the transportation arrangements.
How Heavy is the Piano?
First, the type of piano – upright or grand – will affect the process. A concert grand piano can reach a height of over 2.75 metres and a weight that is 450 kg or even more depending on the manufacturer. An upright although more compact can still weigh in at over 180 kg. The heaviest part of a traditional piano is, of course, the iron frame which can weigh from 50 to 70% of the overall piano weight. A cast-iron plate of a baby grand piano of 270 kg can weigh between 135 – 170 kg.
Door widths and whether stairs and corners need to be navigated will also have to be factored in as will the type of flooring the instrument will need to be moved across. When moving a piano to its chosen position in your home we use blankets to position the piano into place and then recommend castor cups to protect the floor.
Looking After the Piano When Moving It
Did you know that your piano can have up to 10,000 moving parts? The instrument needs to be carefully protected during the transportation process in order to minimise the threat of damage. Specialist padding and straps are essential to the process are ‘piano dollies’ for upright instruments and a piano board plus a dolly for grands.
A grand piano will need to be partially disassembled for transportation; the legs are delicate and the risk of them breaking in transit is high so they need to be removed, as does the lid. Each part needs to be well wrapped and the fixings retained. The lyre should also be removed.
How Much Does it Cost to Transport a Piano?
That’s one of those “how long is a piece of string?” questions. There are lots of variables as outlined above and therefore each removal has to be priced separately, depending on how difficult the job is and how far the instrument is being transported.
I Want to Dispose of an Unwanted Piano – What Should I do?
That will obviously depend on the condition of the instrument and your own personal preferences. If you simply want to get rid of the piano and it is in playable condition then you could try advertising it on local selling sites, at a nominal cost, or even as a ‘free to collect’ offer. Even a piano that has remained untuned and unused for many years may require only minimal work to make it playable.
It may be worth checking to see if the piano is worth restoring and repairing and then offering it for private sale. Piano Specialists like ourselves may consider purchasing quality instruments for restoration and subsequent resale…It is always worth asking!
To Find Out What Options Are Available for Your Piano
Contact us