1. After moving my piano, is there anything that should be placed under my piano to protect the flooring?
We receive this question from time to time and in short – not necessarily, it is a matter of personal choice in the cases of most flooring. Some customers opt for piano castors or use offcuts of carpet to place underneath. We usually recommend felt-based castors if the piano is to be placed on polished floors.
2. Can you move a piano in the rain?
Piano removal in general is not an easy process, and it does require skill, proper techniques and experience. Therefore, for the average or unexperienced person, moving a piano in the rain can be very dangerous and pose a risk to not only the individuals moving the piano, but also the internal mechanisms and external characteristics of the piano.
The talented team at Acme Carriers have been conducting piano removals for generations, and we therefore are highly experienced and talented at what we do. We operate all year-round rain or shine, and rain does not impact our capabilities for moving. The piano is usually only outside for seconds when transported from your front door to our van, and we will always ensure the piano is covered whilst moving in the rain. The only time we may consider rescheduling a piano removal during bad weather is if the move requires moving up or down many external steps, or other prolonged work outside/not undercover.
3. What’s the difference between an upright piano and a pianola or player piano?
Whilst to the untrained eye a pianola may look like an upright piano, they are actually very different. A pianola or player or self playing piano, is a specially crafted type of piano which has the ability to play songs by itself via a pneumatic pedal action that plays paper rolls. Moreover, pianola pianos are much heavier (usually 300kg +) and much larger (by height and width) than a standard upright piano.
Therefore, it is very important when scheduling a professional piano removalist, to mention if your piano is a pianola piano so we can allow enough time for the move. It is also very important we receive as much information as possible about the access and space around the pianola, as due to the larger size and weight it requires much more careful moving. Sometimes, it may have to be flipped on its side to get through certain doors and gates, and around corners and hallways.
4. Can you move a piano on sensitive flooring? How can I protect my special timber flooring during the move? Won’t moving the piano damage tiles or other types of flooring?
Utilising improper techniques and equipment can increase the risk of damaging floorboards and flooring during a move. However, due to our specialised equipment and refined techniques, when the team at Acme Carriers moves pianos there is no risk of damaging flooring, walls or the piano. We can move pianos on all types of flooring. Prior to moving the item, our team of 2 piano specialists carefully map out the journey that is safest and most efficient. We use custom-built trolleys which have been engineered to perfectly fit all types of pianos. These trolleys also feature specially engineered weight dispersing pneumatic wheels so that no damage occurs to our customer’s carpet, floorboards, tiles or other flooring. Our team will also sometimes use rugs laid out on the floor if the team thinks there is a need for it, or if they are asked for. There is no need to stress, you are in capable hands!
5. My piano is already on wheels, can’t you just use that to move the piano?
The wheels on pianos are not designed to be used for moving. Piano wheels are attached for aesthetic purposes, and to slightly adjust the piano (think millimetres, not to the other side of the room). Using a piano’s wheels is likely to damage any flooring, walls, the piano, or even more likely: the piano won’t move at all! This is true for older pianos with older wheels and newer pianos with newer wheels. Our team never use a piano’s wheels whilst transporting pianos as we understand the infeasibility and potential risk.
6. How long does it take to move a piano?
How long is a piece of string? On a serious note, this can depend on multiple factors including the type of piano, the distance, and any access issues such as steps, stairs, tight corners or hallways, or any other instance. It may take 10 minutes, or it could take over an hour, but we usually allow 20 minutes at either end, so allow at least 40 minutes + driving time provided good access.
7. Can you move a piano upstairs or downstairs?
With moves with difficult access (e.g. steps, stairs, balconies, lifts) we assess this on a case by case basis. In the case of 2-5 steps, this is not a problem for our team, however, it does take extra time, care, equipment and work. As our piano trolleys are not designed to go down multiple steps (and this would just be dangerous anyway), we have to utilise our custom-built ramps. For moves with staircases, we usually require several images. Firstly, we will need an image of your piano, secondly, we will need multiple images of the steps/stairs, clearly showing the amount of room entering and exiting the set of stairs/staircase. This way our team are able determine if the move is feasible and if so, we can map out exactly what route we would take. There are occasions where we will not move an item if the risk posed to our movers and your piano is too great. Again, this is assessed on a case-by-case basis so we always recommend talking to our office first so we can assess your move, and provide any professional, genuine advice. We usually always prefer to move a piano up or down stairs via a balcony (if possible) as we have access to specialised equipment- such as genie lifts and cranes- which makes the move a lot safer and more efficient.
8. Why shouldn’t I get my furniture removalists to move my piano?
The choice is completely up to you, however, we provide the following advice only as a result of the hundreds of calls we receive from customers every year. A very common call we receive is that a furniture removalist company has advised that they do not move pianos, or even worse is a distressing call that a furniture removalist has initially agreed to move someone’s house with the piano, however, when the removalists arrive they state that they do not know how to, or do not want to move a piano. This is because moving a piano is different to moving general furniture. They are not only awkward and heavy, but a piano can be very expensive and/or very sentimental. We work with thousands of older pianos which are family heirlooms, and you want your piano removalist to also recognise how special this item is. One wrong move or turn can result in damaging the piano frame or keys, or the internal mechanisms which can cost thousands to repair as they require specialised services such as a French polisher or piano technician. Sometimes, especially in the case of older pianos, this can be irreparable. This is why we always suggest to move your piano with a trusted service which specialise in moving pianos, and has moved many before.
The removals industry has a constant high turnover of movers – some experienced and some not. However, we are a family business – father & son – that have been moving pianos all of our lives, and only we do the moves. Contact our team today!
