Will a wheeled piano damage a hardwood floor?

June 30, 2005 10:07 PM

Will an upright piano with wheels damage a hardwood floor? Should I have the movers do anything special when bringing it in? If I want to move it later, do I have to do anything special?
posted by jojopizza to home & garden (9 comments total)

In high school I worked for a music company and moved these things (you should try to get one up 3 flights of stairs. There's a system to it. Not fun).

Anyway, we used dollies with big rubber wheels to position the piano where we wanted it. Then tip up one end, pull out the dolly, end of story. You can get these at any U-Haul or rental place.

I did see one piano, pushed along on its casters, dig 4 trenches in a linoleum floor. Lady wasn't amused.

Have not seen damage to hardwood, but, hey, get the dolly.
posted by banjomensch at 10:14 PM on June 30, 2005

Yes! Put down padding when moving it in, and then use casters.
posted by rajbot at 10:44 PM on June 30, 2005

Go with banjomensch! Have them use the dolly and place it where you want it. It's not any fun trying to repair hardwood floors. I've made that mistake myself with much smaller items.
posted by snsranch at 10:51 PM on June 30, 2005

Unfortunately, the piano and I are moving in on Sunday, then a week or two later the walls are getting painted, so the piano has to move, then move back. I guess I should either hire someone to move it for the painting, or rent a dolly and get some strong friends.

Thanks...
posted by jojopizza at 11:03 PM on June 30, 2005

No dolly. You can get tri-wheeled trucks for each foot, with big soft wheels. You heft the legs, slide 'em under, roll it away.

Er... I might be assuming you have a grand. I'm not sure I see it working with a tall upright.
posted by five fresh fish at 1:07 AM on July 1, 2005

Get yourself a dolly. They're relatively cheap and will pay for itself after a couple of moves. If you have a place like Northern Tool & Equipment nearby you can pick one up for about $20.

You also might want to consider getting a set of "Magic Sliders." I've never used them myself, but I've heard good things.

My first job out of high school was moving pianos. Banjomensch, we should swap stories sometime. Removing my horrible boss from the equation, it was one of the most enjoyable jobs I've ever had.
posted by friezer at 3:26 AM on July 1, 2005

Those Magic Sliders look great!

Thanks everyone!
posted by jojopizza at 8:24 AM on July 1, 2005

Magic Sliders themselves won't scratch your floor.

Any dust and especially any grit they pick up will scratch your floor.
posted by five fresh fish at 5:29 PM on July 1, 2005

Important! Make sure the piano is placed perpendicular to the beams that hold up the floor. This distributes the weight and keeps it from dropping through.
posted by Pollomacho at 7:26 AM on July 5, 2005