How to Move a Piano in New York
Piano’s are a wonderful instrument and look fantastic in any home, however you cannot simply pick up a piano and move it, not only due to its weight but because it can incur significant amounts of damage by being moved incorrectly. The time this happens the most is when a person is moving house. Incorrect removal can not only be an inconvenience but also very costly in having to get the piano fixed. In many cases even fixing the piano is no longer possible after it has been damaged. The best way to solve this is by hiring someone who knows and understands the technicalities of moving a piano. Here I have given you some information to prepare you for what you will need to be aware of and how to find the best person for the job. It is also wise to know the right questions to ask the piano movers New York as doing this could be the key to hiring a good or a bad piano mover. This information will help your move be a lot less stressful and also save you the cost of having a damaged piano.
How come I have to employ a professional piano moving company?
A lot of you will no doubt be wondering why you’d have to hire a professional piano removal firm to move your piano, instead of employing the home mover who’s moving the remainder of the contents of your home. The chief reason for employing a master piano mover is that most household removal companies don’t have enough training or gear to enable them to be able to properly move a piano.
A standard upright piano weighs roughly 400 to 900 pounds, and Grand pianos can weigh in at around 650 to 1300 pounds. The value of a piano can alter by a couple of hundred bucks to 500,000 dollars which depends greatly on the piano’s make, model, age and condition. The bulk of piano moves require moving the instrument through a tight space such as hallway’s, door frames and/or stairs. In a few cases, the pianoforte might need to be disassembled so as to remove it from your house. Employing an experienced pro piano mover New York removal company will heavily minimize the danger of damage to the instrument and also to your home.
Through my career as a piano mover in New York I have experienced many incidents where people have employed a normal household removal company to also move their piano only to call me up telling me that they can’t get it out of the house, and has caused damage to both the instrument and the interior of the home, or that, due to the cost being lower have gone for the cheaper piano mover and found that they have not turned up at all and are now stuck on what to do.
How should pianos be moved?
When you employ a professional piano mover New York Company, you will be able to expect 2-3 people arriving at your home fully equipped with piano skids, moving pads, ramps, slings, and the ability to remove your prized piano safely and without any drama. They’ll be using particular techniques to do the tricky business of maneuvering the instrument from your home. Once the piano is set on the removal truck, it will be safely fastened to the inside of the truck so to avoid damage during transit. In the hardest moves, 4-6 individuals may possibly be employed. Broadly speaking when a piano is moved by somebody who is not a professional piano removals’, this equipment, knowhow and the safety guards are not applied. Whilst employing a master piano mover doesn’t entirely eradicate the chance of damage, it will dramatically reduce the chance of anything occurring. What is more, a effective piano removals’ will evaluate the situation and let you know if there’s a risk of the piano enduring any damage before he or she sets about the removal, and will afford you the choice of continuing or not.
Are all piano removal company’s as good as each other?
Regrettably, as is with any trade, every piano removal company differs in their degree of quality and experience. There are piano movers who are better than others and that will treat your piano and your household with respect, knowing their trade well and understanding what is involved. The best way to find a good piano mover is to ask around, people you know, in music stores and piano teachers, people who you can be assured will know what they are doing. Just picking out a number from a phone book or a shop advert could be asking for trouble as you have to go with what they are saying about themselves without any references. A professional piano mover will also have insurance just in case anything does go wrong.
Are all piano Removal Company’s insured on the same level?
Unhappily, the answer to this is no.
On that point there are three different types of insurance to regard when employing a piano removals’:
1. Commercial/automotive insurance: Is the company insured against damage to property and vehicle?
2. Cartage/content insurance: Is the company insured incase of damage to the piano?
3. Safety for worker’s insurance: Has the piano movers New York Company insured its employee’s against injury?
As a client it is your responsibility to check out that the piano mover New York Company that you choose has all three of these types of insurance, not doing so could cost you far more money that you would like to have to pay. A good piano mover New York company should give you something called a Bill of Lading; this is a legal document detailing what is to be moved. It will have all the information of the move, the names of all parties involved, where the piano is going to and from, and also the insurance value of the instrument. You must make sure that included in the bill of lading is any damage your piano has incurred or your property, this way you know you are legally covered should anything come about.
Why should employee’s injury matter to me?
It may sound a bit odd for you to be worrying about whether your piano mover New York is insured, but it is very important. If you do not make sure your piano New York mover has this then you will be asked to foot the bill for any injury which was sustained whilst working for you, such things as medical bills, lost wages, and even law suits! It is therefore in your best interest to find out all you can about the insurance policy your piano movers New York has, as not all companies pay their required insurance premiums and so are not insured for all claims. You need to ask to see the most recent workman’s safety insurance clearance certificate, just to make sure you are properly covered. If you are worried about this you are able to contact your local workman’s compensation insurance board to see how the company’s status looks.
Will moving my piano alter the sound of the instrument?
Unless there is a problem with the move and an accident occurs your piano will normally stay tuned and the sound will be unaffected. Pianos are sensitive to such things as temperature and humidity changes which can cause certain parts of the piano to grow and shrink warping the piano which can make it sound funny. Once your piano has been put into its new position leave it to acclimatize for a few weeks so that it can settle. Remember that the new room will change the sound of your piano, things like whether it is on carpet or hard flooring, hard floors reflects sound, carpet soaks in sound. The size of the room will also determine the sound of your piano, the smaller the room the louder it will sound and the bigger the room the quieter it will sound. After it has had time to settle you may wish to get in a good piano tuner to give it a once over to ensure you get the sound quality you desire.
What will the cost be for piano removal?
There are generally two ways which you will be billed:
1. There will be an hourly rate with a minimum amount of hours.
2. Or the piano mover New York way – a flat rate based on the following:
a. Type of piano, whether it is upright or grand, and the general size of the instrument.
b. How far the piano has to be moved.
c. How difficult the move will be, for instance, will there be stairs, tight hallways etc.
d. Time limits on the move itself.
e. Any waiting time will have to be taken into consideration.
Having a flat rate has the advantage of being able to get a true representation of what the cost will be and it very often quite a bit less than having an hourly rate.
How long should I book the piano mover New York in advance?
If you are looking at having your removal on a specific day then the advice is to book it well in advance, perhaps 3-4 weeks if possible, that way you will know for definite that you will get the day you require rather than being disappointed and having to try and make other arrangements. When it is a busy time of year you may also need to think ahead and look at booking your piano mover New York well in advance, usually 4 weeks or more. When things are less busy you will probably be able to book it with only two or three days notice.
I’ve listed below some questions for you’re to consider asking when you’re looking for a piano mover New York:
1. How much experience do you have and for how long have you been in this occupation?
2. Could I see your references?
3. Do you have trained staff who assist with the moves?
4. What are your charges for piano moving?
5. How available are you and which days do you work during the week?
6. Do you have commercial/automotive insurance, cartage/contents insurance and workman’s safety insurance? (Very crucial)
7. Can I be supplied with a copy of your workman’s safety insurance clearance certification?
8. What is the amount which my musical instrument will be covered for during the move and what does it cover?
9. What are your cartage terms and could you provide me with a copy?
10. Is it possible for me to have a bill of lading when my piano is moved?
Below is the information you should gather together for use when you book for your piano to be moved:
1. The type of piano you have, whether it is an upright or Grand.
2. The size of your piano, to measure an upright you need to measure from floor to lid and Grand’s are measured by longest length.
3. Have the full address of location from where it will be picked up from, including postal/zip code.
4. Have the full address of the location from which it is being move to, including postal/zip code.
5. List the number of stairs, if any, which the piano will need to be moved up or down, and whether they are in or outside of the building. Also say whether the steps/stairs are straight, curved or spiral. This way the piano mover New York will be able to tell you how many people should be involved in the move. Make sure you supply this information as it could mean that if you do not your move may not happen on the day you wish due to unforeseen difficulties for the movers.
6. Note the date which you wish the removal to go ahead.
7. Also you will need to let them know of any time restrictions there may be.
8. Let them know of any difficulties you think there may be ahead of time.
It is very important that you give you piano movers New York as much information as you can, giving as many details as you can provide. This way you won’t incur any extra costs, and let’s face it, moving is expensive enough with having to add to it when there was a way we could have avoided it. Just remember to pick the best piano mover you can and ensure that they have all the information they need to do the job 100% that way everyone is happy and you can continue to enjoy your piano in its new home.