Pianos are heavy because of the cast iron harp built in their bodies. The harp is heavy in large grand pianos, making them weigh more than large upright ones. Most miniature grand pianos weigh about 500 to 600lbs and could be 54” long. The largest ones are 108” with a weight of 1200lbs. As such, to move such a giant baby piano, you need to involve professional piano movers in Toronto.
The standard grand pianos are 6,4” long and weigh 800lbs. Moving the piano can be challenging, especially for amateurs. Since the smaller pianos weigh less, they are also easy to move, so the amateurs will not have a big problem transporting them. However, it is advisable to leave the grand pianos weighing more for professional piano movers in Toronto.
1. How many people will you need to move a grand piano?
Longer grands have an enormous harp. Since the weight of a grand piano comes from the cast iron harp, these pianos are heavy. More weight will require more people to move the piano; therefore, long pianos have more giant harps and weigh more, requiring more people to move.
A grand piano measuring 5” can be moved by about 5 amateurs, while a bigger one will need about six people. Trainees can move any grand piano that is less than 6” long.
2. What to do before moving the baby grand piano
Before moving the piano, you first need to remove some parts to make moving it more manageable. Remove the piano’s lyre by first lifting off its music rack. Remove the legs and buckle up the piano to a skid board.
The piano keyboard should be removed when moving it, but a piano technician should do this. Your piano tuner will advise you on what to do depending on your type of piano. You do not need a specialist to remove the lyre because the process is easy. You need a screwdriver to unscrew and remove the lyre-pedal assembly.
The only necessary parts to remove are the lyre-pedal assembly and the two wooden pushrods. Do not worry about the other parts because they do not protrude. Actually, the reason for removing the three parts is to make the piano’s underneath flat. This makes it easy to tip it up onto its side upon the skid board, making it about 20” wide, which can fit well in doorways. So, you must remove piano legs to ensure you get it to that length.
3. How to transport it
After removing the necessary parts, you can cover them to reduce the chances of getting scratches. Get three men to dolly it on the piano board. When not carefully done, the legs or the piano’s lyre damage or break in the process of disassembling it, so it is essential to be careful.
Ensure you follow all the instructions of dismantling and the dolly mounting techniques to ensure the piano is safe. Some people are protective of their pianos and will go all way out and buy an expensive piano cover.
4. How much will it cost?
Grand pianos are more expensive to move than upright pianos because they are large and heavy and require more people to help. They also need to be dismantled before moving. The amount you will pay to transport a baby grand piano depends on the distance and extra services like dismantling.
The piano movers charge distance in terms of mileage. You could pay $1.50 per mile for local professional piano movers in Toronto and $3 for long-distance piano movers. They will charge you more if there are stairs and a distance from the car to the house. The total cost for moving a grand piano is about $400 for local moves and $2000 for long-distance moves.
5. The cost of moving is worth it
One thing you would want to know before moving your baby grand piano is the cost of moving it. It might seem like a lot of money to pay for moving a grand piano, but it is worth it since you are assured of the security and proper handling of your grand piano. Paying professional piano movers in Toronto to do the job is cheaper than repairing or replacing a damaged grand piano. It is also advisable to hire professionals to move it for you because a single wrong step can damage your expensive music instrument. You could also hurt yourself when moving the piano. Ensure the professionals you hire have the right tools to do the job.
