About 35.5 million Americans move homes each year. In fact, for many, moving can be one of the most stressful events they come across. Part of this has to do with the bittersweet feeling of leaving a familiar place. But a big chunk of the frustration comes from the moving process itself, particularly with ensuring large, expensive furniture remain safe during transportation.
Whether you’re moving homes, remodeling your current home, or putting items into storage, knowing how to safely transport large furniture is important. Here’s how you can do it:
- Deconstruct your furniture first, if possible.
Large pieces of furniture are not only difficult to get in and out of doors but are also often heavier in weight than smaller furniture. For that reason, it’s important to deconstruct your furniture before lifting and transporting in any way possible.
If you can, take the legs off of the tables, chairs, and couches you plan on moving. Remove cushions, pillows, drawers, and other removable items from the furniture if applicable. Breaking your furniture down into smaller pieces can make for a lighter load when lifting and make the maneuver safer and quicker.
- Use furniture sliders, blankets, or dollies.
One of the easiest ways to move large pieces of furniture is by using sliders or dollies. Both of these devices can ensure your furniture is transported quicker, all while eliminating some of the weight and reducing the amount of friction your floors will receive while moving.
Sliders can be placed under each leg of your piece of furniture, making it simple to slide it across the floor to its final destination. Placing a blanket under your furniture, you can swiftly pull it along the floor. As for dollies, these come in different forms. Some dollies have wheels. With shoulder dollies, however, two movers can lift a large piece of furniture in unison.
- Try the high-low method.
If you have another individual to help you transport your furniture, the high-low method is a great way to properly get the job done. This method works best for square or rectangular objects like bookshelves, television units, dressers, or nightstands.
To perform the high-low method, furniture will be tilted so that one mover is holding the top of the furniture while the other is lifting the furniture towards the bottom.
Carrying furniture via this method allows for proper weight distribution. This method is also useful to make sure a piece of furniture doesn’t have to be lifted as high, thus providing less strain for each mover. Placing furniture back down after transporting it via the high-low method is also easier as only one of the two movers has their hand on the bottom of the piece.
- Hire a professional furniture mover.
For very heavy, fragile pieces of furniture that you may not be able to safely move on your own, hiring a professional furniture mover will be your best bet. Experienced, licensed staff will carefully lift, transport, and/or store your furniture, saving you both time and stress in the process.
Different movers provide different services. Some movers may even only transport certain items. For example, the Piano Movers of Texas specifically move grand pianos for their clients. Make sure to research different movers, what they charge, and the specific services they offer.
Conclusion
Moving and storing large pieces of furniture can be a challenge. Making sure your furniture stays in one piece during transportation is a whole different challenge. Deconstructing your furniture; using furniture sliders, blankets, or dollies; using the high-low method; or hiring a professional furniture mover are ways to ensure your larger furniture is carefully transported.
