What’s the easiest way to move heavy furniture
Well, hiring a professional mover to hire your domestic or office moves in London is one way to go about it. However, in situations where a professional isn’t necessary, there are certain types of equipment that you can use to easily move heavy furniture around. These include the following:
- Moving dolly
- Lifting straps
- Furniture sliders
- Hand trucks
- Rollers
- Shoulder dolly
From the various options listed above, the most suitable one will depend on various factors like the size and type of furniture you want to lift and the type of surface over which you’ll be moving your heavy furniture. Quite frankly, you can’t use rollers to move heavy furniture over wooden flooring so these are some of the things you should pay attention to.
Using a moving dolly
You can use a square moving dolly when moving furniture across the room. However, it’s not suited for heavy furniture because it can easily tip over due to overload. You also can’t use it to cry heavy furniture down or up the stairs.
Lifting straps
Furniture straps are ideal for lifting furniture on different surfaces. With this option, the furniture rarely comes into contact with the surface thus making it convenient. It’s important to note that you can’t use lifting straps alone. You’ll need to get help from someone else.
For instance, if you’re lifting a sofa, each person will attach the furniture straps on their respective sides. You should be careful when lifting to avoid straining yourself. Also, using straps is ideal because the straps can be adjusted to suit the weight of the furniture will be evenly balanced.
Furniture sliders
You can use either smooth sliders or hard sliders. The type of slider you choose to use will be determined by the floor/surface type. Soft sliders are best suited for hard surfaces as they reduce friction between the floor and furniture.
For smooth floor surfaces, then hard sliders are best suited. Aside from the different stores that sell furniture sliders, you can improvise and use plastic container covers or old magazines.
Hand trucks
Hand trucks are yet another option you can use for moving furniture. It’s metal moving equipment that stands upright and it has wheels. They are better suited for smaller items like small bookcases, dressers, or tables. The wheels on the hand truck make it easier to move the furniture around. You should also note that this option isn’t suited for moving items up or down the stairs.
Rollers
Rollers are ideal for moving heavy furniture, especially on the grass. Also, you need to place the rollers in front of the furniture so that you can easily push it forward. Although it might be hectic, it’s a pretty efficient solution.
Shoulder dolly
A shoulder dolly is yet another option that you can consider. However, you can’t use a shoulder dolly alone. You’ll need someone else to help you out. You should also note that it’s not the most ideal solution for carrying furniture up or down the stairs. because the weight will most likely shift to one side thus causing injury.
Packing furniture for moving
While you intend to protect your various flooring surfaces, it’s also advisable to ensure that your furniture is well-protected too. One way to do this is by choosing the right materials to pack furniture for moving. The material you choose and how you handle your furniture will determine whether it will get to the final destination in good condition.
Choosing the right packaging material for heavy furniture
There’s a wide variety to choose from when it comes to picking the right packaging material for your heavy furniture. Some of the materials you can use to pack furniture for moving include the following:
- Bubblewrap
- Moving blanket
- Corrugated boxes
- Styrofoam
- Protective slipcover
The size and type of furniture will determine the material you’ll use. You also have to look at how fragile your furniture is before choosing a suitable packaging. For instance, protective slipcovers are ideal for sofas or chairs whereas styrofoam is best suited for more fragile pieces like televisions. Moving blankets and bubble wrap are also handy when it comes to protecting your furniture from any scratches.
Moving heavy furniture without scratching the floor
Whenever you’re moving heavy furniture, it’s advisable to be careful not to scratch the floor. Therefore using the right equipment can help you avoid any scratches on your floor surfaces. Some of these items include sliders(whether soft or hard), moving blankets, shoulder dollies, and even furniture straps. Of course, whatever will choose will also depend on the type of floor surface you’re trying to protect.
Moving heavy furniture on wood flooring
A wooden floor is usually more susceptible to scratches whenever you’re moving heavy furniture. This gets even worse when you have to drag the furniture across the surface. Using sliders or moving blankets is one way to ensure that your wood flooring remains in good condition. Moving dollies are also another option as the furniture doesn’t even come in contact with the floor surface.
Moving heavy furniture on carpet
Carpets are a smooth surface, therefore, to ensure that your carpet isn’t damaged, you’ll need hard sliders. All you do is place the slider underneath the furniture legs. These sliders will help reduce friction between the surface and the furniture and also ensure that it smoothly slides over the carpet. You can also use cardboard, tinfoil(with the shiny side facing up), and plastic lids as your sliders.
Moving heavy furniture downstairs
If you were wondering how to move heavy furniture down stairs, we have a solution for you. First off, you need to find an extra pair of helping hands. The high-low technique would come in handy in this scenario.
To move a bookcase correctly down the stairs, one person will need to hold it on the upper side while the other one holds the lower side. The one holding the lower side will have to lead the way down the stairs so that the weight can equally balance.
Moving heavy furniture upstairs
This can be tricky if the furniture is heavy. With extra help, you can easily move furniture up the stairs. The person leading will hold the top side of the furniture while the one following will hold the lower side, making it easier to set down the furniture without damaging it.
For instance, if you’re carrying a filing cabinet, it will be tilted towards the direction of the person leading instead of carrying the furniture upright. This will make it easier to balance the weight.
How to move heavy furniture across grass
Maintaining your lawn as it is is essential during a move. One way to avoid causing any damage would be by using straps or rollers when moving heavy objects across grass. The grass will remain intact because the furniture doesn’t get into contact with it.
Health and safety moving heavy objects
Encountering accidents or getting injuries because of lifting heavy objects the wrong way is nothing new. To avoid any serious injuries, it’s advisable to be careful and diligent when lifting heavy furniture. Whether it’s during the loading or offloading at the storage facilities, there are various ways you can correctly lift heavy furniture.
First, whenever you’re picking up a heavy load you should ensure that you avoid bending with your back, instead, bend with your knees. To avoid any scratches on your arms or injuring your feet, it’s advisable to wear the right attire. Long sleeve shirts or sweaters and closed shoes would be ideal.
You should also refrain from twisting your body when lifting heavy objects to avoid unnecessary injuries. If you’re unable to lift something, it’s advisable to use safe equipment or hire a removals company instead of straining yourself so much.
How to prepare to move heavy furniture
Before you choose the suitable method for moving your furniture, you need to organise everything beforehand for everything to go seamlessly. A good place to start would be making a list of everything that needs to be moved. This will help you keep track of everything thus ensuring nothing goes missing.
The next step would be sorting everything into different categories. This way, it will be easier for you to plan which furniture goes where. Having a simple plan of the layout of the space is one way to ensure that every piece of furniture goes in the right space.
It’s also advisable to dismantle your furniture when it’s time to move. Dismantling it makes it easier to move the furniture because then it will be lighter.
Hire a reliable mover
Aside from the above-mentioned, hiring a reliable mover is another viable alternative tip for your office move. Most movers have different types of equipment to carry various objects. Therefore, you won’t even have to worry about an object being too heavy or huge because they’ll know how to go about it. You will also get reliable project management therefore, accountability will be a plus. So give the movers tips such as water and snack so they get the job done with flying colours.
From the above, it’s evident that there are tons of solutions with regard to carrying heavy furniture. There are different alternatives to choose from depending on the type of furniture you’re handling. Either way, these solutions will certainly make your move easier. Not to mention the option of hiring a professional to help you out.