Moving Heavy Furniture

Moving heavy furniture is always a challenge. It takes a tremendous amount of energy. You may pull some muscles or hurt your back. You may need to ask friends for help. A new piece of furniture is a pleasure in your home until you need to relocate. However, moving a heavy piece of furniture can be a lot easier with the right techniques and tools. Alliance Relocation Services has put together these tips for moving heavy furniture.

Use Furniture Sliders

You can purchase sliders of the appropriate size at a hardware or home goods store. Big box stores such as Home Depot or Lowes generally have them in stock or at least online. You can also find specialty sliders if you are moving furniture across grass or carpet.

Place the sliders under the corners or feet of the furniture by lifting the corners and placing the sliders underneath so the smooth side is on the floor. This reduces friction and drag making it easier to guide the furniture out to the moving truck. Push the furniture where you need it to go and use a partner to make sure the furniture remains upright. Push from the lower part of the furniture rather than the top. This minimizes the chance of tipping. The sliders should glide easily across the floor making it less difficult for you.

If you don’t have any sliders, or you don’t want to purchase them, you can rent them from many moving companies. In addition, you can make your own with Frisbees or squares of carpeting.

Use a Shoulder Dolly

Shoulder dollies are lifting straps that connect to your shoulders and distribute the weight more evenly using your stronger muscle groups and giving you additional leverage. You can purchase one online or rent one from a moving company.

Shoulder dollies should not be used for moving furniture up or down stairs. The weight will shift to the person on the bottom making it very difficult to control.

Use Moving Blankets

Rather than sliders, you can use the moving blankets that are typically used to keep your furniture free from damage during a move. They work in a similar way to sliders, although you situate the furniture on the entire blanket. Once the furniture is on the blanket, you can pull the blanket in the appropriate direction, and the furniture should glide along with it. This is much easier than trying to lift the item.

If you need to move heavy furniture up the stairs, you can fold moving blankets and place them on your stairs as a makeshift ramp. Once that is done, you can place another blanket under the item and pull the edge to move it up the steps. If your stairs are particularly steep, you may want to enlist a friend to help steady the back of the item.

Another smart option is to hire professionals to help you. You can focus on your family, make the necessary arrangements for the move, and let others do the heavy lifting. But, if you do move your own heavy furniture, plan ahead and have plenty of help.