Measuring your piano

Please make sure, by taking precise measurements, that in the path the piano will have to take, the width of doors or a stairwell is a few inches wider than the depth of an upright or the thickness of a grand piano, to leave clearance for the piano, and for the hands and arms of the men who will move your piano.

In the case of a ceiling, floor or gallery above or very close to your steps, it's very important to take precise measurements to ensure that the piano will fit.

How to measure for steps

Take measurements of the tips of a few steps (noses) that are at an angle to the tip of the obstacle above where the piano will pass the greenhouse.

Compare measurements and select the smallest.

The space between the nose of the step and the tip of the ceiling is called the "breakaway".

The smallest escapement measurement should ideally be 6 inches higher than the height of the upright or the width of the grand piano, so that the piano doesn't hit the ceiling.

Sometimes, where a person could easily pass, the piano won't fit, because the piano must be able to pass by resting on the edge of the steps.

Please tell us how many flights of stairs there are (series of consecutive steps between two landings) and how many steps there are in each flight.

For example:

Here, two flights of stairs, each with 8 steps, between the ground floor and the 1st floor.

DISASSEMBLY / REASSEMBLY

Whenever possible, instead of dismantling to remove weight, we have a 4th or 5th man on standby.
The surcharge that applies is a function of the time and number of men it takes.
We do everything in our power to avoid dismantling/reassembly.

UPRIGHT PIANO

When transporting a large upright piano up a staircase (rarely with a small upright), we may have to dismantle certain parts of the piano (and reassemble it) because it won't fit/spin, or to remove weight.

When disassembling/reassembling, there is always a risk that your piano will lose sound quality.

We have the experience and skilled manpower to do it.

Note that it is not possible to do this with a piano with a lacquer finish, or for a player piano with a roller.

In addition to standard measurements, please also take these measurements:

For an upright piano, measure three pitches:

height with castors
height without castors
height without wheels and lid

GRAND PIANO

Please note that we use a piano skid to transport a grand piano on the flat, as well as up and down stairs.

It's a secure base, with straps attached to the skid and piano, then placed on a cart.

The straps also serve as handles for lifting and moving the pianos. We use them to protect the keyboard (the wooden side that comes up) and the side (the edge) of your grand piano.

For these reasons, we always give priority to keeping the skid.

If there is a lack of space in height or length (the skid adds a few inches to the length and height of the piano), we need to remove it and the piano cover.

If we have to remove the sled (skid) we use to transport it and/or the cover, due to lack of space in height or length (the skid adds a few inches to the length and height of the piano), there will be a charge.

If we have to lift it at an angle or completely vertically, for example in an elevator or at the bottom/top of a staircase due to lack of clearance, there will be an extra charge for the extra men needed and for sometimes removing/removing the lid, action, keyboard and piano front.

At this point, the piano is without the protection of the skid, so we compensate with blankets.

In addition to standard measurements, please also take these measurements:

For a grand piano, measure two widths:

the widest width including the lid
the same place, but without the lid