Tips for Moving Heavy Furniture
If you’ve decided to move heavy furniture yourself, or with the help of friends, it’s best to be prepared. Moving heavy items incorrectly could risk someone getting hurt – not to mention damaging your prized dresser or sofa.
You might be able to save money by not hiring a professional mover, but if you opt for the DIY approach, make sure you do it right. Following these eight simple tips can make moving big, awkward items easier and safer.
1. Plan the Move
Whether you’re moving home or putting furniture into a storage unit, it’s a good idea to write down what needs to be moved and when. This may seem like an obvious step but taking your time and thinking through every part of the move is important.
Think about whether you’ll need help from friends to move the object, and if so, note how many. Think about potential difficulties or dangers – for example, if you’re moving a bed or sofa upstairs, it could be too narrow and risk getting stuck.
Check the size of doorways and stairwells, to make sure you’ll be able to get the item inside safely.
2. Use Furniture Sliders
Friction can cause problems when moving large furniture around. If you’re moving heavy furniture on your own, furniture sliders are essential.
They’re usually made of single part or multi-part plastic. When placed under each leg or corner of furniture, they help it glide across the floor, even on carpet. Furniture sliders create a mobile barrier between the furniture and the floor. They also mitigate the risk of scrapes and damage to wood, tiles, or carpets.
3. Furniture Carrying Straps
Lifting straps are also useful for lifting heavy furniture. They help prevent you from hurting yourself and make lifting heavy or awkward objects easier.
The straps work like a pulley system, centering your weight and allowing you to use your muscle power more effectively. The simplest straps wrap around an object with handles or loops at either end to help you get a better grip.
There are forearm braces and shoulder braces. Full back braces too, which are ideal for an especially heavy load. All these straps will increase muscle power, reduce strain on the body and shorten the move time. Home improvement and DIY stores, like Home Depot, usually stock them.
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4. Create a Mattress Sling
Moving a mattress can be tough. What may feel light and soft to lay on at night, is heavy and cumbersome if you’re shifting it elsewhere. Moving a mattress is a two-person job, so make sure you get a friend to help.
You’ll need to know that it’s secure while you’re moving a mattress. Creating a mattress sling can prevent it from flopping around and causing damage.
You can create a mattress sling using a piece of rope. First, make sure it’s much longer than the mattress you’re trying to move. Secure the rope underneath the mattress, then pull the rope out at each side to create handles. You hold one side and get a friend to take care of the other. You’ll find it easier to keep your mattress steady when using a sling, which should make the process much simpler.
5. Use a Furniture Dolly
Simple yet very effective, a furniture dolly is often simply a wooden rectangle on four wheels. Lift your heavy furniture and position it so the center-most flat surface is sitting on the dolly.
It’s a two-person job, with one steering in front and on the lookout for obstacles. Meanwhile, the person at the back pushes. Take it easy and don’t go too quickly – and be careful of hills – to make sure your item doesn’t tip or roll away.
6. Protect Doorways and Railings
With the best will in the world, and even after following these tips, accidents can happen. Doorways and railings often take the brunt of the damage when moving heavy furniture.
One slip or drop can result in scratches or ugly dents. To prevent this, you can buy foam corner or doorway pads. Or to save on cost, you can use items around the home to cushion potential blows. Wrap edges and corners in mattress covers and furniture blankets. Or buy a roll of bubble wrap and tape up the edges of the doorways you want to protect.
7. Remove Parts to Cut Weight
If there are parts of your large furniture that you can remove, it’s a good idea to do so. Package them separately – it will make it easier to make your way through doors and rooms. Table legs, sofa cushions and office chairs can usually be disassembled – try looking up the instructions online to see how the piece is put together.
Make sure you label them to avoid confusion when you reassemble later. Save screws, nuts and bolts in a plastic bag or container and attach them to their furniture pieces or label them well. This way you’ll be able to reconstruct your furniture when you arrive at your destination, without worrying about replacing a lost screw or attachment.
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8. Use the Correct Lifting Technique
This may seem a no-brainer, but it’s easy to forget when you’re stressed and just want to finish the job. Always lift with your legs by bending your knees and keeping your back straight. Pushing is better than lifting, and when carrying, keep the item close to you and near your center of gravity.
Two people can make large objects like dressers less awkward to handle. Tall items are best carried high and low, at an angle. This centers the weight and stops it swinging out of control. If you’re carrying upstairs, your angle will be at a similar one to the slope. Do it right and you reduce the risk of a trip to the hospital with a bad back.
9. Find the Right Transportation
If you’re moving furniture from one home to another, think about the vehicle you’re planning to use and if it’s big enough. Make sure there’s parking nearby and take measurements of the furniture you are moving and of the vehicle you’re planning to use.
Planning to move your furniture to a storage unit? See if the company has any partnerships with moving truck companies. CubeSmart offers free moving trucks when you take advantage of our storage with free truck use*. Before committing to a unit, make sure your furniture will fit with our storage size guide.
*Free trucks are subject to availability.
