Shifting large items of furniture single-handedly can be quite daunting. The process involves multiple risks and requires thorough caution before the move begins. Regardless of your flooring – hardwood, tiled, or carpeted, the risk of causing scratches is always present. The potential for damage isn’t just limited to floors. There are also chances of accidental collisions with doors and walls.
So, what can you do? To move heavy furniture on a hardwood or carpeted floor, upstairs or downstairs, you may follow the tips stated here. Finding the best furniture sliders can save you from a lot of backbreaking labor and save time and energy. Do you know what a furniture slider is? Let’s find out.
1. Furniture Sliders: The Best Way to Move Heavy Furniture Without Scratching the Floor
Furniture sliders are a modern-day miracle when you need to move heavy furniture. Whether you want to move the entire entertainment center, a bookshelf, or a filing cabinet, there is no need to spend the whole day unloading your stuff. Simply use furniture sliders that come in disc form. Insert a slider under the furniture item and even the bulkiest of furniture is ready to move. But, is it so simple? No! You have to choose the right kind of furniture slider depending on the application. Consider the following factors:
- Choose the right slider depending on the furniture you want to move. Sliders are available in different sizes and shapes and have different applications.
- If you want to install the best furniture sliders permanently, then choose screw-in disks that may be installed underneath the dining table or dining room chair.
- Look for a directional slider if the furniture is too heavy.
- Make sure the slider is big if the furniture is weighty.
- Consider the material of the floor.
2. Get Help from Friends and Family Members
Unless you are willing to move chairs, tables, desks, and small furniture on your own, you should ask for help from family members and friends. It is not a good idea to move bulky or heavy furniture on your own. You may develop shoulder aches or backaches, and you may also end up ruining your hardwood floor. To move items like sofas, beds, dining tables, wardrobes, etc., enlisting help is highly recommended. When friends and family members are not present, find a professional moving company to help you out.
3. Disassemble The Furniture Items
Don’t try to move extremely large furniture pieces as-it-is. Take the furniture apart and disassemble them. If you want to move the bedroom furniture, take away the headboard, and the bed frame, and remove the cushions. Take out the drawers from the dressing table or inside the desk. This process won’t take you long but it will reduce the load to a dramatic extent. Have the tools handy to remove the legs and parts of the furniture.
4. Lifting Straps or Moving Straps to Ease the Moving Process
With gliding or moving straps, even a single person can move heavy furniture. Moving straps give leverage such that you are more powerful and effective. They connect to the shoulders and take away excessive furniture weight from the back while moving that to the strong muscles. You may either purchase them or rent them from local movers. They come with a proper buckle to help adjust the length as per the dimension of the furniture.
5. Moving Dollies Can Ease the Move
Do you know that moving dollies are the best helpers for movers? Yes! Indeed it is a fabulous way to move heavy furniture whether the dolly is a 2-wheeled handheld dolly or a four-wheeled dolly.
Look for a dolly with a secured platform and use proper ropes, strings, and straps. You may ask a friend to help you move the furniture carefully. Prevention is better than cure when moving heavy furniture. Take professional help if you are not aware of the lifting techniques. As dollies are small in size, you may use them in tighter spaces. Using a dolly, you can move chairs, heavy tables, musical instruments, etc. They have smooth wheels offering a secure grip to ease the movement. Again, dollies are available in various sizes and patterns.
6. Wrap Your Furniture with Moving Blankets
Moving blankets (moving blankets are padded) can be wrapped around the furniture pieces. Certainly, your floor and your furniture will thank you for this. Moving blankets safeguard the floor surface and prevent any damage to the furniture. Moving blankets also prevent the sides and the walls from getting damaged. Besides, you may also use cardboard and towels if there is no arrangement for moving blankets. You may, however, rent moving blankets from a moving company.
7. Reduce the Weight of the Furniture
Exercise caution when moving furniture pieces, move them slowly and steadily. Empty the content of your furniture stuff to reduce weight. Emptying the furniture content will help a lot when you move furniture upstairs, downstairs, or on any kind of floor. Use proper wooden planks beneath the furniture pieces for they act as a loading and unloading platform. Make sure you wrap those planks in blankets or cardboard and then move the items.
Final Words:
Furniture moving is dangerous. Lift the items using your legs and do not strain your back. Use the strength of your lower limbs rather than your back. Soft-rubber wheels under the dolly are floor-friendly. Choose a professional furniture moving company to simplify the whole thing. The company must be experienced, skilled and proficient in moving heavy furniture on a variety of floors.