Whether you’re moving, rearranging furniture or putting stuff into storage, the right technique and equipment can make the job easier and safer. To avoid injury to yourself and your furniture, plan your route, wrap items, use a dolly or other device and ask for help.
When transporting tall, top-heavy items like shelving units and filing cabinets, tilt the item at an angle to center its weight and prevent it from swinging out of control.
Shoulder Straps
Using the right techniques and equipment can make it easier to move heavy furniture. But be aware that lifting and carrying such items incorrectly can cause debilitating injuries if you’re not careful. If you’re attempting to lift something too heavy, ask for help from someone else. And if you don’t have help, use furniture moving straps to evenly distribute the weight of your load. These padded straps are designed to reduce strain on your back and shoulders while providing a stable handle for the item you’re trying to move. They’re available at most hardware and home improvement stores, along with some other online retailers.
There are several different types of straps, including ones that attach to a moving dolly or to your own shoulder harness. To use them, position the strap under or around the item you’re moving and secure it at either end. Then, one mover takes hold of each strap at the X or round bar, while the other wraps the strap around their shoulders and through the buckle or loop. Once both movers have a strap on, they should bend their knees and stabilize the furniture with their hands while walking it to its new location. If necessary, you can also tie the strap to a rail or door frame for added support.
Before you start the lifting process, measure furniture and entryways to see if large items will fit through them, The Removalist note. If they will not, you should plan an alternative route or consider disassembling the furniture to make it easier to get through doors and hallways. Also, clear away any potential tripping hazards or clutter from the area where you’ll be moving furniture.
Another excellent technique for safely moving furniture is to use a hand truck or appliance dolly, which are two-wheeled wooden rectangles with four wheels that sit on the floor. They’re great for lowering heavy furniture or bulky appliances onto a lower level and rolling them up or down stairs. If you’re tackling the stairs yourself, cover them with blankets or padding to protect your furniture and prevent scratches, dents and scuffs on your banisters and walls.
Hand Trucks
Whether you’re rearranging your furniture, getting rid of old items or moving to a new home, moving heavy items requires strategy, skill and, above all, safety. The risk of physical injury increases dramatically when attempting to move large and bulky furniture items on your own, so be sure to take the time to properly plan the task, consider any extra help you might need and use the right equipment for the job.
When lifting a heavy furniture item, remember to keep your legs wide apart for stability and bend at the knees instead of the waist when squatting down to lift. When possible, grasp solid areas and handles of the furniture to minimize strain on your back muscles. If you can’t grab any solid areas or handles, use lifting straps or ask for assistance from someone else to help stabilize the load. Also be careful to not let the load swing, as this can put additional strain on your shoulders and arms.
Before you begin moving, make sure to clear the area of any obstacles and tripping hazards that could cause injury during the process. Ensure that all doors and passageways are clear, remove rugs or place protective pads underneath to prevent scratches or scuffs and use caution when moving near walls or door frames to avoid hitting them with the furniture.
For large furniture pieces that require a lift, such as sofas, tables and dressers, consider using hand trucks to help reduce the strain on your body while still giving you complete control of the piece. These trucks have a platform that the load is stacked on, and they are available in all sorts of shapes and sizes to suit the type of load you’re moving. Some models even come with specialized nose plates to support bulky or awkwardly-shaped loads.
Finally, don’t forget to protect yourself and your property by wearing the proper clothing for the job. Closed shoes or boots, work gloves and light and breathable clothes will help you stay comfortable and safe during the moving process. If you don’t feel confident in your abilities to safely move furniture items on your own, call 1-800-GOT-JUNK? to get professional, reliable junk removal services.
Carrying Items High & Low
Whether you’re moving to a new home or just rearranging furniture in your current one, heavy lifting can be difficult to do without proper equipment or assistance. Fortunately, the right tools make it much easier to safely maneuver heavy items and save your back and body from injury.
Invest in a hand truck or furniture dolly: These handy devices are designed to help you easily transport large and heavy items by reducing the amount of manual effort you need to exert. They’re ideal for use on stairs and different types of flooring.
Plan ahead: Prior to your move, take some time to assess the layout of the space and any obstacles or tight spaces that you may need to maneuver around. Take measurements of doorways to ensure that your furniture will fit through them, and clear away tripping hazards or clutter from the path you’ll be taking. This will help you create a clear path to avoid accidentally damaging your furniture or causing damage to the floor or walls of your home.
Disassemble large furniture: If you can, disassembling heavy pieces of furniture can make them significantly lighter and more manageable to lift and carry. For example, remove legs from tables and detach headboards or footboards from beds to minimize the weight of each individual piece.
Use a lifting technique that distributes the weight of the furniture evenly: Hold the item with both hands and use your arms to keep it steady rather than relying on your back muscles. Bend your knees when you squat down to lift the furniture, and cover any sharp edges with padding or foam to prevent dings or scratches. If possible, slide furniture across smooth surfaces using furniture sliders or moving blankets to reduce strain on your back and protect the surface underneath from scratches.
For tall or top-heavy furniture, tilt it at an angle to make it easier to carry. Distributing the weight of these items between two people will help you maintain balance and prevent them from swinging out of control as you transport them up or down stairs.
Moving Dolly
There are a variety of furniture moving dollies available on the market, each designed to take some of the weight off your back while protecting your floors from scratches and dents. Choose a dolly that matches the dimensions of the piece you’re moving and can be folded down when not in use. Before you start moving, clear a path for the dolly by removing cords and other obstacles that could get in its way or become tripped over during transport.
If your furniture is too large to fit through doorways or narrow hallways, consider disassembling it before trying to move it. This will make it much easier to maneuver through small spaces and prevent you from having to lift and carry the pieces while walking them through, which could strain your muscles.
Depending on the size of your furniture, you may be able to use a hand truck dolly to help you move it around. This type of dolly is typically L-shaped with two wheels at the base, a handle on top and a flat ledge to place your furniture on. It’s a good choice for bookshelves, dressers and some tables as well as appliances such as fridges and washers. If you’re planning to do a big move, you can also opt for an appliance dolly that has a strap in the middle for securing furniture as it’s transported.
A furniture dolly is the best tool for moving larger, bulkier items that you can’t disassemble or don’t want to move fully assembled. You can get a four-wheeled furniture dolly that is sized right for your items or a drum dolly with an indented platform designed for securing the bottom of rounded items like plant pots and barrels. There’s even a piano dolly for moving those large, heavy musical instruments.
To use a dolly, place it next to your furniture item, then tilt it back so the longest side of the item is parallel with the dolly’s platform. Secure the item to the dolly using bungee cords or straps and then push or pull it over the surface you plan to move it on. To avoid injury, always stay within the dolly’s recommended load capacity and make sure that the item is centered on the platform. If your furniture has doors or drawers, remove them or tape them shut to make it lighter and easier to maneuver.
