Moving heavy furniture is never fun. Often, it’s a job best left to professionals. If you insist on doing the heavy lifting yourself, follow these safety tips.
Dress the Part
You never see movers in flip-flops and for good reason. Keeping your feet stable is particularly important, especially when you can’t see where your next footstep will be. Wear sturdy tennis shoes if you don’t happen to own steel-toed boots. If you can borrow a Velcro back brace, your lumbar will thank you. It’s easy to snag your skin on sharp corners, so wearing jeans and a long sleeve t-shirt is safest.
Gather the Proper Equipment
If possible, avoid rigging equipment that is not built for carrying heavy loads. For example, using a dolly with spring loaded casters is much safer than using your child’s wagon which may buckle under the weight. Webbed moving straps can give you something to hold onto when the surface of the furniture is slick, or there are no handholds.
Plan Your Route
You may just be moving a sofa from the front room to the den, but it’s still important to walk the route with a tape measure to ensure that the furniture will fit through the doorways at their most narrow part. Move all obstacles way out of the way. Put dogs and small children in another room. Take down anything that might tip over such as lamps and picture frames if they get bumped accidentally. Take pictures off the wall. Pad decorative elements that can’t be moved such as newel posts or crystal doorknobs. Remember that when you’re carrying something very heavy, your main concern will be to not drop it on your foot rather than to keep a safety margin around knick-knacks.
When you know you must move something very heavy, don’t be afraid to ask for help. If you have teenagers on the street, offer them five bucks for a few minutes of their time. Most people are happy to help especially if you have the details of the lift already planned.
