At one point in your life, you’ve likely wondered how to go about moving heavy objects. Couches, desks, tables, and other heavy pieces of furniture can be tough to move with other people, let alone by yourself. This frustrating yet unavoidable situation occurs when you’re moving out of your current place or into a new one. In fact, when it comes to large items moving, our muscles aren’t always up for the task.
Thankfully, our commercial and residential movers have compiled some of our best tips to help you apply strategic physics tactics to help you lift heavy objects on your own. With the below techniques, you’ll be able to move nearly any object for your upcoming move.
Ways to Move Heavy Objects with Ease
Moving heavy equipment by hand may not seem doable, but with the following tips, you’ll be able to move any object!
1. Use Brain Instead of Brawn
Before you lift a finger, make sure you think through what you’re going to do. For example, if you’re going to move a couch, make sure it will fit through the door frame before trying to pick it up. Take measurements beforehand to see what will fit through the door frame and what will need to find an alternative route outside.
In addition, consider reaching out to a friend or family member for help moving larger items such as appliances or furniture. Of course, hiring a professional team for help moving heavy objects is always a good idea.
When you’re doubting your ability to lift something, don’t attempt to carry it. It may result in damage to the item or you could injure yourself.
2. Remove as Much as Possible
Bulky items are significantly easier to move when all of the attached parts are removed. For example, if you have a wooden desk with drawers and contents still inside, it can add weight to the item. Before you pick up the item, make sure to remove the drawers and empty the inside things into another safe spot.
If you’re not able to remove the drawers or other facets that could add weight, at the very minimum, make sure to empty them beforehand. Use tape to keep them shut so they don’t open while you carry them.
Removing furniture legs, knobs, and other protruding pieces can make it easier to move large items as well.
3. Protect Your Possessions
It’s always a good idea to use bubble wrap, furniture blankets, or pads to protect your expensive items during your move. Ensure that your pieces are wrapped as tightly as possible so it doesn’t slip off while you’re transporting the item.
Regardless of how careful you are, it’s possible to make a mistake while transporting an item. If you lose your balance while walking up or down the stairs, it can send your furniture flying into the wall. Creating a barrier between the item and surrounding objects can prevent damage from happening.
4. Pull to Reduce Floor or Ground Friction
You may not always need to lift an item to get it from one location to another. Instead, consider pulling the item across the floor to move it without lifting it. There are two methods that we recommend for this tactic. First, you can use a strong blanket or town and place it underneath the object. This will reduce the friction and prevent it from damaging the floor.
Carefully pull the blanket or towel on the floor to where you want it, making sure that it stays underneath the object the entire time. This tactic is ideal for using inside when you have non-carpeted flooring.
5. … Or Push It Instead
Instead of pulling the blanket or towel to move the heavy object, you can consider pushing it instead. Pushing can be significantly easier on the body than pulling and pulling often puts excess strain on your back.
Pushing can pose a problem if you don’t have smooth floors. Rather than dealing with refinishing the floor or repairing the ripped carpet, consider putting cardboard or an old sheet underneath the furniture. This will help to prevent any scratches or other damage to the flooring. There are also gliders and other tools that are designed to make pushing or pulling furniture less risky.
6. Call Friends to Help You Out
Undoubtedly, one of the easiest and most straightforward ways to get help moving heavy objects is to get in touch with your friends and family who might live nearby. Depending on the object(s) that you need to move, you could potentially get away with only asking one person for help. However, if you have a particularly heavy piece of furniture or have a large compilation of boxes that you need to move, it’s best to be proactive and instead ask a handful of people for help. Remember to return the favor to your friends in the future!
7. Use a Ramp to Move Heavy Objects
Stairs can be quite unforgiving during the moving process, making even simple moves that much more draining. Using a ramp is the equivalent of using a large wedge that is simple yet effective in moving heavy objects. As long as you have a ramp that is the right proportions and is positioned correctly, you will have a significantly easier time moving your larger, heavier items. If you don’t have a ramp on hand, don’t stress! You can easily make a ramp using something as simple as a large piece of wood. Use the ramp to get heavy objects off an incline and position them safely.
8. Use Rollers
There are some items that are truly massive, such as a piece of furniture, an appliance, etc. Moving these items isn’t only stressful, but it can also be dangerous to do on your own. In this case, we highly recommend using rollers to move the item. The only factor to consider in this situation is the terrain the rollers need to maneuver over and the type of rollers you have accessible. In some more innovative approaches, you can also utilize logs or other round, smooth items such as a pipe to build a “road” upon which you can roll your items.
How to Move Heavy Objects Up and Down Stairs
If you need to move heavy objects up and down the stairs, never do it alone. At a minimum, this is a two-person job. Feel free to get creative; you can use a wooden plank or two and law it on the stairs and cover it with a blanket. You can then slide the object up or down the stairs, essentially creating your own ramp.
You can also use a dolly on the stairs to move heavy objects up and down. Make sure that the person at the bottom of the dolly is able to keep it secure so the item doesn’t fall off. In addition, there are specialized stair-climbing dollies that are designed to easily go up and down the stairs. If you move heavy objects often, consider investing in a stair-climbing dolly.
Don’t Strain Your Back and Let the Professionals Do the Heavy Lifting!
Even if you have all of the tips and tricks in your toolbelt, it can still be difficult and strenuous to move heavy items on your own. If you have hesitations or you’re not interested in attempting to move these pieces on your own, our team at Alliance Moving is only a phone call away! Our professional movers are always timely and respectful of your items. Get a free quote from us to learn more about the specifics of your move.
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