Measuring

We are often asked to look at a location where a piano owner would like to place their piano, but are wondering if it will fit. If there is no rush we can usually have a crew stop by and check it out when they are in the area. If you need us to look immediately there is a $25 charge.

Here are a few tips on doing the measuring yourself:

1. If you are wondering about the vertical clearance in a stairway you need to find the step that is closer than any other to the lowest overhead point. Take your tape measure and place it on the overhead low point and swing the tape over the step edges till you find the one step that’s closest. It’s usually at about a 45 degree angle. The height of the piano must be less than the clearance height.
2. When you have a grand piano that you are concerned about making a turn or fitting in an elevator the simplest way to check is to make a template, not of the shape of the entire piano, but of the “flat side†aka “bass side†of the grand. The template can be newspaper sections taped together or cardboard or whatever material you have handy. You will end up with a rectangle 18†wide by the length of the grand plus one inch. You simply lay your template on the floor and test to see if it fits.
3. With a vertical piano you are choosing between the piano as it sits when you play it, or the piano “on endâ€, which is actually its side, either bass side or treble side. With a large enough piece of cardboard you could draw and cut out the side of the piano and use that template to test the space you are concerned about. In almost every case when we move a vertical on its side we have the back (of the piano) to the turn and the top (of the piano) goes first through the doorway or the space we are trying to get into.
4. When you have stairways and turns it’s better to contact us to take a look. There are factors too numerous to consider for you to know for sure. In the last few years with cell phone technology we have been able to look at photos of situations and make determinations about moves without having to actually see the space in person.

As always, if you have questions please call or email us.