No matter how excited you may be about moving into a new space, you first need to survive the move itself. Packing your belongings can take time to protect everything you own, but what about moving heavy objects?
From large appliances to gun or home safes, those big-ticket items may be more than you can handle on your own. A heaving lifting service can take care of it for you, but you may still want to know more about the moving process.
These 7 tips can explain how to move a safe and other heavy things to minimize any damage along the way.
1. Plan It Out
Start by creating your exit strategy. Which doorway is the most convenient? Can your safe fit through the space, or will you need to remove the door? What about stairs and corners?
You should understand the logistics of moving heavy objects before you begin. There is nothing worse than trying to fit something through a space that isn’t big enough and tearing up your floors or walls.
2. Empty It Out
What’s the best way to lighten your load? By removing the contents.
Remove any documents, jewelry, guns, or other valuables from the safe to take a bit of the weight off as well as to protect your precious items. For heavy furniture, you may want to remove the contents of the drawers and even the drawers themselves.
Keep in mind you now must decide how to safely move those contents before you can secure them again in your new space.
3. Wrap It Up
After you’ve emptied your safe, you should lock the door to keep it from accidentally opening when you move it. The last thing you need is an injury or damage caused by an unsecured door.
Better yet, wrap your heavy objects with thick blankets to pad the corners and hard edges. Packing tape or durable straps can keep those blankets in place when you are ready to move your large items.
4. Ready, Steady
Even a wrapped safe can scratch hardwoods or dent a wall. That’s why you should also protect your floors, doors, and walls before you move anything.
You don’t want to have to make any last-minute repairs after your move, so be sure to put down boards or other protection on the ground and measure out your hallways and doorways to minimize any damage during the move. Adhesive film or plastic sheet cover can lessen scratches, dirt, and grime from messing up your floors, and drop cloths may stop smudges from marking up the walls.
5. Love Your Dolly
Even with two or three people helping you, you may have trouble lifting and moving a gun or home safe.
A heavy lifting service uses an appliance dolly – a moveable base or platform, usually on wheels – that can accommodate the weight and dimensions of a large object. You may be able to rent or buy a dolly, but if you don’t have much use for one, it may make more sense to hire professional movers who have dollies and other equipment to handle your heavy objects.
In addition, you can use ropes or sturdy straps to keep your safe from tilting or sliding off the dolly when it is in motion.
6. Timing Is Everything
Once you’ve got everything in place and you are ready to go, slow down and take your time. Slow and steady is what matters when moving heavy objects.
Think about what it takes to move a house, for instance; that oversized truck and closed road can be inconvenient for everyone else, but it gets the job done correctly the first time. When you take your time, you are less likely to injure yourself or your helpers, and you can prevent any accidental damage.
7. Keep On Trucking
How much does your safe weigh? Can you put it on the back of your pickup truck, or do you need to rent a moving truck? Again, you have to plan for logistics.
It’s one thing to move a safe on a dolly, but how are you going to hoist it into the truck? A motorized ramp would be an ideal option and may be part of the truck you rent. Again, this is where a heavy lifting service can take away some of the stress for you. Chances are good that professional movers have the right equipment to load and unload a truck without damaging your safe or heavy furniture.
Why DIY?
As you can see, moving heavy objects, such as a safe, can be a major undertaking. Rather than trying to do it yourself, you can give West Coast Moving & Storage a call. From safes to pianos and everything in between, we can make your residential or commercial move a piece of cake.
Contact us for a free moving quote before your next move.
I thought it was interesting when you explained that platforms on wheels can be used to move heavy objects. I would imagine that these are so useful because they help to redistribute weight evenly so that it isn’t all in one location. It seems like these platforms would be really useful when moving heavy machinery.