With the right techniques, you can easily move heavy furniture without getting tired or risking injury. There are solutions regardless of the floor surface, whether smooth, such as tiles, parquet or linoleum, or floors such as carpet.
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Useful tips before moving your furniture
Before you start moving heavy furniture, be sure to take a few precautions to avoid accidents and make your job easier.
First, empty the furniture of its contents as much as possible and dismantle the removable elements such as drawers, shelves, legs or glass doors.
Tie or tape moving parts (drawers, doors, etc.) with adhesive to prevent them from opening or coming loose during transport.
Get help from another person: it is strongly recommended not to carry out this operation alone.
Finally, be sure to wear appropriate clothing and non-slip gloves to avoid any risk of injury.
Now let's see how to move your furniture safely and easily.
Put on slippery skates
Glide pads, often made of Teflon, are designed to be placed under the corners or legs of furniture (dresser, refrigerator, washing machine, etc.), thus facilitating their movement while reducing friction. You can find them at home improvement stores, hardware stores, or large furniture stores.
To install them, simply lift each corner of the furniture slightly and insert a glider underneath, with the soft edge facing the floor for easier sliding. Once all the glides are in place, push the furniture from the bottom rather than the top to avoid any risk of tipping. If you don't have runners available, you can also use jam jar lids as an alternative. This solution works particularly well on textile floor coverings.
Good to know
To effortlessly position your glides under the furniture legs you can use a crowbar and a wedge, or a furniture lifter.
Use fabric
You can in fact use moving rags or blankets to transport heavy and bulky loads without damaging your floor and without much effort.
Rags:
Fold several rags into six or eight layers and place them under each furniture leg. Woolen cloths are particularly recommended, as they reduce friction and make moving easier, especially on surfaces like polished parquet.
A moving blanket:
slide it completely under the furniture to be moved. Once in place, gently pull the cover to transport the furniture in the desired direction.
Good to know
If moving using stairs, you can fold the blankets and place them on each step to make it easier to lower the furniture.
Use lifting straps
Lifting straps are also a practical solution for moving bulky furniture without excessive effort. This technique requires at least two people:
Arrange two straps on the floor in a cross, then place the center of gravity of the furniture at the level of the crossing.
Secure the straps to your wrists or shoulders, depending on the model. Make sure they are securely attached to avoid any risk of slipping while lifting.
With the help of another person, raise the furniture using the straps as a lifting device. Make sure to coordinate your movements to avoid accidents.
Be sure to choose a quality model to ensure safety when moving furniture.
Good to know
Lifting straps are not recommended for moving furniture up and down stairs: this may place undue strain on the person at the bottom of the stairs.
Take a transport cart
The
manual transport cart
(or hand truck) consists of a tray on which you place the furniture, a vertical structure against which it rests, two handles and two wheels. It is ideal for small to medium-sized furniture and is often used by professional movers.
To use it, slide the platform under the piece of furniture, press it against the structure of the hand truck, then tilt the whole thing towards you to lift and move it. Make sure you have some strength for this method.
You can also use
a cart with swivel casters
. It is a tray mounted on four wheels on which you place the furniture. These carts do not have a handle: you just need to push them to move them easily while rolling. Consider securing your furniture or object with a tensioner or belt to prevent it from slipping from the cart during movement.
Use the extreme points method
To efficiently move heavy furniture with two people, the extreme points method is a recommended solution. To apply it:
Position yourself in front of the piece of furniture, while the other person positions themselves behind it.
Tilt the furniture slightly backwards so that one person can grab it from the top, while the other stands opposite to hold it from the bottom.
Bend your knees and use the strength of your legs to lift the furniture, being careful not to strain your back. Maintain this angle while moving to reduce the risk of injury.
The extreme points method allows you to move the furniture while minimizing effort and avoiding injuries. This technique is particularly effective for heavy loads such as bookcases, cabinets or large chests of drawers.
By following these tips, you will be able to move your heavy furniture effortlessly and without risk of injury, with the help of another person.