While transporting all your belongings during a move is a big job to begin with, some large items may be not only physically hard to move but also have other specific needs that make them trickier to move. For example, they may require insurance against breakage, crating to prevent damage, or special treatment and training to prevent physical harm to the mover. Here are five types of items that should be moved professionally due to issues like these. 

1. Pianos

Pianos have a combination of characteristics that make them very difficult to move safely. These include:

• Weight, which is usually in the range of several hundred pounds but can be over a thousand
• Shape, which is irregular and unwieldy (upright pianos have a keyboard sticking out the front and grand pianos are rounded at one end and rectangular at the other)
• Center of gravity; they have a heavy metal frame inside that tends to make them top-heavy
• Size, which often makes them difficult to fit through doors
• Fragile wood exteriors, which are easy to ding up 

In addition to these difficulties that make the piano hard to move without damaging it, the combination of a piano's size and weight can easily make it unsafe for the people moving it. Piano movers use their years of experience, special training, piano dollies, and sheer muscle to protect themselves and the piano while moving it.

2. Grandfather clocks

Like pianos, grandfather clocks can be both extremely large and quite fragile. The wood is easy to damage, and the clockwork inside is delicate as well. And to top that all off, you have to somehow protect the glass during transport! Hiring movers who specialize in large and fragile items is a must. These movers can disassemble the clock enough to keep it safer during transport, crate the clock so it'll be protected from bumps and jolts, and offer insurance coverage to protect you in case anything goes wrong. 

3. Refrigerators

Your refrigerator may not seem intimidating now, but wait until you try to move it. There's a lot to remember when moving a refrigerator; you have to not only fasten the door shut and pad fan blades to protect them, but you have to also keep the unit standing upright during transport. Professional movers have equipment such as dollies and straps that can help them meet these needs.

4. Antiques

First of all, don't hire a general mover to handle antiques. If you're going to pay someone to move these priceless valuables, you should choose someone who actually knows their way around old, fragile items. Finid a specialist who offers white glove moving services and will crate antiques at your home before moving them.

5. Large furniture

Large furniture, especially wood furniture, has some of the same problems as a piano: it's easily damaged, physically hard to maneuver, and you don't want it falling on you down a flight of stairs. Again, you should hire movers that specialize in this area and make sure they pad the furniture properly with moving blankets.

These five types of items often cause problems with household moves, but if you hire the right movers, they don't have to. Be sure that you don't try to move any large items on your own unless you have a lot of friends over to help.

For more information, contact a company like Johnson Piano Moving.

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