Furniture Hoisting Services in Arlington, Virginia

When you moved into your current house, you might have bought a king-size bed frame and assembled it in your master bedroom. Now that it’s time to move again, you have no idea how to get it downstairs in one piece.

The fact is doorways, corridors, and staircases are often too narrow for large furniture items—including pianos, TVs, couches, beds, and appliances—to pass through. If you can’t bear to leave these possessions behind, hoisting services from Georgetown Moving and Storage Company may be just what you need.

Hoisting Services

Hoisting is the process of lifting and lowering items with a tether strap. Three experienced movers are required to hoist your large furniture items out the window, onto the roof, or over a balcony. Two movers raise or lower the furniture while a third guide the piece away from any obstacles. Once the piece is at ground level, it’s easy to carry it the rest of the way to the moving truck.

We take special care when hoisting furniture to prevent damaging the item or building. For instance, if we’re lowering a dresser over the balcony in your living room, we’ll cover the banister with a moving blanket first, so it doesn’t become dented or scratched in the process.

To clarify, hoisting is a delicate procedure that requires careful training and experience. You should never attempt to hoist bulky furniture items from the upper levels of your home without help from a professional mover.

Craning Services

If a furniture item, such as a grand piano, is too heavy to hoist “by hand,” we will use a crane to lower it to ground level. This requires special prepping and rigging. Depending on street access, we may need to obtain a permit or police detail to perform this service.

Insuring Large, Expensive Belongings

Items that require hoisting or craning are often high in value. For your peace of mind, Georgetown Moving and Storage Company offers insurance protection for all the belongings we move.

Your first option is Basic Valuation Protection, available free of charge for all customers. This provides coverage for up to $0.60 per pound with an upper limit of $50 per item.

When you need more than just basic coverage for your large, expensive belongings, we encourage you to purchase Full Value Protection with coverage starting at $6 per pound. If any items in your move are valued at more than $100 per pound, we’ll ask you to fill out a special shipping document, declaring this possession an item of extraordinary value. We are one of only a handful of movers to provide this option for furniture.

How to Hoist Furniture Through Windows in Buildings with Complex Layouts

Navigating the challenge of moving large furniture pieces into a high-rise apartment or a building with a convoluted layout can be daunting. However, several practical solutions are available to ensure your furniture makes it where it needs to go.

Crane Services

For extremely heavy or bulky items such as couches, appliances, or machinery, crane services offer a robust solution. These cranes can lift substantial weights and maneuver items through a window or over a balcony, bypassing the complications of narrow staircases or hallways.

Ladder and Pulley Techniques

Another method involves using ladders equipped with pulley systems. This technique is effective for items that are difficult to handle manually. By securely wrapping and binding your furniture, you can hoist it to the desired floor through a window, minimizing risks and effort.

Commonly Hoisted Items

Many items find their way through these alternative entry methods, especially when traditional approaches fail:

• Bathtubs: These often present challenges due to their weight and size.
• Refrigerators: Bulky and typically too large to fit through standard doorways.
• Dressers and Armoires: Larger, awkwardly shaped pieces that might not navigate tight corners easily.

By employing these techniques, you can effectively tackle the hurdle of moving large items into buildings with intricate layouts, ensuring that all your essential belongings reach their new home safely and efficiently.

Methods for Moving Heavy Objects Upstairs or onto Moving Trucks

Moving heavy furniture and unwieldy items can be a daunting task, especially when stairs and tricky spaces are involved. Here are some tried-and-tested methods that professional movers use to tackle these challenges:

Crane Hoisting

Believe it or not, cranes aren’t just for construction sites. When traditional moving methods won’t cut it, cranes can hoist heavy items like pianos over balconies or through windows. This is especially useful when dealing with narrow staircases or fragile items that require extra care. For instance, if a piano needs to be moved from an upper floor and the only stairway is too steep or narrow, cranes can safely lift the piano out of a window and lower it to the ground.

Dollies and Hand Trucks

Basic but effective, dollies and hand trucks are staple tools for movers. These wheeled platforms can carry heavy items across flat surfaces, minimizing physical strain and streamlining the moving process. When moving pieces upstairs, stair-climbing dollies might be used to distribute weight evenly and reduce the chance of injury, making it a manageable task for movers.

Disassembly and Reassembly

Some bulky furniture can be disassembled for easier transport. Beds, tables, and armoires can often be taken apart to negotiate tight spaces more easily. Once disassembled, movers can carry smaller, more manageable pieces up or down stairs before expertly reassembling them at their destination.

Furniture Sliders

These are particularly useful for moving heavy furniture across floors without scratching them. By placing sliders under the legs or edges of heavy items, movers can glide them across rooms and into elevators or trucks with minimal effort.

Moving Straps and Harnesses

Specially designed straps and harnesses help distribute weight and provide additional leverage when lifting heavy objects. Movers often use shoulder or forearm straps to work in tandem, ensuring safety and control while transporting weighty items up or down stairs.

Advanced Planning and Precautions

Finally, strategic planning is crucial. Assessing the layout, measuring doorways, and identifying potential challenges ahead of time makes the process smoother and more efficient. With a clear plan, movers can decide which tools and methods will best suit each unique situation.

In conclusion, whether it’s through the strategic use of cranes for large items or employing basic tools like dollies, professional movers are equipped with a variety of methods to ensure safe and efficient transportation of heavy objects.

Why Choose Georgetown Moving and Storage Company for Hoisting Services in Arlington, VA?

Because hoisting and craning are delicate processes that require special training and experience, you only want a qualified mover to perform these services for you. Put your mind at ease by choosing Georgetown Moving and Storage Company for the job. Here’s what we offer:

• Years of experience as a full-service mover
• Licensed, bonded, and fully insured to move locally and long-distance
• No hidden charges, taxes, or credit card fees

Schedule Hoisting Services for Your Move in the Arlington Area

It’s likely that hoisting is just one of the moving services you require. Fortunately, Georgetown Moving and Storage Company offers comprehensive services to ensure your move goes smoothly. Choose us for full- or partial-service packing, storage, moving truck services, and the rest of your moving needs. We are equipped to help you move safely, quickly, and efficiently into your new home or office!

To learn more about our hoisting services in the Arlington, VA area, or to request a free moving estimate, please contact us today.