For example, you can often remove the backs from chairs or feet from sofas. Even taking the cushions off a couch helps make it a little bit lighter and easier to carry. Always take the drawers out of furniture like dressers and desks before moving them up stairs.
You don’t necessarily need to wrap small pieces of furniture. However, when you are moving large pieces of heavy furniture up a set of stairs, it’s very likely you will bump it into a wall, stair, or doorframe at some point.
Gloves are especially important when you’re carrying heavy wooden furniture that could give you splinters.
Even if you plan on using a dolly to carry furniture up the stairs, you will need a helper to spot you while you walk backwards up the stairs to make sure you don’t trip and end up dropping the dolly back down the stairs.
For example, if there is a doorway at the top of the stairs and you need to get a sofa up the stairs and through the door, you will likely need to turn it on its side before carrying it up so you can fit it through the doorway. Consider the shapes of pieces of furniture and the layout of the stairs. For instance, if you have an L-shaped couch and you want to carry it up a set of stairs with a railing, the best way to move it up the stairs would be with the “L” part of the couch hanging over the railing.
Always make sure that everyone is comfortable with the amount of weight and the grip they have on the furniture before trying to carry it up the stairs. You can test out carrying it a little ways on flat ground first to see how it feels.
For example, if you are carrying a desk up the stairs, the person who will start walking up the stairs first would grab the desk somewhere just under the top of the desk at 1 end.
For instance, if you are carrying a desk up the stairs, the person at the bottom would grab it at a low point close to where the desk sits on the floor.
For instance, if you are going to pick up a heavy sofa, squat down until you can grab the sofa, then thrust up with your legs to lift the sofa off the ground. Don’t bend forward at your waist and attempt to lift the sofa up with your back. Pick up the furniture simultaneously with your partner. Count to 3 and then lift it up together if that makes it easier.
Try to carry pieces all the way up the stairs without taking breaks if you can. If you need to rest, make sure you can safely set the piece of furniture down and hold it in place so it won’t slide down the stairs or be too hard to pick up again.
For example, if you are moving a narrow dresser, position it on the dolly as it would normally sit on the floor. If you are moving something wide, like a small sofa, turn it on its end so 1 of the sides is sitting on the flat part of the dolly. The dolly method works best for heavy items that are small enough to fit comfortably and securely on the dolly. Don’t use it for tall items that are higher than chest-height when you put them on the dolly. For items bigger than this, it’s safer to carry them up with another person.
Flat hook straps are also known as ratchet straps, ratchet tie downs, or ratchet straps.
Make sure you feel comfortable with the weight and the movement before you continue the rest of the way up the stairs. Take into account the number of stairs and assess whether you will be able to repeat this the necessary number of times.
Don’t have the person stand too close to the dolly where they wouldn’t be able to get out of the way if you were to drop it. If you are having trouble getting it up a step, the spotter can give it a push from the other side, but make sure you have a good grip on it before they do so.
A shoulder dolly is really a strap system that allows 2 people to lift and carry heavy items more easily. They are also known as moving straps or furniture lifting straps. Keep in mind that it can be quite awkward to carry heavy furniture up stairs with these types of straps. It’s especially important that the strongest person is at the bottom of the stairs.
Mattress slings are a type of strap system that fits tightly around a mattress to help you balance and carry it more easily, especially if the mattress is large and heavy. You might have to tilt the mattress to get it through any doorways or around corners.
This works best on hardwood or uncarpeted floors, but can work on some carpeted floors as well. Cardboard works better than a blanket on a carpeted floor.
