AboutHarry Lipsky Expertise Moving your furniture. I would like to answer all questions dealing with the proper techniques of how to move ANY type of furniture, including difficult doorways and stairways. Also, all questions dealing with the proper packing of breakables including antiques. All general questions concerning the moving and storage industry will be answered. I cannot recommend a particular mover in a person`s neighborhood but i can explain how to obtain a company in good standing with the community. I have been in the moving and storage industry for almost four decades! I am located in Massachusetts.
Experience I have almost four decades of experience in the moving & storage industry. When I was a small boy my father introduced me into the moving business and I have been hooked ever since. At first I started out as a young laborer untill I was old enough to drive a furniture van. As time went on I drove 18-wheelers around the country moving small shipments as well as large corporate relocations. I was taught the old school methods by men that were craftsman in their field. I learned how to pack the most delicate of breakables as well as museum pieces. It was common practice to do estimates and even the actual ratings on interstate jobs. Doing commercial moves were a big part of my moving career over the years. Some of the big names that I delt with were "GE","MICROSOFT","FIDELITY INVESTMENTS" AND "AMERICAN EXPRESS". As the years went by my family retired and sold the business (not my choice). I went on to establish my own moving company which ran for 12 years before I phased out the physical moving itself. Today I have developed a consulting service where I advise future furniture buyers as well as people moving for the first time on what to expect from their upcoming adventure. Furniture buyers are advised on what size furniture will fit through their narrow doorways and tight hallways. By choosing furniture with the right dimensions will narrow down the probability of the furniture being returned back to the store. That is not a scenario people want after waiting 8-12 weeks for their new furniture. I can also help people to understand the proper procedures of a first time move in their lives. I tell them what is to be expected,how they can save money,how to choose a good mover and what is involved with getting the packing done.
Question I'm moving into a new apartment. The problem is the doorway is really narrow. We've removed the doors from the hinges, but things are further complicated by a sharp turn at the top of the stairs. I was able to get my full size matress in, but the box spring doesn't seem to want to go. We also can't seem to fit our couch in either. Do you have any suggestions as to how we might get these items into the apartment? thanks
Josh
Answer Hello Josh
As far as specific measurements of a couch go, there is no set formula for getting it through doorways and around corners. The only thing you could try is to angle the sofa on the stairway in such a way so that the seating area faces the turn into the doorway. By doing this you may have a chance of tipping it into the room and getting the arm through. It is also possible to "SAW" the rear legs off. This is not as bad as it sounds. I have done it myself several times (WITH REQUEST OF THE CUSTOMER). MAKE YOUR SAW CUTS LEVEL AND CLOSE TO BOTTOM OF COUCH. Replace the legs after you place the sofa by drilling a couple of holes and inserting dowels to match up the legs. This way if you should move the sofa in the future you can remove them and have that extra room for manuvering. If all else fails and you need to purchase another sofa, find a couch where the cushions are removable, doesn't have huge rolled arms and if possible........the legs are removable, it would be in your favor. 8' (96")sofas are usually a big problem on stairways unless you have a 9-10' overhead in the stairway itself.a 7 FOOTER OR LESS could be less of a headache for you. You will want to remove any doors before entering a room. There are so many angles that can be used to move a sofa, there is no way for me to say definitely that it will or won't fit. I don't know if you are talking about a single family home or a multy dwelling apt. style building. All stairways are different. THE ONLY OTHER THING I COULD THINK OF IS TO CHECK WITH PEOPLE THAT HAVE A SOFA IN AN AREA SIMILAR WHERE YOU WANT TO PUT YOURS. Maybe they have the same style stairway or door way that you could use as a reference. Sorry if i seem vague, but i hope this gives you something to go by. Do you have a porch or large windows that could be utilized?
==============================================
CUTTING and FOLDING BOX SPRING
It is possible to cut the box spring and still keep its integrity intact. You will need a small handsaw, a razor knife (new blade) and some rope. FIRST thing to do is find a clean area and lay the box spring flat with the underside facing up. Measure and find the middle of the frame. AT the middle point take the razor and cut the dust cloth (THE SHORT WAY) COMPLETELY from side to side. NOW you will need to cut the box spring FABRIC up the width of the side ...on both sides.Use the razor to cut a straight line. By doing this you now have clean cut from the top seam of the box spring down the width to the dust cover,across the dust cover and up the other side to the finished seam. Now for the sawing. You want to cut the wood framing braces that are closest in line with the line that you cut in the dust cloth and in line with the cuts up the sides. You will see the wood framing running along both sides. You will need to cut through this wood. Way up inside you will see a long edging steel rod that is part of the frame.........DON'T CUT THE METAL ROD. Now you are ready to bend the box spring in half. Tip the spring up onto its side. Place the soft side against a door frame. What you want to do is place a person on each end and start to fold the box spring in half.....like a book. As you do this apply equal pressure moving your body towards the center as it folds. If there is no door frame you may have to improvise. Once folded, tie a rope around it snuggly. Now you can move it upstairs and into the bedroom. If you can find another door frame, use it to open the box spring slowly and evenly with the underside against the frame. Once it is open, look way up inside along the edge that was bent and you will see that metal rod that i spoke of before. You'll notice that there is a kink in the rod. If you can get a small board or stick and push on the kink to straighten as much as possible, it will help it lay flat. As an option, get some straight brackets and screw them to the underside to connect the two halves. Sometimes it will lay flat without installing the brackets and the mattress is on.
Well, that is pretty much the whole story. ------------------------------------------
If you have more questions, please don't hesitate to write. Hope you can understand it all. Good luck
Harry
