Replace carpet under piano?

[derschoenebahnhof]

Got new piano (C2X), it was installed on caster cups on carpet. Wife would like to change the carpet. I am very reluctant to even think about trying it.

How involved would that be? The piano weighs 625 lbs... Lift one leg... slide carpet away, put leg down (on caster cup over HW floor)? Rinse and repeat? Hmm.

Thanks,
CG

[Bob]

Take the legs off, move the piano out of the room, and then carpet?

[derschoenebahnhof]

Take the legs off, move the piano out of the room, and then carpet?

The carpet is about 6 x 6 feet and is over hardwood floor. Taking the legs off would probably require 2 strong men.

Can 2 people lift one leg at a time?

[iansinclair]

Yes, two strong people can lift one leg at a time, and that's the way to do it.  Lift one leg at a time, slide the old carpet out, take a break, slide the new carpet in.  As you say -- rinse and repeat.

[Bob]

I've never done anything like that but... what about a car jack or stacking up pieces of wood underneath, enough to start lifting it?

[iansinclair]

A Comment:  A grand piano is built to be supported at the three legs.  And absolutely nowhere else!  You may get lucky lifting somewhere else and not damage the instrument, but why gamble?

Lift at the legs -- and the legs only.  So your carpet job requires three people: two to lift the instrument (hands go on the case, one person lifting on either side of the leg) and one to shift the carpet.

[quantum]

The piano weighs 625 lbs... Lift one leg... slide carpet away, put leg down (on caster cup over HW floor)? Rinse and repeat? Hmm.

Actually yes, that is how you do it.  When pro piano movers brought my grand into my home, they did give instructions on how to insert a carpet underneath if it was desired at a future time.  Basically lift one leg and insert carpet, repeat.  That is similar to how they assembled the legs and righted the piano in the first place, although they easily managed with one person lifting a corner. 

The piano's total weight may be 625 lbs, but you are not lifting 625 lbs when you lift only one leg. 

[g_s_223]

I would get rid of the carpet permanently. The piano will sound so much better with a properly reverberant floor. One doesn't see carpets on a concert hall stage...

[Bob]

What about putting the carpet piece around the legs?  Remove the old stuff and just cut out a spot for the piano legs.  Or you could stick some kind of rubber piece under the legs while you've got them up to dampened the sound a bit.  That's going for the quiet/apartment type of piano philosophy.