Navigating Tight Squeezes: Moving Furniture That Won’t Fit Through Doors or Stairs

This guide covers smart solutions for transporting stubborn furniture that won’t budge during your move. Learn tips to pivot, angle, and squeeze.

You’ve measured everything, but when moving day arrives your furniture is suddenly too large for doorways and stairwells. Don’t panic — with the right techniques you can maneuver even oversized items inside.

This guide covers smart solutions for transporting stubborn furniture that won’t budge during your move from the house movers calgary. Learn tips to pivot, angle, and squeeze challenging pieces into place.

Verify Measurements Early On

Avoid move-in headaches by confirming space constraints well in advance:

Check the Widths of All Entryways and Landings

Measure the exact width of doorways, hallways, staircases, and any awkward angles that furniture must pass through. Note measurements for the entire route.

Measure Dimensions of Large Furniture

Check labels for specifications or physically measure the width, height, and depth of all large furniture items.

Compare Furniture to Entry Points

Match up furniture dimensions against entry point widths to identify potential problem pieces that exceed openings.

Have Backup Options Planned Out

If any furniture is drastically oversized, have contingency plans in place like disassembly or accessing through windows. Early measuring helps pinpoint expected tight squeezes so you can plan furniture maneuvering.

Protect Surfaces During Tight Moves

Even with perfect measurements, moving oversized furniture through tight entry points risks nicks, dings, and scratches. Take key precautions:

Pad Door Frames, Walls, and Railings

Affix protective coverings anywhere bulky furniture may potentially bang or scrape during tight maneuvers.

Pad and Wrap Furniture Pieces

Use moving blankets, furniture pads, and bubble wrap to cushion furniture as it turns and pivots through narrow spaces.

Remove Doors Entirely If Possible

If feasible, fully detach door hinges to create a wider access point for furniture. Proper padding and protection reduce the chance of damage as you squeeze furnishings inside.

Carefully Angle and Pivot Furniture

The most common moving mistake is failing to consider subtle angles and clearance. When furniture sticks, apply these techniques:

Enter Doorways Diagonally Corner-First

Instead of moving straight through the doorway, approach from an angle, entering corner-first to shift the furniture’s profile.

Slowly Test Different Angles

Gently pivot and rotate stuck furniture incrementally to discover specific angles that gain those extra fractions of clearance.

Pass-Through Narrowest Opening First

If moving through multiple tight spaces, move through the narrowest doorway or land first before the widest opening.

Keep One End Elevated During Pivots

Maintaining one end slightly lifted as you pivot increases maneuverability through tight spaces. Small angular adjustments can surprisingly open just enough space to fit obstinate furniture.

Remove Protruding Hardware

For a minimal margin of error getting oversized furniture inside, temporarily detach hardware extensions:

Detach Door Hinges- Removing door hinges eliminates several extra inches of width at the sides of the furniture.

Remove Table Leaves- If moving expandable dining tables, remove all leaf inserts to reduce width.

Unscrew Table Legs- Detaching table legs lowers overall height and reduces points to snag.

Take Off Wheels/Pedals- Remove protruding wheels, pedals, or cranks on piano benches, cabinets, etc. Taking off these extensions creates a more minimalist furniture profile to fit through openings.

Use Specialized Moving Tools

Specialized equipment helps coax stuck furniture through tight spaces. Use:

Shoulder Dollies or Straps

Help lift and rotate furniture precisely using leverage. Reduces back strain.

Furniture Slides/Skates

Temporary slides placed under furniture legs enable pieces to smoothly glide over floors and stairs.

Pry Bars or Crowbars

Carefully apply leverage to incrementally pivot and twist furniture through tight spots. Protect finishes.

Compact Hand Trucks

For secure furniture transportation once turned on end and moved inside home. The right tools make frustrating situations more manageable. Invest in useful moving equipment. Moving is tiring enough without wrestling obstinate furnishings through doors and stairs.

With clever pivoting tricks, padding, and specialty tools you can finesse even oversized furniture inside. Just take it slowly and carefully. Soon that stubborn couch or bed will be comfortably situated in its new home.