How a crew keeps a house, a load and itself intact

Protecting the house on the way out and the way in

Protection goes down before anything is lifted, at both addresses. It is the least interesting part of the day and it is the part that keeps a security deposit or a fresh floor intact.

• Floor protection along the whole carry route, laid on bare floor, which is why we ask you to lift doormats and loose runners first.
• Padding on banisters and newel posts, which take more knocks than anything else in a house.
• Protection on door jambs and outside corners on the route, because that is where a dresser catches.
• Doors that swing into the route get held open properly rather than propped with something that will slip.
• The threshold and the front step get attention, since that is where a carry changes level and grip.
• Confirm which floor, jamb and banister protection materials crews carry as standard on every job, and what is only brought on request.

Protecting what is being carried

• Furniture is padded and wrapped where it stands, before it is picked up, not in the hallway.
• Upholstery gets covered so it does not pick up dirt from pads, straps or a wet day.
• Corners, feet and exposed edges on wood get extra padding, since those are what catch a jamb.
• Glass, mirrors and stone tops are protected on the edges and travel on edge, never flat under weight.
• Beds, tables and anything oversized come apart, with the hardware bagged and kept with the piece.
• Nothing sharp, wet or unsealed goes on the truck next to something absorbent.

Loading a truck so nothing shifts on the road

A truck that is loaded properly is quieter and safer to drive, and its contents arrive the way they went in. A truck loaded in the order things happened to reach the door is a truck that rearranges itself on the first turn.

• Heavy, square and stable items go low and forward, against the front wall.
• The load is built in tiers, floor to ceiling, so each tier holds itself together.
• Voids get filled with pads and soft goods, because empty space is what lets a load move.
• Straps and decking hold each tier before the next one is built.
• Fragile, awkward and light items ride high and last.
• Whatever has to come off first at the other end goes on last.

Lifting and carrying without anyone getting hurt

A crew that hurts itself in the morning cannot finish your move in the afternoon, so this part is not separate from the quality of the job.

• Lift with the legs, keep the load close, and turn with the feet rather than the spine.
• Two people on anything heavy or awkward, with one person calling the moves and everyone else listening.
• Dollies, hand trucks and shoulder straps for what they are made for, rather than muscling it.
• Stairs are taken deliberately, one step at a time, with the heavy end downhill and someone spotting.
• Talk before moving. On a staircase or through a doorway, silence is how feet and fingers get caught.
• Nothing is carried when the person carrying it cannot see over it or around it.
• Closed shoes with grip, and no rushing the last carry of the day, which is when people get hurt.

Rain, ice, heat and bad footing

Long Island weather is part of the job most of the year, and it changes how a crew works rather than whether they work.

• In rain, the route gets more floor protection, items get covered on the way out, and the truck door is worked as a shelter rather than left wide open.
• In ice and snow, footing at the truck ramp and on the path comes first, and the pace slows accordingly.
• In heat, the crew drinks more and takes shade, and anything sensitive to heat rides in your car rather than in the box of a truck.
• Wind turns mattresses and tabletops into sails, so those get carried differently or wrapped down.
• Wet steps, mossy walkways and loose pavers get flagged at the walkthrough. If you know a step is loose, say so.

The things you can do that help most

• Clear the carry path from the farthest room to the curb before the crew arrives.
• Get kids and pets somewhere else. Doors stand open all day and the front of the house is a work zone.
• Clear the driveway and the space in front of it so the truck can get close.
• Tell the crew about the loose step, the low beam, the drawer that falls out and the piece that is heavier than it looks.
• Mark heavy boxes as heavy, and do not overfill the ones you packed yourself.
• Keep the route clear during the day, including the hallway where you are tempted to stack boxes.
• Set aside anything that cannot legally ride on the truck before move day rather than on the morning.