Piano On Hard Wood Floors

[chris401]

Hopefully one of you is a piano tuner. We have an upright 1914 Schmoller & Mueller Omaha. If possible we want to keep it off pads and on its wheels. I have repairs ahead of me where its crushed the wood floor. I was thinking wider with some type of absorber. Any experience with my senerio?

[shady]

hang it from the ceiling. or maybe change the rollers to flat tappet.

[Joe-JDC]

BTDT with my mother's upright, and had to re-sand the floors and refinish after selling.  If I had it to do over, I think I would have used a couple of short pieces of 2 X 4 covered with felt to sit the piano on long term.  If you place them at the ends of the piano adjascent to the wheels, it should sit level, not indent the floor, and not have to be tuned often.  There are also teflon type sliders available that would work under the 2 X 4s that are rectangular.  I would consider 3 per board, and it should not look bad, and you could move the piano easily at a later date.  Just an idea.  Joe-JDC

[chris401]

Piano on flat tappet? Might sound different.

Joe, I was thinking about felt covered 2x4 but your Teflon idea sounds sturdier. I did the floor in 09 the week we moved in. That was a mistake but we made it. Working before and after work it took 7 days for only 3 coats. On the up side the man who built the house also built an office floor with the same wood. This donor floor is as close as a match as I could ever get. Were you happy with the filler or did you replace planks?

[Joe-JDC]

My grandfather built the house, and the subfloor was substantial and the oak flooring was very thick.  It left tracks across the entire room when it was rolled out the door onto the front porch.  Thankfully, we were able to sand the indentations of the rollers completely out, and refinish.  Did not have to use any filler where the wheels sat for so long.  I recently installed hardwood flooring in my upstairs loft, bedroom, etc., and I put the teflon sliders under everything.  Lowes has them in packages of differing sizes and shapes.  They work great, and spread the load of dressers, bed stead, tables, computer desk, etc.  Flooring is not cheap, and I will gladly use those teflon sliders to save the finish and not mar that asset.  Joe-JDC

[fastback 427]

As far as the dents in the floor, I've had luck removing minor dents from my wood gun stocks with damp towel and a clothes iron. Might be worth a "shot"....

[shady]

forgot about that one . I used that method on pool cues. work excellent.

[cjshaker]

Is it a player piano? I grew up with one in the house, and my Dad still has it. I love that thing. The bellows need replaced in it now, though.
I've got a small Steinway upright in my living room on old Oak flooring. I just keep the wheels on small 1/2" thick hardwood "pads", about 2"x2" in size. It has kept it from indenting the floor. But Joes idea seems like a good one and will work better when you have to move it.

[chris401]

It's not a player.