How to Move a Bookcase

As an avid reader, you probably dread the hassle of moving the bookcase that holds your cherished collection. Although bookcases are a lovely way to showcase what you read, their weight and size make them a challenge to move when relocating to a new home.

That being said, with proper planning and tools, it’s possible to relocate even the heaviest bookcase without causing any damage or injury. In this article, we explain the most effective way to move a heavy bookcase so that your beloved shelving unit reaches its new home safely.

Why It’s Important to Move Your Bookcase Properly

Using proper moving techniques when transporting a bookcase protects your floors, walls, and belongings and can prevent you from getting hurt. Here’s a more detailed breakdown of why using proper technique matters:

• Prevents damage to the bookcase and surrounding area

Bookcases can crack when lifted improperly or bumped against walls while being relocated. Minor damage can destabilize a bookcase, making it unsafe to use and obligating you to find a replacement. In addition, moving a bookcase without adequate support can scuff the finish on your floors and walls.

• Protects books from damage

Moving a loaded bookcase is an extremely bad idea. The covers of your books can be ripped and the pages bent if they are left on the shelves during the move. Taking the time to pack your books properly is important to keep them in good condition.

• Prevents you and other people from getting injured

Moving a heavy bookcase without help can cause back injuries, especially if you’re not used to heavy lifting. In addition, dropping a bookcase on your foot can result in broken bones, while trying to catch a falling bookcase can injure your fingers and hands. Getting help to move your bookcase and using proper equipment can ensure the safety of everyone involved.

Equipment You’ll Need to Move a Bookcase

Having the right equipment makes moving a bookcase safer and easier. Below is a list of all the things you’ll need:

1. Packing Materials

Before you move your bookcase, you’ll need to pack the books and any other items on its shelves using:

• Sturdy boxes

Books are surprisingly heavy when grouped together, which means they need to be packed in durable cardboard boxes or plastic storage containers. Small and medium-sized boxes are ideal because they won’t be too heavy to lift when packed.

• Bubble wrap and packing paper

Bubble wrap protects fragile items, such as glass shelves and decorations. The air-filled bubbles diffuse shocks that might otherwise lead to breakage.

Packing paper can be used to fill empty spaces in boxes so that items don’t get damaged when the boxes are jostled. It can also be used to wrap individual items to provide additional protection.

• Labels and markers

With the help of permanent markers and labeling stickers, you can easily describe what’s inside each box and include special handling instructions such as “This Side Up” or “Fragile – Handle With Care.” If you label your boxes on multiple sides, movers will be able to read your instructions regardless of how boxes are stacked.

2. Safety Gear

Safety gear prevents injuries when lifting heavy furniture. You should wear the following items when moving your bookcase:

• Gloves

Gloves can protect your hands when moving furniture. They prevent painful splinters from wooden bookshelves, cuts from sharp corners, and blisters from constant lifting and carrying.

Make sure to use good-quality work gloves that are tight enough that you can move your fingers but thick enough to protect your hands. When lifting heavy loads, the extra grip of good gloves can prevent dangerous slips or fumbles.

• Closed-toe shoes

Wearing closed-toe shoes can protect your feet in the event that you accidentally drop the bookcase. Moving requires hours of labor, so comfortable, supportive shoes are a must. Work boots and running shoes are appropriate for furniture moving, while flip-flops, sandals, and high heels represent a safety risk.

3. Moving Equipment

Using specialized equipment makes moving heavy furniture much simpler. The following tools can reduce physical strain and prevent damage to your furniture and home:

• Moving blankets

Thick, padded blankets can protect your bookcase from scratches while being moved. You can also wrap individual parts of a disassembled bookcase so they don’t rub against each other. When moving through halls and doorways, moving blankets can protect your walls and doorframes from scratches.

• Furniture sliders

Furniture sliders are rubber or hard plastic bases that can be placed underneath your bookcase to make it easier to move. By placing one slider on each corner or leg of a bookcase, you can push rather than lift it across a room. Different floor surfaces require different sliders-carpet sliders have smooth bottoms, while hardwood sliders have soft bottoms to prevent scratches.

• Dollies and appliance hand trucks

These wheeled platforms allow you to roll your bookcase instead of lifting it. Dollies can support wide, heavy bookcases, distributing the load evenly across four wheels. Appliance hand trucks are great for tall, narrow bookcases and may allow one person to move a bookcase that would otherwise take two or more people.

• Stretch wrap

Stretch wrap is a flexible plastic film that holds furniture parts together and protects the surfaces from being scratched. Unlike tape, it sticks to itself and not the furniture finish, making it ideal for keeping drawers and doors closed during the move.

• Furniture lifting straps

Furniture lifting straps distribute the weight of heavy furniture more evenly so that it’s easier to move. Most systems include harnesses worn by two people connected by a strap that passes under the furniture.

Forearm strap systems go around your arms, while shoulder strap systems distribute weight over your shoulders and torso. With proper use, furniture lifting straps can make a heavy bookcase much easier to move through doors and around corners.

• A screwdriver or drill

A screwdriver or electric drill will allow you to disassemble your bookcase for an easier move. Power drills can speed up the job but require careful control to avoid stripping screws or damaging the wood of your bookcase. Manual screwdrivers, on the other hand, offer greater control for delicate pieces of furniture.

• A measuring tape

Using a measuring tape to determine the dimensions of your bookcase will save you from the frustration of discovering that it won’t fit through doorways in your current and future home. If your bookcase is too large to fit through doorways, you will have to disassemble it for the move.

• Ratchet straps

These strong straps with mechanical tightening mechanisms secure furniture once it’s loaded on a moving truck. They create much more tension than rope or cord, holding furniture firmly in place. A properly secured bookcase won’t shift or tip, which protects both the bookcase and surrounding items.

• Corner guards

Corner guards are made from foam, cardboard, or plastic and slip over your bookcase’s exposed corners to prevent them from damaging walls and floors while the bookcase is being moved. They also protect bookcases with ornate details and finished edges that would be expensive or difficult to repair if damaged.

How to Move Your Bookcase

To move a bookcase, you’ll need a strategy that keeps the bookcase itself safe while also protecting the surrounding area. Here are our recommendations for moving a bookcase safely with minimal difficulty:

1. Take measurements

It’s important to take accurate measurements of the height, width, and depth of your bookcase while also measuring any doorways or hallways that you’ll have to pass through when moving it.

This advanced preparation will help you avoid unexpected problems when the time comes to move the bookcase through narrow areas. Make sure to measure all your interior and exterior doorways to determine the easiest path for moving your bookcase.

2. Clear the bookcase

A bookcase with books in it can be extremely heavy and difficult to manage, which is why emptying your bookcase is necessary before attempting to move it. To clear your bookcase, you’ll need to:

• Remove all items from the shelves

You’ll need to remove all your books from the shelves, along with any other objects being stored in your bookcase. If your bookcase has drawers, you should empty them as well. We also recommend dusting and cleaning the interior and exterior of your bookcase so that you won’t be bringing dust and dirt into your new home.

• Pack fragile items carefully

For fragile items like framed photos, souvenirs, artwork, and vases, we recommend sorting them by size and wrapping them in packing paper and bubble wrap before placing them in a padded moving box. If the box has gaps in it, you can add some soft, lightweight items along with the fragile ones to provide additional protection. Label these boxes clearly as “Fragile” on multiple sides so that movers treat them with extra care.

3. Prepare a moving path

Having a clear path to move your bookcase minimizes the risk of accidents and damage to both your furniture and home.

• Remove obstacles from the moving path

Walk along your intended moving path and remove any obstacles you encounter, such as boxes, toys, and lightweight furniture that could get in your way or cause you to trip. The path to your moving truck should not have any slippery sections or wet spots that could cause you to fall while moving a heavy bookcase.

• Protect your floors and walls

We recommend covering your floors with blankets, rugs, or thick cardboard to protect them from scratches. You should tape these coverings in place so they don’t slide during the move and create tripping hazards. You can also protect wall edges and corners using painter’s tape.

4. Disassemble the bookcase

Most bookcases can be partially or fully disassembled, which will simplify the moving process. To disassemble your bookcase, here’s what you’ll need to do:

• Identify removable parts

See if your bookcase is flat-pack (like IKEA) or a more solid, built-in piece. Removable parts like shelves, glass doors, or legs can be taken off for transportation. Depending on the type of bookcase you have, you may be able to pull out the shelves, or you may need to remove them by unscrewing them.

• Use the right tools

Components with hinges can be unscrewed using a drill or a screwdriver. Small bookcases with legs can be placed on a counter or workbench so you can see underneath. Any bolts or screws securing the legs can be removed using a wrench and/or a screwdriver. When the screws and bolts are out, you can remove the braces from the legs.

It’s always a good idea to take photos or videos of the disassembly process that you can refer back to when it comes time to reassemble your bookcase.

• Pack and organize separate components

You can wrap larger furniture pieces in moving blankets and layers of stretch wrap. For smaller pieces like screws, nuts, and bolts, you can use clearly labeled ziplock bags for storage. This will make reassembly much easier and prevent small components from getting lost.

5. Move the bookcase

After disassembling your bookcase, you can simply load the individual pieces on your moving truck, drive to your new location, unload the components, and put the bookcase back together. However, if you’re moving the bookcase in one piece, we recommend the following approach:

Use proper lifting technique

When lifting heavy furniture, stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and your back straight. Bend your knees, not your back, and use your leg muscles to lift the bookcase off the ground. This protects your back from excessive strain. Keep in mind that you may need the help of a second person if the bookcase is very large or heavy.

Use proper moving equipment

Professional movers use specialized equipment to help move heavy items with greater ease and safety. Here’s how these tools make lifting heavy, bulky items easier:

• Furniture sliders

Furniture sliders come in different designs for carpets and hard floors. The foam inside (usually black) is turned towards the furniture, while the other side rests on the floor. We recommend using felt-bottom sliders on hard floors, like tile, linoleum, and wood, to prevent scratching and hard-plastic sliders on carpets. Simply lift your bookcase and place sliders under the legs so that you can push it across the floor without causing any damage.

• Dollies

Dollies can carry up to 1000 pounds and are perfect for moving heavy furniture. To use a dolly, have one person tip the bookcase back and the other push the dolly under it. It’s always a good idea to affix your bookcase to the dolly with straps or tie-downs to prevent tipping and shifting while you’re moving it.

• Appliance hand trucks

To use an appliance hand truck, have someone lean the bookcase away from you as you slide the platform of the hand truck under it. Then, secure the bookcase with straps, hold the hand truck at waist level, and tilt it towards you to move the bookcase.

• Furniture lifting straps

If you have to move your bookcase over uneven ground or steps, furniture lifting straps can make the job easier; however, you will need a second person to do this.

Together, you and your moving partner will need to put on your harnesses, position yourselves on either side of the bookcase, place two lifting straps underneath the bookcase so that they overlap in the shape of an “X,” attach the moving straps to your respective harnesses, and place your hands against the bookcase to lift it using proper form.

Protect the bookcase

To protect your bookcase, wrap it carefully with moving blankets. Start at one end and wrap a blanket around it, covering the top, bottom, and corners. Then, secure the wrapping material with stretch wrap or tape so that it remains in place during the move. Large bookcases will require multiple moving blankets.

Move with a team

Hire professional movers to handle your heavy bookcase, or ask your friends and family for help. Having additional support can prevent you from getting injured and save time.

6. Load and transport the bookcase

Even well-packed items get damaged when they fall or shift around during transit. To prevent this from happening, you should:

Load the moving truck properly

Make sure to load heavier furniture first, then load medium and smaller boxes. We recommend loading the bookcase on its side with its legs against the wall for greater stability. If space is limited, you can wrap smaller items and place them inside the bookcase.

Secure the bookcase in the truck

Use ratchet straps to secure the bookcase at the back of the truck. Run the straps along the top, where the buckle will not rub against the surface of the bookcase.

Then, pull the strap tight enough to hold everything in place without placing too much pressure on the bookcase. You can crisscross the straps in an “X” pattern or have three horizontal straps (top, middle, and bottom) for added security.

7. Unload the bookcase

Before unloading, ensure that the moving truck’s ramp is dry and in good condition. Open the truck doors very slowly so that you’re prepared if something has shifted and is about to fall out. Next, unload light items that are in the way of larger ones before unstrapping your bookcase to remove it using an appliance hand truck or furniture lifting straps.

8. Reassemble the bookcase and re-shelf your books

Refer to the videos or photos you took during disassembly to guide the reassembly process. All you need to do is reverse the steps of disassembly, making sure the screws and bolts match their holes. When you’re done reassembling your bookcase, carefully position it in its new room and fill it with the books and items you brought from your old house.

How Serenity Moving Services Can Help

Moving a bookcase is tough work, but it only represents a small portion of the responsibility that moving entails. Serenity Moving Services can take this weight off your shoulders. Our professional movers have been helping people relocate for over a decade, and we are experts at moving heavy furniture safely.

We’ll make sure that your bookcase arrives at its new location in perfect condition and even pack your books if needed. Just give us a call or email to request a free quote, and we’ll work to make your move as stress-free as possible.