Optimizing recreation room moving

A dream that many people might have once they move into their new Vancouver homes is to create the perfect recreation room. Something complete with a pool table, a TV, gaming consoles, foosball, a grand piano — the works! Often, one of the biggest obstacles to making that happen is the actual act of recreation room moving.

How to move media cabinets safely and more easily

One of the main centrepieces of any recreational room will be the entertainment system. The TV, stereo, video game console and Blu Ray player are often among the most used pieces of equipment and will need a tasteful and accessible place to stay.

For this, we recommend you’d get a media cabinet. These pieces of furniture are often capable of holding all the above items and more, and can be quite helpful in creating an ergonomic storage space. You can usually find one in your local furniture store. Once you’ve picked out a cabinet you like, you’ll have to find a way to move it. Here are some ways you can make recreation room moving easier in this context.

1. Take it apart, then put it back together — As much as possible, try to break down the media cabinet into its component parts. Take out the shelving to reduce weight. If you are moving a media cabinet that already has items in it, empty it out first.

2. Tape it up! Media cabinets often have a lot doors, compartments and hinged components. If you cannot dismantle them, tape them down so they do not open and close at random when being lifted. Make sure you are selective about the kind of tape you use — items such as duct tape can permanently damage a nice finish when removed.

3. Moving media cabinets can be a big job, so pair up! Have one person carry the top while the other carries the bottom. It can often help to tip the item so it looks like a diamond when being carried. This can help stabilize the media cabinet’s centre of gravity and prevent movers from swinging it around. Need an idea of what this looks like? You can find an example picture here.

4. Arm yourself! Shoulder dollies or lifting straps can be a great help when carrying a large media cabinet. In addition to making things easier to lift, they can often reduce the risk of back strain and pain.

Recreation room moving for speakers — creating the best acoustics

The above tips for media cabinet moving will apply to lifting speakers safely, but in addition, be mindful to avoid touching the speaker cones at all costs. That being said, we’ve found that sometimes people tend to neglect moving speakers to optimize the sound of a room, so we’d like to touch on that briefly.

When positioning and moving the speakers, make sure you take stock of where the hardest surfaces in the room are. Concrete is one example. Audio will reflect off these materials the most, and there is a danger that it could create an unpleasant sound, echo way too much, or both. There is no use having a great sound system if you position it in a way that makes it sound awful! So move the speakers to different areas of the room while listening to how they sound in each location. If you find that the audio remains harsh and unpleasant, we’d recommend getting dampeners for your room to stifle unpleasant noises. Some examples include rugs, acoustic foam and cushions. You can find more ideas here, if you’d like to pursue this further.

Adapt to your needs!

Recreation rooms should reflect your interests, which can be subject to change over time. Obviously some people don’t get a kick out of just having traditional items such as TVs and pool tables in their rec rooms. So we’ll be revisiting this topic to take a look at how to move other items into these spaces. In the meantime, we’re always available to help with any recreation room moving needs you may have, so don’t hesitate to call!

Vancouver Movers Guide, by Ferguson Moving & Storage

At Ferguson Moving and Storage, we’re always seeking ways to refine our moving skills. You should, too.  And, as Vancouver’s oldest moving company, we’re happy to share our wisdom to help your move go as smooth as possible!

While we’re best known for Moving & Storage, we’ve long been a resource for all sorts of local know-how gained over our last 99 years in the moving business.

We’re always figuring out better ways to move tricky items, so if you need any help, call us at 604-922-2212.