If you're worried about how to safely pack up your antiques for transportation to your brand-new home you've come to the best location. Listed below, we'll cover the basics of moving antiques, including how to box them up so that they show up in one piece.
What you'll require.
Collect your supplies early so that when the time comes to pack your antiques you have whatever on hand. Here's what you'll need:
Microfiber cloth
Loading paper or packaging peanuts
Air-filled cling wrap
Glassine (similar to standard plastic wrap but resistant to air, grease, and water. You can buy it by the roll at a lot of craft shops).
Packing tape.
Corner protectors for art and mirrors.
Boxes, including specialty boxes as need.
Moving blankets.
Furniture pads.
Before you begin.
There are a couple of things you'll desire to do prior to you begin covering and loading your antiques.
Take a stock. If you're moving antiques and have more than simply a number of important products, it might be helpful for you to take an inventory of all of your items and their current condition. This will come in useful for noting each item's safe arrival at your new home and for assessing whether any damage was done in transit.
Get an appraisal. You probably don't have to stress over getting this done before a relocation if you're handling the task yourself (though in basic it's an excellent concept to get an appraisal of any important valuables that you have). However if you're working with a professional moving company you'll need to know the precise worth of your antiques so that you can pass on the details throughout your preliminary inventory call and later on if you need to make any claims.
Check your homeowners insurance coverage policy. Some will cover your antiques throughout a relocation. Examine your policy or call a representative to find out if you're not sure if yours does. While your homeowners insurance coverage will not be able to replace the product itself if it gets broken, a minimum of you know you'll be financially compensated.
Prior to packing up each of your antiques, securely tidy them to ensure that they get here in the best condition possible. When wrapped up with no space to breathe, the chemicals can dampen and harm your antiques.
How to pack antiques.
Moving antiques the ideal method starts with effectively packing them. Follow the actions below to make sure whatever arrives in excellent condition.
Packing art work, mirrors, and smaller antiques.
Step one: Examine your box circumstance and figure out what size or kind of box each of your antiques will be crammed in. In basic, you wish to choose the smallest box you can so that there is very little room for products to move around. Some items, such as paintings and mirrors, need to be crammed in specialized boxes. Others may gain from dividers in the box, such as those you utilize to pack up your water glasses.
Step 2: Wrap all glass items in a layer of Glassine. Glassine is a kind of barrier paper with a wax-like finish that keeps products from getting smudged or stained. This Glassine layer is particularly essential for anything with print or paint on it. Wrap the Glassine tightly around each glass, porcelain, and ceramic product and secure it with packing tape.
Step three: Secure corners with corner protectors. Make certain to pay special attention to the corners of your framed art work and mirrors. Due to their shape, corners are vulnerable to nicks and scratches during relocations, so it is very important to add an additional layer of defense. Corner protectors are offered in styrofoam, plastic, and cardboard. If you're up for it, you can likewise make your own.
Step 4: Include some cushioning. Use air-filled plastic wrap to produce a soft cushion around each product. For optimal protection, wrap the air-filled cling wrap around the product at least twice, ensuring to cover all sides of the product along with the top and the bottom. Secure with packing tape.
Step five: Box everything up. Depending upon a product's shapes and size you might wish to pack it on its own in a box. Other items may do fine loaded up with other antiques, supplied they are well protected with air-filled plastic wrap. Regardless of whether an item is on its own or with others, use balled-up packing paper or packaging peanuts to fill out any spaces in package so that products will not walk around.
Packing antique furniture.
Step one: Disassemble what you can. If possible for safer packing and simpler transit, any large antique furnishings must be taken apart. Naturally, do not dismantle anything that isn't suitable for it or is too old to handle being taken apart and put back together. On all pieces, try to see if you can at least remove small items such as drawer pulls and casters and pack them up separately.
Step 2: Firmly cover each product in moving blankets or furnishings pads. It's crucial not to put cling wrap straight on old furnishings, particularly original site wood furnishings, since it can trap wetness and result in damage. This includes using tape to keep drawers closed (use twine instead). Use moving blankets or furnishings pads rather as your very first layer to develop a barrier in between the furnishings and additional plastic padding.
Pay unique attention to corners, and be sure to wrap all surfaces of your antique furniture and protect with packaging tape. You'll likely require to use quite a bit of air-filled plastic wrap, however it's much better to be safe than sorry.
Moving antiques securely.
When your antiques are correctly evacuated, your next job will be ensuring they get transferred as safely as possible. Make sure your movers understand precisely what wrapped item are antiques and what boxes contain antiques. You might even wish to move the boxes with antiques yourself, so that they don't wind up congested or with boxes stacked on top of them.
Do your finest to isolate your antiques so they have less chance of falling over or getting otherwise harmed by other products if you're doing a DIY move. Shop all art work and mirrors upright, and never stack anything on top of your well-protected antique furnishings. Usage dollies to transfer anything heavy from your house to the truck, and think about utilizing extra moving blankets once products are in the truck to provide more security.
If you're at all worried about moving your antiques, your finest bet is most likely to work with the pros. When you hire a moving company, make sure to discuss your antiques in your preliminary inventory call.