So, you’re moving, and you don’t know how to pack your delicate items like artwork and sensitive furniture so they don’t get damaged? You did the right thing to look it up online, and you’ve come to the right place. We’ll help you pack all your fragile objects up before the people from one of the Seattle moving companies you chose arrive. So, here are our five great tips – delve into the knowledge given to you.
Get the right packing supplies ready
Before you even think of starting, better yet, before you’ve even booked one of the Seattle moving companies – get the right packing supplies. You don’t want to start packing only to run out of packing gear halfway through. So, figure out what and how much you’ll need, and go to the store to get it. You’ll need strong cardboard boxes, tape, packing paper, bubble wrap, stretch wrap, moving blankets, tape, and a marker. How many of each you need depends entirely on the number of your things, so we’ll let you be the judge of that.
Protect your artwork with a lot of padding
When it comes to packing artwork for moving, we’ve got three words for you – padding, padding, and more padding. If your painting has glass over it, mark an X with tape over it to protect the glass from shattering if it does break. Then, protect the painting by covering it with layers of stretch wrap all over. Put cardboard protectors around the frames of the painting to protect it, especially if it’s unique or valuable. Wrap bubble wrap all over the painting.
The next part is putting it in a box. You’ll want to invest in special picture boxes – they’re a bit expensive but worth every penny. You’ll also want to get a box that’s slightly bigger than your piece to allow room for padding – and nothing else. So, if you see there’s still extra room after you put the painting in the box – add more padding.
How do you pack antique furniture?
Disassemble everything you can before you start packing, and keep screws and other small parts together so you don’t end up losing them. If your antique piece of furniture is too old or you’re not sure if it can go off – don’t risk it. If there’s glass involved, apply the same strategy as with paintings – put an X and use a special kind of paper called glassine.
Cover everything with moving blankets from all sides. Pay special attention to wooden parts and legs if you haven’t taken them off. Then, secure it by wrapping stretch wrap all over and tape it well. Then you’re good to go, but be careful while transporting things, too.
How to pack plates and dishes for moving?
You’ll need a tall box for this one. Really tall and really thick. Cover each plate in packing paper or stack plate-on-plate with packing paper in between. The same goes for other dishes – cover them with layers of packing paper. Use a newspaper instead if you’ve run out of packing paper by now. Towels and cloth will do, too.
Heavier items go in the box first, so put plates vertically, like you would in a dishwasher. Then add the other dishes and save the glasses for last. Don’t leave lots of space – fill the box up with packing peanuts, paper, towels, or socks so everything stays in place.
Labeling is a life saver
Whatever fragile thing you’re packing, big or small, boxed or without a box – label it accordingly. Write ‘FRAGILE’ on top (and on the sides, if it’s a box) of everything that’s fragile, especially things that contain glass. You’re gonna end up with a bunch of boxes, so you’ll want to know which ones need special care and attention when moving around. Your movers will, too.
So, put that marker into action – it will save your delicate pieces. And, that’s a wrap on wrapping and packing fragile pieces. We hope these tips serve you well and wish you the best of luck.