Moving to a new home is a costly and time-consuming task. It involves hours of packing, transportation, unpacking, and more. While hiring companies like Safe Ship Moving Services can help lower the burden involved in the process, there are a number of things that may still require personal attention, like moving artwork to the new home. No matter whether the artwork is a carefully curated selection of prized pieces or things one has picked up to go with the existing décor, it is important that they arrive at the new home in perfect condition.
Safe Ship Moving Services discusses how to safely pack artwork for a move
Prior to moving artwork or framed items, it is imperative that people acquire the appropriate packing supplies to be sure they will be safe during transportation. To move art pieces, one would typically need bubble wrap, glassine paper or wax paper, packing tape, sturdy cardboard boxes or wooden crates, as well as moving blankets. Getting marker pens and labelling equipment would also be important.
People must set enough time aside to properly wrap and pack their artwork. Here are a few tips that can help in the packing process:
- Before wrapping, it is better to take a few photos of the artwork. This will help people to maintain an inventory of their works, as well as accurately know what their condition was prior to the move.
- All paintings, pictures and artwork should be separately wrapped.
- Taping an ‘X ‘onto the glass front with packing tape is important for packing framed items or mirrors. This will prevent the glass from shattering.
- When packing unframed artwork or canvases, it would be prudent to cover the front with glassine or wax paper and secure it with packing tape. One must see to it that the tape only touches the backing, not the canvas, glass, or frame. It is better to avoid placing bubble wrap directly on the surface, as it may stick or smudge the paint. Glassine is a greaseproof and water-resistant paper. It is ideal for protecting artwork and is relatively easy to find.
- It would be a good idea to secure Styrofoam corner protectors or pieces of cardboard around the four corners to prevent any damage to the edging and tape down with packing. Subsequent to doing so, one should proceed to securely wrap each item with bubble wrap. If one has enough bubble wrap to spare, it is better to wrap every item twice and secure it with tape. The wrapping must be very firm.
- The wrapped artwork upright should be placed into either a wooden crate or sturdy cardboard boxes, while using pieces of cardboard to separate each item. Keeping them upright is essential for loading them onto the moving truck. One must make sure to fill any extra space in the box or crate with packing material to prevent items from shifting during transport. Everything should be as secure as possible to avoid damage. If needed, it is better to wrap the items in packing blankets for added protection.
The team of Safe Ship Moving Services mentions that each of the boxes must be clearly labelled with “Fragile Artwork” stickers or written with large marker pens. These boxes then should be placed on the moving truck without any obstruction from other furniture items.