One of the biggest challenges you will meet when preparing for a move is packing your items. This is not because it will take you a lot of time, even though it will. Nor is it because you will need to find all the right packing supplies and create a thorough packing plan. These all are straightforward enough. No, packing can be a nightmare because you will constantly worry about the things you are packing. Am I packing this well? Will this item get damaged during the move? These questions are pretty common when dealing with sensitive items – like paintings or art supplies. Don’t be surprised if they occur to you as well. Answering them can help ease you into the move, and can ensure you are packing your items with care. In this article, find out how to pack paintings for shipping and moving.
What steps to take in order to pack paintings for shipping?
Paintings come in various shapes and sizes. They help make our home look nicer, or they are wonderful memorabilia or presents. Sometimes, these items can be pretty expensive, so it is our priority to protect them when moving home. Damaging a painting can sometimes be a terrible accident because they are most of the time unique art pieces that you can never copy or replace. This is why in order to pack paintings for shipping, you will need proper care and planning.
This will help ease your mind, but it will also stop you from making some common packing misconceptions. Usually, these are the steps you will take:
- First, you will want to protect the glass from breaking during travel.
- Then, you will want to further ensure the items will not get damaged when you pack paintings for shipping.
- After that, it’s time to pick the appropriate box and the padding material.
- Securing the box for transport.
How to roll the paintings?
You will usually keep paintings in one of two ways – framed with glass on the wall, or without a protective glass (either on the wall or in a safe/collection). If it is the latter then you should roll it up. Then, get a tube of the appropriate size and put the painting in it. This should also apply to the paintings that large – and thus dangerous to transport in their frame. The tube will protect the painting from all sides, so they are great when you pack paintings for shipping.
You should also add a couple of inches of protection on the bottom and the top of the tube – whether that is some packing peanuts or protective mats. You can also call the best movers in Florida to help you with this. After that, make sure you secure the top of the tube well. You do not want it to open during the transport – right?
Protecting the glass during the move
When you want to pack paintings for shipping, and they are in the glass, things can get a bit more complicated. Here, there are a couple of risks you need to worry about. First, the glass itself can break, so you need to protect it from both sides. Then, you should also think about the edges of the paintings and the frame – and secure them as well. So, how do you do this? Well, movers Jupiter FL have a couple of suggestions for you!
First, you want to take the paintings off the wall and put it on a flat and firm surface. You will want to have space to move around if the painting is big. Then, grab some masking tape and put a big X or asterisk (*) across the glass. This will stabilize the glass a bit during the move. It will also help in case the glass somehow breaks or cracks during the move by keeping it together. This way, the glass won’t tear up your valuable painting if such a thing happens.
Secure the painting further
After you secure the glass, you will want to secure the painting even more. You can do this pretty simply – with a piece of cardboard. Either a used up box or some corrugated cardboard can work – just make sure it is big enough to cover the glass but not bigger than the painting itself. Office movers FL also suggest using foam, mat board or some loose carpet padding if you can’t find cardboard. Anything that can stop the static from forming between the painting and the bubble wrap we are going to use.
And then, it’s time to use the bubble wrap itself. You should use plenty of it – enough that you feel secure in it. You can wrap it vertically or horizontally – or both, really. Whatever makes you comfortable. Then, you can secure the edges with some masking tape, and you are ready to use boxes to pack paintings for shipping.
Getting a box
The final step is to find the right box and finish up your packing. There are a lot of ways to find free moving boxes online – and you can use these to pack or to get cardboard as protection. You can even get a specialized mirror and painting boxes. When considering the size, you should factor in the bubble wrap you are using to secure your painting – so get one a bit bigger than the painting itself. If you have some extra space in the box, then you should fill it up with some crumpled paper or packing peanuts for extra security.
Think you are done wanting to pack paintings for shipping? Well, there is just a little more left! Now all you need is to tape the box well. Seal up all the edges for extra protection. Finally, write “fragile” on the box, so the people handling it will know to be careful with it!
