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10 Tips For Safely Packing Fragile Items During Your Move
Packing fragile items – many of which have significant monetary or nostalgic value – can be overwhelming! Your items may be handled multiple times and by multiple people during a move, plus must withstand long drives in the truck, perhaps for days. We’ve collected the top ten most important tips for protecting delicate collectibles and heirlooms while in-transit or in storage. And remember, you can always ask the pros to pack fragile items for you – we do it every day!
1. Use Smaller Boxes for Heavy Fragile Items
Small boxes are best for delicate items as they’re easier to handle, offer less room for your items to shift and slide, and require less padding or supplemental material to fill the space between items. PRO TIP: Never settle for flimsy boxes! Get good quality, new boxes for your valuable possessions. [CONTACT US NOW TO PURCHASE MOVING BOXES AND PACKING MATERIAL – FIX THIS UP AND INSERT LINK https://www.movingmaine.com/buy-moving-boxes/]
2. Reinforce the Bottom of the Box
Use multiple strips of tape on the bottom seams of the box to prevent accidental fallout and to reinforce the integrity of the box when under pressure from holding weight. Layer the bottom of the inside of the box with soft materials like packing paper, bubble wrap, foam, styrofoam peanuts, or even clothing and towels to cushion the items inside and prevent damage from impact. Once you’ve added your items, fill the spaces in between your possessions with more packing material to prevent shifting.
3. Put Heavy Items At The Bottom
For each box, pack the heaviest and most durable items at the bottom. Then, layer all smaller and more fragile items on top of that! This way, the base of the box is well-supported and lighter contents won’t be crushed under the weight of larger items.
4. Use Supportive Dividers for Glassware
Available as either cardboard inserts or specially designed boxes, dividers offer support to tall, top-heavy and delicate glass items (like wine glasses and crystal) to keep each item from shifting or coming into contact with other pieces. The structural supports in between items also offer some reinforcement in weight-bearing!
5. Fill Hollow Items For Protection
Soften vibrations and offer internal reinforcement to glasses, jars, vases and other vessels by stuffing them tightly with packing paper.
6. Wrap Each Individual Item and Piece
Never allow individual pieces to “float” inside a box! Disassemble and separate pieces like lids, saucers, and shades, then wrap those components separately. Your most fragile pieces – china, collectibles, heirlooms, and thin glass – are best secured with a thick layer of bubble wrap, secured with packing tape. PRO TIP: Plates and bowls should be individually wrapped and then nested in small stacks before placing in the box.
7. Use Plenty of Packing Tape
Any item that merits protection with packing paper or bubble wrap should also be secured with a generous application of packing tape. This will keep the wrapping intact and stop the contents from sliding out of their protection while en route to their new destination.
8. Clearly Label Boxes And Indicate Fragile Items
Every box that holds breakable contents must be very clearly labeled. Remember, you will not be the only one handing your boxes! Set the most fragile pieces to the side and clearly communicate to your professional moving team that they require extra attention during packing and transport. PRO TIP: In addition to labeling the contents, it’s helpful to label the room at your new home in which the box should go.
9. Start Early, Pack Slowly
Moving often comes with a rush of adrenaline and the desire to check off to-dos from your list as quickly as possible. However, when packing up your delicate possessions, it’s paramount that you proceed deliberately and give much attention to detail. To give yourself enough time, start the packing process as early as possible – depending on your situation, you may even be able to start with fragile items first! Slowing down this part of the process will prevent cutting corners or making mistakes that could cost you irreplaceable possessions. It’s also helpful to work through one room at a time. Plan it out!
10. Hire The Pros!
As Central and Eastern Maine’s leading local and long-distance moving professionals, the pros at Central Maine Moving & Storage know how to carefully and expertly pack your belongings. Our skilled movers can perform this portion of the move in half the time it takes doing it yourself. We can pack the fragile items only or the contents of your entire home! For your most valuable items, we offer custom crating for added protection. Along with elevated attention to detail and years of experience, we also offer award-winning customer service, pre-move planning and support, full packing and unpacking options, in-home padding and protection, full valuation coverage plans, climate-controlled furniture storage and home staging options!
