Guide For Moving Paintings & Art

How To Move Art And Paintings

Art is an investment. A single painting can easily cost thousands of dollars – and could even have a value defined as something else than the monetary worth of the piece. The value of art or a painting can be defined by several factors, including ritualistic and cultural factors, as well as sentimental value.

When you decide to move, the transportation of any art and paintings in your house should be handled with care. Without the right approach, you might end up disappointed when you open up these pieces at your new house, only to find that your valued possessions have been damaged. We take a look at the most effective methods to move art and paintings to a new house, without risking damage.

Woman looking at a painting she is going to moveMoving Your Art And Paintings

Moving seems like a relatively simple process. You simply pack all of your possessions into boxes, load them up in the moving truck, and they are taken to your new home. Unfortunately, with some items, you do need to take a few extra steps – this is especially important with the items you own that have a lot of value to them. This includes both monetary and sentimental value.

Wrapping The Art

The process should start with packing. First, consider if the painting has a glass cover at its front. If it does, then you can skip ahead to wrapping it with paper or bubble wrap. If not, however, you need to get some plastic wrap first. Cover the entire painting with this wrap as it will help to prevent damage to the painting itself.a couple taking down a painting they are going to wrap and move

You need to get paper or bubble wrap, as well as a lot of cardboard. Start by wrapping your paintings in paper pads – add multiple layers to increase the protection. Each of your paintings or art pieces need to be enclosed with paper or bubble wrap, as well as cardboard. Make sure to add additional cardboard at the corners of the product, should it be a painting.

For paintings and are framed in glass, put a thick cardboard cover over the glass before wrapping it with the paper or bubble wrap. This will act as a protective layer to the glass to sure that your item is transported safely.

When you place the painting or art in a box, be sure to add multiple paper or bubble wrap layers at the bottom of the box. In addition to covering the bottom region of the box, make sure to add some paper or bubble wrap to the sides as well. You want to maximize the protection of the product.

It is also a good idea to consider adding some scrunched-up paper to the bottom of the box, as well as the sides as you place the paper in the box.

Taking Precaution

Be sure to make appropriate marks on the paintings. Use a permanent marker to add an “X” to the wrapping of paintings where glass is present. This will help you see which of the paintings are at risk of not only becoming damaged but also a glass panel breaking.

The same procedure should ideally be followed for sculptures and other art. Thoroughly cover the entire item in cling wrap. Follow this by many layers of bubble wrap. The more wrapping you add, the better the protection. Make sure to mark the boxes of sculptures and other art, particularly in cases where the sculpture is fragile.

Large and small boxes

Most likely you will be boxing your framed art. You need to box your items in a way that will maximize the protection of your art pieces. After wrapping your framed art you will want to put it in a smaller box. The smaller box will have rolled tissue paper in it at the bottom and the top. This will act as a bumper while for the art piece and provides extra cushioning while in the box. You will then put the small box in the larger box with rolled cushioning inside the larger box to provide the same protection as you did with the smaller box. Check out our video on packing with small and large boxes.

 

 

Valuables and Fragiles

Protecting your extremely valuable and fragile art is a priority when moving. These pieces require extra attention. Depending on the art piece, putting the item in a traditional box may not be the best move. Extremely valuable and fragile items can be crated to ensure no possible damage. There are many ways to crate valuable pieces of art. Whether its foam covering, layered crate walls, or heated shrink wrap, all of these are customized to your specific art piece. This customized protection will ensure that these very important pieces arrive at the destination safely.

 

Crating Items Sculptures

If you do find that your sculptures are not appropriate for wrapping and fitting in a box, then you should consider crating them. This can be an effective method for keeping the sculpture in pristine condition while it is being transported. Many sculptures can have on angles and points that won’t fit into a traditional box. On top of this, some sculptures are extremely fragile. Packing these sculptures in a crate will be the best strategy for protecting this kind of art piece

When moving with art and paintings, you need to ensure you take special precautions during the packaging and transit of these items. We looked at a step-by-step guide to help preserve your precious possessions and ensure they come out in pristine condition at your new home. To hire a professional mover trained to pack for safety, click here for a free estimate.

Packing Don’ts for Moving

Packing is hard and tips are always welcomed.  Everyone has heard about the packing dos, but packing don’ts are just as important, and not following those guidelines could end up adding time and money to your move.

We’ve been moving families for over 20 years.  Olympia Moving & Storage provides full packing services, but many of our clients also pack themselves.  We see our self-pack clients make the same mistakes over and over again.  Below are the most common packing don’ts we see our clients disregard. These packing don’ts are moving time-savers and prevent moving damage, whether you’re moving yourself or working with a moving company.

packing don'tsLocal Moving Packing Don’ts:

  • Don’t pack books in medium or large boxes, you’ll over-pack and boxes could break during the move, or worse, you could pack a box too heavy to move.  Always pack books, CDs, and files in small 1.5 cu.ft. boxes.
  • Don’t forget to disassemble your lamps and lampshades and pack them in appropriate boxes, 6.1 cu.ft. boxes are best. Lamps and lampshades cannot be wrapped, they must move in a box or risk damage.
  • Don’t pack your fragile items or books into plastic totes. This does not securely protect fragiles from damage and will over pack the tote, making it too heavy to lift.  Wrap fragile items and pack them into 1.5 cu.ft. boxes, or pack fragile dishware into 5.1 cu.ft. dishpack boxes.  Those boxes have thicker walls for better protection.

Interstate Moving Packing Don’ts:

  • Packing artwork and mirrors can be scary, but it’s important to remember that bubble wrap isn’t enough to protect them. Artwork and mirrors must be packed in mirror or artwork boxes to avoid damage.
  • Vases and plant pots must be boxed and cannot be placed freely in your moving vehicle or they will get damaged and may cause other items to get damaged as well.
  • Don’t transport your items in trash bags. Your belongings aren’t garbage and while this seems like an easy packing cheat, your bags will rip in transit. Bags are also cumbersome and can’t be stacked to utilize space in a moving vehicle.
  • Floor lamps must be dismantled and packed in a tall lamp box.

General Moving Packing Don’ts:

  • Moving filing cabinets can be daunting.
    Large filing cabinets (3-5 drawers) must be emptied completely or they will be too heavy to carry.
    Small cabinets (2 drawers) can remain full but emptying them will be appreciated by your movers or helpful friends.
  • Dressers are best to be emptied at least halfway and should only contain clothing and linen
  • Fragile items, books, and jewelry cannot be transported in drawers of furniture items.  They may damage the furniture piece, make it too heavy, or run the risk of getting lost or damaged if not packed properly.
  • All containers must have tops to ensure items are not susceptible to damage or displacement. This will also ensure that all boxes and items can be stacked inside the moving vehicle.
  • All boxes should be filledas best as possible to ensure safe transport and loading. If the space is not used items are more likely to shift and get damaged during transit, and boxes could collapse while they are stacked in the moving truck.

Our general rule of thumb is that everything that fits in a box, should go in a box!

Have other packing questions?
Call us today at 800.222.4744 or click here to request a free, no obligation moving estimate and start planning your move.

If you’re still intimated by packing, no problem! Request an pricing for full or fragile packing services as part of your estimate with Olympia Moving & Storage.

You might also be interested in: