Techniques for Moving Valuables and Fragile Items
Every home has a number of fragile items that must be protected during a move. Each individual item must be treated with care and needs to follow a certain process in order to ensure that nothing is broken, lost or damaged while the less fragile items in the house are being moved. It is usually best to collect fragile and valuable items from around the home before moving begins. Each piece needs to be assessed so that it can be safely packed away. All delicate objects should be packed together away from boxes that contain heavier items that could cause damage.
The first step for moving valuable and fragile items is to use sufficient packaging materials for each individual piece. Different types of packaging materials have different properties. Newspaper, brown craft paper and newsprint can all absorb moisture that could damage items made from porous materials like wood. Newspaper can also be crumpled into a ball so that there is some shock-resistance. Valuable plates and glasses can be wrapped in newspaper to help prevent chips and scratches that could occur when the plates are moved. Bubble wrap can be used for large items and to line boxes because it provides excellent protection from sharp impacts. Packaging plastic wrap can help to bind stacks of fragile items together for more strength after each individual piece has been wrapped in paper.
Fragile items should be placed in a box and surrounded by a packing material like bubble wrap or packing chips. The boxes that are used should be fairly small. Each box should be packed so that there is no open or empty space inside that could allow a piece to move and potentially break. Boxes full of fragile items should not be stacked because the weight can distribute unpredictably at times and could break valuables in the lower boxes. Stacking boxes also creates the risk that a stack could tip and fall over.
Once the valuables and fragile items in a home are packaged firmly into boxes those boxes need to be removed from the home so they are not damaged or accidentally placed under heavier boxes from other areas of the house. A good solution is to rent a storage unit for valuables. This will keep the boxes safe and secure during the move. Another option is to store valuables in the home of a friend or family member. If storing fragile items in another home then it is important to place the boxes in an area where they will not be disturbed by regular daily activities or pets.
Casey Haslem is a writer. In her spare time she loves to hike and craft. She writes often about storage and organization.If you’re in need of help with storage, contact Palmdale self storage units or Claremont Extra Space Storage
