How to Pack Your Antique Furniture and Fine Art

Rare and high-quality items such as antiques and fine art need specialty care when moving. You do not want to pack these items as you would pack everything else. A process is required for each of these. In this article you will learn tips on how to move fine art, antiques, and assessing custom crating.

Moving Fine Art

Moving art can be tricky. With the finer pieces of art, your attention to detail and care may simply not be enough. With the right know how, moving wall art is generally a straightforward process.

You will first want to remove the piece of art from the wall and wrap it in plastic wrap, this is to prevent any smudging or scratching on the piece of work. After wrapping it at least once, wrap it again with bubble wrap to prevents any dents, dings, or other visible damage. Finding a moving box is the next step. At Cheap Cheap Moving Boxes, we offer different styles of boxes that can be used for artwork. Depending on the size of the piece of art you can either use a frame box or a large picture box. You could also use a TV box kit to package the artwork. See the videos below on how to use each style of box.

If you have larger pieces of artwork, boxes may not be the way to go and may not offer the best protection. Large sculpture pieces may not fit into a box, this is where you would want to custom crate. This provides the necessary protection form damage during your move. It can be more expensive, but it would save you money from damage to your timeless artwork.

Moving Antiques

Every piece of antique furniture is likely going to have its own issues that will need to be accounted for in the packing and moving process. Any part of the furniture that may be partially broken will need to have some extra care.

Just like moving pieces of fine art, bubble wrap and other moving supplies are going to be your best friend. Before you place bubble wrap on your wood antique furniture you will want to wrap the item up with moving blankets. After you have placed the moving blanket on, you will then want to take stretch wrap to secure it into place. Next, wrap all delicate areas of the furniture with bubble wrap, then wrap in another layer to plastic wrap to secure the bubble wrap. It may sound like a lot and that it may be overkill, but antiques lose their value exponentially when it comes to damage. Why not take the extra steps to ensure that no damage comes to it.

Loose or removeable parts of the antiques should be removed and packed separately. Make sure if there is any glass or mirrors to place tape around the edges and create an “X” in the middle. This will help keep the mirror or glass from shattering.

Crating

When it comes to the higher value antiques, artwork, or sculptures, using a custom wooden crate may be the safest way to go. Crating is the process of building a wood box around the item. If you are going to need items to be crated, either see if your moving company offers crating or you may need to hire a third-party company to do this for you. If you must go with another company for your crating, make sure to get the items crated and ready for the move before your moving company shows up or your rental truck.

On Site Quotes

If you are using a moving company for the big day and are having them pack your antiques and artwork, it is imperative for them to see what they will be moving, and the type of care needed. Have them come do an “on-site” appointment. Them being able to see the items that they will be moving, and transporting will give them the information needed for packing materials and more. If you do not get an on-site appointment, then we would not recommend going with that moving company.