Moving houses is exciting but daunting at the same time. One of the aspects of moving is figuring out how to transport fragile antiques safely from point A to point B. Here are 5 simple techniques on how to pack antiques like a professional, whether it’s that 100-year-old family vase, or that rare heirloom wall clock.
Getting the right tools
Packing antiques doesn’t necessarily have to be a complicated or messy. However,
certain tools will be needed for the job.. Must-have tools include quality boxes in different sizes, packing paper, some bubble wrap or styrofoam pieces, flexible cardboard, sharp scissors, and a roll of packing tape. Make sure the boxes are of good quality and can accommodate heavy antiques like artwork or furniture.
Packing antique plates
A stack of plates should be placed vertically in a compact box. Lace the box’s floor with crumpled packing paper and then apply another layer of crumpled packing paper above the plates before closing the box. The plates should be covered with bubble wrap and secured with packing tape. Avoid packing plates horizontally as this consumes more than necessary space and puts the plates at risk of collapsing and breaking into each other on speed bumps and rough terrains.
Packing antique glass
Same with packing antique drinkware. You should start by wrapping each glass with packing paper. Fill the inside portion of the glass with more packing paper or any kind of soft material to minimize the space inside each glass. Only stack glass antiques that have a flat surface otherwise you could end up breaking the glass on the bottom portion of the box. When stacking, layer packing paper across the glass pieces and put the heaviest items at the bottom followed by the next heaviest items.
Packing artwork
Wrap the art pieces with soft material. Acid-free plastic that can be bought at specialty stores is suitable material for protecting the fragile surface of the artwork. Avoid wrapping artwork with newspaper or blankets as this may distort certain qualities of the artwork, such as shading. You can then apply bubble wrap to add a second layer of protection. When packing antique artwork into boxes, there are several mediums to choose from including foam-lined cardboard and one-way shipping crates.
While it is indeed possible to delegate this sensitive task to third-party experts, knowing the proper techniques allows you to manage and oversee the packing and transportation of important artifacts yourself.