Speaking about moving, we usually imagine ourselves packing, loading and unloading common household stuff such as furniture, kitchen inventory, clothes and other boring items. What we often forget is that the comfort and personality of our home is much due to the unique pieces of artwork we possess. These, without any doubt are the items we tend to care and value the most. Now straight to the point: moving artwork is not something as easy to do as most people think. When you are considering moving your most precious belongings you have to follow some basic rules of thumb which can prevent your paintings and other forms of art from being damaged.
There are many stories of expensive artwork being almost destroyed by incompetent movers. If you want to avoid this from happening to you follow these tips:
1. Find a real professional to do the job.
It may seem like an easy, routine job which every mover can handle, but actually it takes a lot of skill, experience and sometimes specialized equipment for safe artwork relocation, especially when you own treasures such as highly priced paintings. Therefore find yourself a certified specialist and consult with him whether you can do this by yourself or you should ask for a help by a professional mover. You can hire the movers to do part of the job like the packaging for you or to complete the entire relocation.
2. Plan your packing and moving.
In order to move your artworks successfully they should be packed well. Avoid using steal or wooden boxes, instead for example wrap your paintings with some bubble wrapping and put them in a cardboard box. This will minimize the chance of the paintings being damaged or getting scratched by a rough wrapping. Now when we are done with the packing part let’s get to the moving part. Of course you can’t move artworks with your hatchback, therefore call a two-man-and-a-truck company and ask for a small van where you can put all of your artwork. This way you won’t get worried by the chance of leaving a few paintings on the road as you travel.
3. Use professionally crafted boxes.
When you are dealing with a highly valued artwork you might want to consider buying custom made, professionally crafted boxes, for your grandfather’s clock for example. There are many manufactures that offer such boxes and the best thing about them is that you choose the design and the box can become an artwork itself. Not only that they look good, but they are perfect for moving all kinds of artwork and are completely customizable.
4. The bigger the better.
Size always matters. Try using a lightly bigger box than the size of the artwork as a good way to prevent any unwanted scratches or incidents with your valuables. Take a box that is a bit bigger than the physical dimensions of the frames of your valuable paintings. Wrap the paintings up with some bubble wrapping for extra security and they’ll perfectly fit into the moving box.
5. Use canvases and cartons.
When moving paintings the frameworks are usually the most damaged parts and a good way to secure a beautiful framework is by using canvases. You can find this reliable packing material for free at any supply store. Just go to your nearest one and ask the salesman to save the cartons and canvases when they receive new stock. It won’t be a problem for them since they throw them away after each delivery so it’s a win-win situation for both of you.
6. Remove any detachable metal screws and bolts.
When moving any hangings try and remove the metal screws that usually torn the wrapping and cause some unwanted damage to your artwork items. Make sure that they will fit perfectly the next time you want them back on the wall and then put them somewhere you can find them next time. You can use a small plastic bag and put all the screws there and name the bag with the easy to understand label so you don’t confuse yourself when unpacking.
7. Some final considerations.
Artworks aren’t something you would treat like your tools shed. They are extremely fragile and expensive to repair, so be smart and carefully plan ahead their move. Follow the above tips, or broaden your knowledge reading this article on the subject and you wouldn’t need to search for ways of repairing your legacy portrait. Don’t go straight for the cheapest moving solution because at the end you may end up giving more money on repairing than you could have given for transport. Do a thorough research and choose reliable, professional moving company to guarantee smooth and safe relocation of the most valued items in your home.
Photo by: Wendy Harman
