Moving Fragile Items is a tricky affair

When you are planning your move, one of the first things you will need to consider once you have a firm moving date is the task of packing. Organizing the packing of children’s toys and clothes is relatively easy, but what about the more fragile items that you might have around the house? This page provides useful packing tips on how to deal with some of your more fragile belongings.

There are several different types of protective padding you can use to help safeguard your fragile items.

• Bubble wrap is good for light, delicate items and you can use multiple layers for anything heavier.
• Sheets of Styrofoam padding are often preferred when packing larger items such as a desk or TV set, for example.
• Corrugated dividers are ideal for transporting things like glasses and cups.
• You can also buy polystyrene balls to flesh out any additional padding should you need to, but whatever you choose to use, the whole idea of packing awkward and fragile items is that the contents of the box shouldn’t be able to move around.
• Shredded paper, however, is not that good for protection as items tend to still move around the box.

1. Pictures and Mirrors
Some family pictures can be priceless and will need to be handled with the utmost care. Sturdy cardboard boxes from your local supermarket of the right size are suitable for stacking frames of similar sizes next to each other. Bubble wrap and polystyrene filler is always useful as a packing material, however some movers make do with old newspapers. Professional movers often have specially designed boxes which you can hire for moving photographs and mirrors.

2. TV's, Music Centre’s and Cameras etc.
Always use the original manufacturer boxes whenever possible to avoid damage to your property as these are normally supplied with the polystyrene foam casing for protection. If you do not have these, pack in shallow boxes with plenty of padding, and consider moving these boxed items yourself.

3. Glasses and Cups
Glasses and cups are very fragile and need to be packed properly to avoid any major disappointments at the end of the move. Fill your glasses/cups with tissue or newspaper and then wrap each individual piece, sealing with tape as you go. Pack the wrapped glasses and cups in separate boxes, one layer at a time, using some bubble wrap to separate each layer.

4. Tableware/Chinaware
Wrap your plates individually in newspaper and stack on top on one another in a sturdy box, together with similarly sized plates. Avoid the temptation to stack different sized plates together as this can often lead to movement and damage during your move.

5. Wine Bottles
Some wine can be of high value and if this is the case, to keep the wine in the best condition you will need to avoid causing excessive shaking of the contents during your move. Have a chat with your local wine merchant and ask them if they have any suitable wine boxes that they can let you have.

6. Antiques and Collectibles
Unfortunately, antiques and collectibles, by their very nature, are irregularly shaped. The best solution here is to pack with plenty of medium sized bubble wrap and tape securely.

It’s not just about the packing though. You need to ensure that all boxes and other forms of container are securely taped and that the box can withstand the weight of what you’re packing into it. It will prove a worthless exercise to concentrate on padding inside if the bottom falls out of the box when it’s lifted.

Finally, you should also clearly label any such box with ‘Fragile’ clearly and legibly marked on it. If you’re in any doubt, get some advice from your removal company who, in some cases, will often take on the responsibility of packing fragile and awkward items for you.

Conclusion
If you follow the packing tips given above you should have no problems in packing the majority of your fragile items before without a worry. It’s always a good idea to check with family and friends who have moved recently just in case they have any packing material left over which they no longer need.