One of the most complicated processes for art moving companies in the process of moving artwork. Professional movers know how delicate this task is, which is why it’s a smart decision to call in the professionals, when you move art, antiques, and valuables, from one location to another.
We often get asked questions like how to pack framed art for moving? so today we will talk about how to pack and move your art, give you some packing sculptures tips and more valuable information – keep on reading.
When you move your highly-priced artwork, it’s not worth the risk for it to be ruined in transit. It’s a delicate task, and you should consider hiring an art moving company that will also pack the art for you. The right packing supplies are a must, and the right moving equipment can make a massive difference to the process, too.
Of course, you can move any artwork and statues yourself, but if you can pay someone (such as a local moving services company) who knows how to do it without breaking anything, it’s the best thing that you can do!
How To Move Art safely
Unframed Paintings
With the tips below, you can pack your unframed paintings without any damage occurring:
- You’ll need cardboard, picture boxes, bubble wrap, and acid-free paper before you get started.
- Never roll any fine art – otherwise, you risk bending the corners and creasing the artwork.
- Always place unframed artwork between sturdy cardboard as it prevents bending.
- Secure the cardboard with tape to keep it steady and pack in the boxes carefully.
- If you are dealing with canvas paintings, the acid-free paper is going to be your friend!
- Always label your artwork boxes as fragile.
Framed Paintings
If you are moving framed paintings (such as moving sand art) this is a different packing process. Let’s follow the tips below:
- You need robust and good quality boxes. Mirror boxes are the best option here.
- Wrap the artwork in bubble wrap – including all the corners. Corner protectors can also help here.
- Masking tape in the shape of an X is a good idea on the front of the picture so that the art will be safe if the glass breaks.
- Pro tip : you can never have too much additional bubble wrap.
Shipping Care
When you move artwork in wood crates, you need to keep it in an upright position as you would books or records. The glass on frames can smash with any weight on top of it, so never lay it flat.
Choosing a moving company to help you with this move will mean picking the right art moving company, which allows you to ensure your artwork for the full value.
On top of that, there are some companies that can give you packing services. You can read more about how to prepare for an international move?
Packing Statues
As with artwork, professional art moving companies are the best decision to make before you start packing statues, and moving them to a new location.
The best thing to do is first make an inventory of the collection that you have, and then you have the full picture of which items you have to pack – as well as how many. Inventory is so important, so don’t forget this stage.
When you pack sculptures and statues, you’ll need a list of packing supplies and statues. These include:
- Boxes that are bigger than the item you are moving.
- Bubble wrap and tape.
- Packing peanuts/paper.
- Packing Statues With Boxes.
First, you need to work out the size of the sculpture or statue to see what box you need. If you can take it apart safely, do that so that you can pack each part separately.
Once you have the right size of the box, you can start wrapping the artwork so that you can pad it out. Do this with bubble wrap or foam, whatever makes sense for you.
The steps for wrapping include:
- Wrap the top of the sculpture twice and add tape.
- Wrap the bottom and add tape.
- Cover the middle and any gaps – preventing breakages is the goal.
- Reinforce any packaging with tape to avoid any kind of breakage.
Fill in all empty spaces with shredded paper and ensure the box is also filled. You want to ensure that there are no gaps between the statue and the walls of the box. If the box jostles in transit, there will be less of a chance of anything breaking.
Once you’ve done this, you need to think about taping and labeling the box so that the movers are aware that it’s fragile and shouldn’t be mishandled.
Packing Without Boxes
On the flip side of the above, you need to know how to pack your sculptures without boxes. It can be hard to do that, especially when there are sculptures that are just too big to fit in any kind of moving boxes.
So, instead of using paper for these, you’ll need moving blankets, huge bubble wrap rolls, and even padding like foam sheets. You should wrap the whole statue in the wrap and moving blankets, and reinforce the wrap with thick tape to keep it in place.
Blankets go over the bubble wrap to offer the right protection for the whole journey. This is so important – marble statues and other materials may be heavy to move, but they’re easily broken when dropped from a height.
You should be careful when you wrap the statues, though. Every area of the statue needs to be protected. There are no boxes to provide extra padding and wadding with paper, so you want to ensure that the sculpture is not exposed to the air at all.
When thinking about packaging, also think about how you plan to get it into the moving van. Professional movers may have dollies and other trolley options to load your statues onto, to get it from the front door to the truck with ease.
Always provide as much support as possible to the base of the statue during this point; you want to ensure that it won’t tip over on the way to the van.
And if your planning to move soon, you can get our free checklist to change your address here- The Easy Checklist for Changing Your Address.
Moving art is a delicate process, and you should do whatever you can to make sure that you do not break or drop it. Statues, relics, and artwork in both frames and without frames are all essential. Whether you are moving personal pieces or you are switching gallery locations, you need to choose from art moving companies the one for you. Moving art is a big job – do it right and avoid any breakages!