Packing your delicate and fragile items before a move can be one of the most stressful parts of the entire process. Fragile items like glasses, dinnerware, paintings and figurines can all break easily in transit if not packed correctly, which is the last thing you want when you finally arrive at your new home.
A reliable removalist can help you organise your fragile items with their professional packing services and get them safely from your old property to your new one. Here are just some of the ways they can ensure your delicate items arrive safely at your new home!
Using The Right Quality Packing Materials
A removalist who knows what they’re doing will always make sure to use the best packing materials, especially for organising fragile items. These materials will be able to absorb the impacts that would otherwise damage your fragile goods and can include:
- Sturdy cardboard boxes: These are what all your items (except very large pieces of furniture) will be housed in, not just the fragile ones. Cardboard boxes come in a range of sizes that can house everything from clocks and vases to jewellery and decorative trinkets.
Quality cardboard boxes will be thick and rigid, with enough strength not to buckle when closed and lifted up on their own. Have a look at the thickness of the cardboard boxes your fragile items will be packed in–ideally, a quality cardboard box will have a fluted layer of card sandwiched between two straight layers, creating a dense but squishy protective layer that can absorb minor impacts. - Durable protective wrap: Some protective wrap is vital to ensure your fragile items arrive at your new home in one piece. Professional movers will use bubble wrap or butcher paper to wrap items, line boxes, and fill gaps inside containers where extra padding is needed.
Mini bubble wrap can be used to wrap smaller items, while bubble wrap pouches are great for jewellery and smaller toys with delicate components. If bubble wrap is not available, butcher paper can also be used as an equally effective wrapping material. - Cushioning packing peanuts: Small, squishy and strong packing peanuts are an easy way to fill up small gaps in boxes and prevent the movement of larger items by adding plenty of padding to the container.
They are easy to pour in gaps to fill them up and can work as both a base layer and as support around the sides and top of your fragile items. You should always try to reuse your packing peanuts, as they aren’t recyclable and are usually sturdy enough to be used for multiple journeys. - Pillowy airbags: Also known as air cushions, these airbags are made from flexible, light plastic and are the perfect way to take up large spaces in your packing boxes. Packing airbags are about the size of a coconut and have a little give to them, allowing you to squeeze them in spaces and around objects if needed.
Because they can burst if punctured, it’s important to position your airbags carefully so they can stay intact and do their job as you travel. They can do a great job at keeping your breakable items safe, but only if they’re in one piece! - Strong packing tape: The final component of successfully packaging fragile items is to use good-quality packing tape to seal your boxes. This tape should be better than your standard craft tape–choose a packing tape that is wide and thick enough to keep your boxes safely sealed, especially from the bottom.
Extra tape should be used on the bottom of boxes to ensure they don’t break from any weighty items inside when carried. Packing tape can also be used to secure wrapped items so they don’t wrap during your journey.
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Packing Boxes In The Correct Order
The order in which your fragile item boxes are loaded into the moving truck or van can have an impact on their safety in several ways.
- One of the biggest rules when loading boxes is to always place the ones with heavier items in them at the bottom. This ensures that lighter, delicate items are not crushed by heavier ones, and also prevents unwieldy heavy boxes from sliding off the top of piles and damaging their contents when they crash to the floor.
- When loading a moving truck, you want to load heavier things first (so they’re towards the front of the truck) and the lighter things last. Not only does this ensure the weight isn’t unevenly distributed towards the back of the truck, but it also makes the unloading process easier. This is because smaller, lighter objects can quickly be removed first, leaving plenty of space for movers to unload larger, more cumbersome items at the end.
Your movers will be able to pack your boxes in the best possible way to preserve the contents of each and every one of them, particularly your fragile items. If you’re really concerned, you can always bring boxes with fragile items with you in your own vehicle as you move!
Hard & Fast Removal Services offers packing and unpacking servicesfor clients to ensure every item makes the trip safely.
Offering Extra Insurance
Insurance can play a huge part in ensuring your fragile belongings make their journey in one piece, and any quality mover will offer a comprehensive insurance package to make sure you are adequately compensated if any of your valuable items are damaged.
Moving insurance can cover the costs of repair to a damaged item or if the item has been broken beyond repair, you will instead be compensated for the market price of the object. Make sure to enquire about your mover’s insurance when getting a quote so you know straight away what their policies are and what you will be covered for.
Moving across state lines? Hard & Fast Removal Services’ Interstate Removals Service will get your belongings there in one piece.
Use Dividers For Fragile Glassware
No matter how much protective wrap and air pillows you pack around certain fragile items, chances are they’ll always break if they’re on the move for too long. That’s where specialised packing dividers come in!
Designed for use with glassware, including drinking glasses and tumblers, these dividers are made from sturdy card and will prevent your glassware from banging against each other while also keeping them securely in position, making them easy to unpack once you arrive at your destination.
These dividers can also be used for glass bottles, paint tubes and other delicate objects that can be damaged when squashed. Once you’ve arrived, they’re also very handy for use as storage for glassware you won’t be utilising often, such as specialty drinking glasses.
Rely On Hard & Fast For Delicate Moves
Do you have a lot of delicate items that you’re worried will be damaged during your move? Leave the packing and organising to the professionals, so you can focus on all the other moving parts of your relocation!
Hard & Fast Removal Services has over 12 years of experience in the moving industry, having performed local, state-to-state, and even national relocations for clients with the utmost care. Contact us at 1300 366 624 or use our online enquiry form to get your free quote for your next move.
We can make sure your fragile belongings make it safely through your move–trust us next time you are relocating and enjoy our professional and friendly moving services!