Packing Tips:
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Books Be
careful not to pack the boxes
too heavy. The small moving box is referred to as a book box.
A small moving box will weigh about 50 pounds when filled
with books. Pack
the books tightly in the box, use filler if necessary. If books can
move around in the box, the pages can get bent. Towels, washcloths
or clothing, as well as packing paper make good fill. Books
of moderate value ($200-$500) can be protected by simply wrapping
them neatly in packing paper before packing them in a box. Books
of great value, such as old photo albums or family bibles should be
stretch wrapped between corrugated sheets. This protects the covers
and the pages. Inexpensive
everyday items Use
a small or medium box for packing dishes. Movers use the larger dish
pack box. . Using the smaller cartons places less weight on the
bottom dishes.) Wrap
each piece of glassware in a sheet or two of paper. Pack the pieces
in boxes using lots of newsprint as padding. As you fill the box, be
sure all the voids are filled with crushed newsprint. Before sealing
the flaps be sure each box is completely full. Add crushed
newspapers to about 1/4 inch above the top of each box to be
positive the box is full. After filling the box, hold the flaps shut
and shake the box to be sure nothing rattles. If something rattles,
you must add padding or else completely repack. Medium
price items Use
either a cell pack kit or crystal pack kit for additional
protection. Cell
kits
Pack
the pieces in a dish pack using a cell kit. (A cell pack kit,
sketched left, is a set of dividers made of corrugated cardboard.
Cell pack kit both reinforces the packing box and prevents pieces
from hitting each other. ) Wrap each piece in newsprint and place it
in a cell. Again, be sure there are no voids in the packing
material. The
crystal pack kits fits in a medium box. It has two tiers of 16
compartments each, so you can pack 32 pieces in a medium box. Extra
padding Wrap
each piece in bubble wrap or foam sleves and pack the pieces in
small moving boxes. Fill the voids with either bubble wrap newsprint
material. Never
wrap etched (or frosted) glassware in printed newspaper. The ink
will transfer to the frosted surface, and it will be almost
impossible to remove. Expensive
stuff There
are 2 good ways to pack expensive items: Dishpacks
with Cell Pack Kits and dish sleeve kits 1
Insert each piece
in it's own foam sleeve. 2
Pack each item in
a dish pack with the cell divider . 3
Place the most fragile
or most valuable in the inner cells. Double
Boxing 1
Wrap the items in
bubble wrap. 2
Pack them in a small
moving box (book box). 3
Pack light, fragile
items like cups and creamers in their own box --separate from heavy
stacked items. 4
When the small moving
box is filled, pack the entire box into a large moving box. 5
The process is called
"double boxing". Do it this way: 6
..........Fold a
blanket and place it in the bottom of the large box or a dishpack.
7
..........Place
the small box into the large box so you have about 2 inches of clearance
all around. 8
..........Fill the
clearance space with clothing or blankets. 9
..........If you
wish, use bubble wrap or peanuts instead of a clothing and blankets
Stemware
Always
use a crystal pack kit (shown left) when packing stemware. A cell
kit both reinforces the packing box and prevents pieces from hitting
each other. Even with good padding, stemware can break unless a cell
kit is installed. The
Crystal Pack kit fits in the medium moving box. Use
either newsprint, foam sleeves, or bubble wrap depending on the
value of the stemware. Larger
glassware Larger
glassware can be packed in with the other, smaller glassware.
However, particularly large or fragile glassware ought to be placed
in it's own box. High value, larger glassware ought to be double
boxed as described above. Choose sizes so there is MINIMUM 2 inches
clearance between the inner and outer box.
Fragile
piece(s) of extreme value Any
item(s) valued over $2500 should at least be fragile packed and
double boxed. You may also want to consider having such valuable
items crated for extra safe transport. Check with your mover or
insurance company for proper coverage. It's
hard to go wrong packing clothing. Just fold the stuff and lay it in
a box. Wrap shoes in packing paper so they don't soil clothing. We
recommend packing clothing in new boxes. Used moving boxes are,
really, not very clean. Personal effects, even from clean, healthy
people, contain an amazing amount of bacteria, and assorted mites
and parasites. If you would feel uncomfortable about wearing someone
else's unwashed clothing, think twice about used moving boxes. We
sell misprint boxes that are less than the standard moving boxes.
These are new boxes we have purchased at a special price because
they are misprinted or excess inventory. Ask us what we have in
misprints when you call. 214-348-3000 In
general, if there is any concern about the moving boxes getting wet,
it's a good idea to line the boxes with plastic garbage bags. (Which
are quite clean and sanitary when they are fresh out of the
package.) Use
the wardrobe boxes with the metal hanging bar for clothing that you
have dry cleaned, so they will be moved with a minimum of wrinkles.
Also the bottom of the wardrobe box is a good place you put your
shoes if the clothing is not floor length. Clothing
and bedding can, itself, be used as packing material. If you're
working on a budget, use clothing and bedding to pack fragile items
like lamps, vases and electronics. Clothing used as padding can be
protected a bit by placing it in plastic bags before packing it
around the fragile stuff. Furs
ought to be wrapped in paper moving pads before packing in a box.
Check with your mover about insurance if the furs are especially
valuable. HOW
TO PACK DISHES
Inexpensive,
everyday dishes Wrap
these items in newsprint (or newspapers), stack them and pack them
in small moving boxes. As you pack, be sure to fill all the voids
with newsprint. Pack
cups in a separate small moving box along with other light, fragile
items. Don't pack plates and cups together. A stack of plates is
quite heavy and the weight can break the handle off a cup. An
alternative method is to pack the dishes in a dish pack with a cell
kit. We
prefer the small moving box method. Medium
price dishes Use
the small moving boxes as above -- except -- wrap each item in
bubble wrap OR insert each piece into a foam sleeve. We sell a 40
piece kit
for dishes (service for 8). Also another kit for glass or
crystal that contains 32 pieces.
Another
way to pack is to use a dish pack with a cell pack kit instead of a
small moving box. But, either way, use bubble wrap or the foam
sleeve kits.
Let
us point out, here, that a single cup or plate from a set of
expensive dishes Cups 1
Wrap cups in bubble
wrap or foam sleeves 2
Pack them in a small
or medium box fitted with a cell kit. 3
You can pack creamers
and sugar bowls in the same box with the cups but check the directions
below. 4
If you need larger
cells, remove one of the pieces of the divider. Overpack
the medium box by putting it into an extra large moving box. Use
blankets, polystyrene peanuts or bubble wrap to be sure there is a
uniform 2 inch pad around the inner box. Plates
and assorted small saucers In
general 1
Wrap the plates
into small stacks. 2
Pack the stacks
into a small box. 3
Overpack the small
box into a larger one.
Wrap
these items generously in bubble wrap or foam sleeves and pack them,
each in their own box, in the smallest feasible box. This box is
frequently an 8x8x8 or a 9x9x9 box. Then, simply add this box to the
wrapped stacks of plates being packed in a small moving box. Serving
platters and large serving bowls Wrap
these items generously in bubble wrap. Pack them into the
appropriate size moving box using 1
Either a small or
medium box 2
A couple of similar
items, heavily wrapped in bubble can go in one box. Overpacking
the box 1
A 6x6x6, 8x8x8 or
a 9x9x9 box will fit into a small moving box. A number of these
boxes will pack well into a TV/Microwave box. 2
A 12x12x12 box will
fit into a medium moving box. 3
A small moving box
will fit into a large moving box or a dish pack. 4
Three small moving
boxes will stack nicely into a large wardrobe box. This arrangement
may permit you to keep all of your dishes in a single box. 5
A medium moving
box will fit into an extra large moving box Dish
sets of extreme value (over $2500 ) may require crating in order to
keep your insurance in force. Consult with your mover.
SMALL
FIGURINES Treat
small figurines similar to dishes or glassware. 1
Wrap the less valuable,
less fragile items with unprinted newsprint 2
Wrap the more valuable,
more fragile items in bubble wrap. 3
Pack the items with
the dishes or glassware. 4
Be sure to double
box the more valuable items.
There's
one important difference Some figurines have long fragile extensions
-- like fingers, bird's legs, flower petals or tree limbs. 5
Each figure like
this must be carefully swaddled in many, many layers of large bubble
wrap and placed in it's own small box. 6
Then, the small
box can be packed like a fragile piece of glassware. 7
If you have a whole
collection of birds or flowers (which can be very fragile) you will
have to box each item in it's own separate box before doing the
main packing job. Figurines
of extreme value ( $2500 or more ) may need to be crated in order to
keep insurance in force. Consult with your mover or your insurance
agent. FRAMED
PICTURES Pictures
can be packed in our picture/mirror boxes Pack
inexpensive pictures this way: 1
Place
a few pieces of newsprint in the bottom of a
picture/mirror box. --- Newsprint; not newspapers. 2
Stand the picture
up in the box. 3
Stuff some wadded
up unprinted newsprint around the frame of the picture. 4
Seal the box., A
more secure way to do it is: 1
Wrap bubble wrap
around each end of the picture 2
Stand the picture
up in the box. 3
Seal the box., We
recommend that more valuable pictures be sandwiched between 2 pieces
of corrugated cardboard as described below. 1
Cut 2 pieces of
corrugated cardboard each about 1/2" larger than the picture.
2
Wrap the picture
in a paper movers pad. 3
Place a piece of
corrugated on each side of the picture and tape the pieces of corrugated
together --Better still, use stretch wrap instead of tape. 4
Multiple pictures
of similar size can be stacked together -- but you must
have a sheet of corrugated separating each picture. If
there is glass covering the picture, a more secure method is to
place bubblewrap on both sides of the picture as follows: 1
Lay the picture
flat, picture side up. 2
Lay sheets of bubble
wrap on the picture until the layers reach about 1/16" above
the top of the frame. 3
Place a piece of
corrugated over the picture and then carefully turm the picture
over. 4
Repeat the process
on the backside of the picture. You may not need any bubble there
at all. 5
Position another
piece of corrugated in place and tape or stretch wrap the 2 pieces
of corrugated together. 6
Pack the picture
in a picture/mirror box. Several
pictures of identical size can safely be stretch wrapped together
and placed in a single box. High
value pictures may need to be crated in order to keep insurance in
force. Consult with your mover.
STAY
OUT OF TROUBLE -- HERE'S A LIST OF PROBLEMS TO AVOID It's
illegal to pack dangerous items for transport by Common Carrier: Items
such as: A
Aerosol spray cans
o
........Paint o
........Insecticides
B
Ammunition C
Compressed flammable
gases like propane or acetylene D
Corrosives like
bleach or muriatic acid E
Explosives (Fireworks
or black powder) F
Gasoline o
........Drain and
blow dry the fuel tanks on all power tools o
........Small
quantities of gasoline can be highly explosive in a packed moving
truck G
Motor oil o
........Drain the
crankcase of all power tools o
.........While new
motor oil is scarcely flammable, used motor oil can have a lot of
gasoline dissolved in it. It can be a bit flammable. o
........Tag the
equipment to remind yourself to refill the crank before use. H
Pesticides I
Solvents Packing
the above items in a moving truck is not only illegal -- it is
genuinely dangerous for the movers and for their truck. Avoid
packing pantry items which are likely to cause messes A
Cans of water based
paint B
Large glass jars
of: o
......Any food item o
......Liquid
cleaners o
......Cooking oil o
......Vinegar C
Open packages of:
o
......Flour o
......Salt o
......Laundry
detergent o
......Large
containers of pepper and chili powder The
mess these low value items can make if they happen to spill is
absolutely amazing. They're really not worth moving. Avoid
moving other restricted items A
few other items are restricted on interstate moves. Moving these
across state lines may violate either state or federal laws A
Unregistered guns
B
House plants C
Fresh fruit The
General Idea Each
time a piece of electronics is packed 3 problems must be addressed. 1.
Electronics are sensitive to static electricity. 2.
Electronics are somewhat fragile. 3.
Toner and dry ink can spill inside the printer or copier and
ruin the equipment. The
Easy Way If
you happen to have saved all the original packing -- including the
all the inserts and the dark colored bag. 1
Remove the ink or
toner cartridge if possible 2
Repack the equipment
to the same way it was received. 3
You're done. Expensive
items ought to be double boxed. Flat
items like computers and stereo components can be packed this way Pack
each item in a 21" x 18" x 7" VCR/Electronics box. Two
21 x 18 x 7 VCR/Electronics boxes can be overpacked in a single
TV/Microwave/Computer moving box (24 x 24 20) Most
monitors and many TV's box up nicely in a medium moving box
(18x18x16) overpacked in a 24 x 24 x 24 box. We
stock a number of sizes of boxes for larger items. Measure the items
before talking to us.
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