For some, moving is an exciting time but can also be nerve racking. Especially for those who are concerned for their antique furniture and keepsakes. Good Time Moving & Storage wants to help put your mind at ease and to better help you prepare to move your precious antique furniture.
How Do I Protect My Antique Furniture when Moving?
Antique furniture need to be prepared carefully for any long distance trips. Going from an old home to a new home creates a lot of changes. The first step is preparing your antiques for those changes. Old woods, glass, finishes and other materials are sensitive to climate changes. So if you are moving to similar climate conditions, usually there is not much damage done to the wood. However moving from a humid to a dry climate, you can expect your woods to split. Wood will expand and contract with the different moisture levels. Extreme changes in moisture levels can affect your wood and make the hardware become loose and fall apart. The preparation of your furniture will depend on where you are going. If you currently live in an area with high humidity and a lot of moisture and you are moving to a dry warm area like southern Nevada, pre-treat your wood with linseed oil or other wood oils to add moisture to the wood. As your precious antiques travel to those hot dry areas, it should retain enough extra moisture to prevent splitting. As you move into your new home it’s also recommended that you add more wood oil if needed as your wood adjusts to its new climate. If you are moving away from the dry desert to a cooler wet climate allow your wood to dry out a bit and don’t oil the wood before leaving. As your furniture travels to those moist areas, it will absorb the water into the wood. You may notice that the furniture becomes heavier due to the absorption.
How Do You Pack Antique Furniture for Moving & Storage?
The first step is to remove any content out of the furniture making it as light as possible. The lighter it is, the less susceptible to damage during loading and unloading. Many old antiques come with locks. If possible, lock all doors and drawers. If the doors or drawers do not lock, then seal it shut. Do not use tape. Tape can damage your furniture. Use special purpose shrink wrap. Before wrapping the furniture with the shrink wrap, use paper on the inside so the wood can still breathe. This will also add some extra protection. Surround glass with pillows in and outside of the glass. Begin wrapping the furniture with a flannel or soft cloth. Most movers have this on hand. This is where most people call it good enough, and for short trips it may be good enough. For those who want to go the extra mile, add some shock protection. When loading your furniture in the moving truck, use a foam or rubber pad to put between furniture and boxes. This will help absorb some of the impact that comes with uneven, bumpy roads. If you are traveling long distances we strongly suggest you encase the furniture in a crate or large wooden boxes.
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When it comes to those precious antiques, having the proper protection is always worth the extra effort. Antiques cannot be replaced. Look into the change your wood might face and prepare for those changes. Know the type of wood. Each type has a distinct special need. Good Time Moving & Storage knows handling your precious pieces need to be handled with the greatest care, so that they make it to your new home intact. Call us to schedule a consultation today!