When moving home or preparing items to put into storage for whatever reason, you want to ensure that your possessions are protected and kept in a secure environment in their pristine condition. Some items will need more preparation than others for safe removal to another location – pictures and paintings being a prime example. These delicate, and often valuable, items should be very carefully prepared, wrapped, transported and stored – here are some guidance tips on how best to successfully pack pictures to ensure safe relocation:
Identify Potential Damage Sources
Identifying any potential danger points or sources of damage is important – understand all the ways in which your pictures can be damaged. There is the obvious potential for your picture to be dropped whilst being moved, but the biggest threat for damage comes from yourself! Unless your picture is encased in glass, any skin contact can cause damage to your picture – the chemicals and oils in your skin can create smudges that are very difficult to remove from canvas, leaving lasting damage. You should also be aware of exposing your picture to direct sunlight, extreme temperatures both hot and cold, humidity, damp and any dust or pests – all these things can have a detrimental effect on your picture.
Clean The Picture
It is always good practice to clean your pictures before packing – if you take enough care, you can often perform this cleaning yourself. Using a brand new, soft paint brush – ideally 5cm in width – place your painting onto a soft surface and, with the painting tilted toward yourself, very gently brush the surface of the picture. Ensure that your brush strokes are continuous and in the same direction – once you have completed cleaning the whole surface, you should repeat the process, but brushing in the opposite direction.
If your picture is particularly valuable, delicate or old, then it may be a better option for you to have it professionally cleaned by a painting conservationist rather than attempting the clean yourself. Whilst this will involve some financial outlay it should ensure that your painting remains intact and in prime condition.
Pack Carefully
Although it may seem an obvious instruction, you should take great care when packing your pictures – having identified the potential sources of damage you need to pack your picture correctly and carefully to negate those danger points. You should always carry pictures individually – do not attempt to move more than one at a time and NEVER stack or ‘bundle’ them together when carrying – although they may seem light or small enough to carry more than one at a time, moving them this way can easily scratch the delicate canvas and inflict irreparable damage.
When carrying always use two hands – again, although the picture may seem light or small, the temptation to just lift and carry them one-handed from the top or bottom is a recipe for disaster! Carrying with two hands spreads the weight more evenly and reduces the risk of both dropping the painting or the frame coming away because of the concentrated pressure on one point.
Always ensure you have cleaned your hands before handling the picture – and if your painting is particularly delicate or valuable, you may want to consider donning some cotton gloves before moving. Remember also, to remove any jewellery you may be wearing – these sharp items can easily catch and scratch a picture causing damage!
Wrapping The Picture
Use plastic wrapping to reduce the chance of skin contact with the picture’s surface – ensure you cover the entire surface of your artwork, but do not let the plastic come into direct contact with the actual painting! If your picture is unframed, it should be carefully rolled and secured in a cylindrical cardboard protector. Once your painting is wrapped, it is best to encase it in a foam box of some kind and insert it into a double-corrugated packing box. Once secured in the box, seal it on all sides with tape and ensure you mark the wrapped package with “FRAGILE”.
Placement For Transport
If your picture is being moved with other items, for example as part of a house move, and it is to be transported in a removal van, then there some important guidelines as to the placement. Your removal van should be packed as to reduce potential movement of items as much as possible – and none more important than your pictures!
Although the pictures may be carefully wrapped, they still need to be protected from any potential impact or contact with other items – pictures are always better stored upright on their side as opposed to being laid flat. They should be packed in a ‘rack’ formation with some padding in between each item – heavy duty cardboard or bedding items such as blankets or pillows – this will protect them in the event of a sudden stop or jolt. Try to ensure they are placed away from the more ‘heavy duty’ items also being transported in the van.
Unpacking
Having taken such care and effort in correctly packing your pictures for removal, you should ensure that the same consideration is taken when unpacking! It may be some time before you get a chance to unpack and rehang your pictures in a new home or location, so ensure that you store the wrapped pictures in a safe, dark, dry space until you have a chance to unwrap and display them. Avoid storing them in a roof space or basement – these environments are more likely to have extremes of temperature and conditions not best suited for your paintings.
Your pictures are important to you, whether they be of financial or sentimental value – you want to ensure that they will remain in their best condition when subjected to removal. Taking care to pack, transport, and unpack them through the different stages of a move will ensure you can continue to fully enjoy them in your new location. For more information please contact Chelsea Self Storage.
