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How to Move Your Fragile Items

Moving can be stressful, and the last thing you need is to arrive at your new location only to find many of your fragile items broken. Main Street Movers can help you smoothly pack, load, and transport your belongings in New Jersey with care, but if you choose to box your own items, there are a few things you can do to protect your favorite treasures.

Use Small Boxes

Your professional movers will have all of the necessary boxes to move your belongings safely, but when packing items yourself, make sure you use small boxes for heavy or delicate items. Your first thought will be that large boxes hold more, but they put fragile pieces at risk of breaking.

Use Sturdy Boxes

Your boxes should be thick and strong enough to protect the contents. You can test boxes by pushing on the sides. If they are easily crushed, chances are good that something will destroy them during transportation. If a box gives, don’t place your breakables inside.

Use Extra Tape

Don’t try to save money by scrimping on the tape. Use several strips of tape on the bottom of the boxes for added support. The last thing you want is for the bottom to give way and release your fragile items to the ground. Use tape on all of your interior wrappings as well. This ensures their safety as the packing material won’t slip during transport.

Make Use of Soft Packing Materials

Layer the bottom of each box with soft packing material. This could be bubble wrap, packing paper, styrofoam peanuts, foam, or even a towel. Place fragile items that are safely wrapped on top of this layer. Use additional soft packing material to fill in any empty spaces.

Heavier Items Go on the Bottom

The placement of the items inside of the box is just as crucial as the wrapping. Start with the largest and heaviest pieces. Next, you can place the smaller, lighter-weight items around and on top of the heavier ones.

Use Dividers

Cardboard dividers are often incorporated into the design of moving boxes. These cardboard barriers keep glasses and stemware from bumping into each other, resulting in chipping, breaking, or scratching.

Fill Hollow Spots

Any open space within a moving box allows room for things to shift. Some items such as glasses, jars, and vases have hollow spots inside them. By filling available holes with packing material, you eliminate open spaces that can cause damage.

Individually Wrap Items

Fragile decor, figurines, and china pieces need to be individually wrapped. Use bubble wrap, packing paper, or soft material to surround these treasures safely. There should only be one item within each bundle. If that item has a lid, think of the top as a separate piece. Proper labeling will keep the two pieces from getting lost.

Contact Main Street Movers today for help moving all of your fragile belongings in the New Jersey area.