There’s nothing more that lovers of antiques and fine art enjoy more than visiting different countries around the world to see art and visit various art scenes. Fine art has been around for decades, and these days when you own one, you are considered wealthy. “Fine” doesn’t so much signify the nature of the work of art is referred to, yet the purity of the discipline.
Since these kinds of art pieces are expensive and delicate, we need to know how to transport them from one location to the other safely. Local moving companies should know how to do this.They should be protected from sun rays, humidity and dirt during transit. Today, we are going to share 5 tips on how to move fine art. These are perfect solutions for maintaining your artworks in top conditions.
- Plan and prepare well before anything else
You should plan and prepare adequately for the transit. Know the material, weight, and dimensions of the valuables. Based on this, you can select your mode of transport. This will also give you an idea of the cost of transportation.
Take snaps of each piece for future reference. Get an insurance policy that provides cover for moving, and it will, in the end, help to protect your valuables when moving. There are varied packing strategies while moving canvases, vases, sculptors, and so on. When you sort that out, then the time has come to assemble all the packing materials required.
- Use bubble wrap
Bubble wraps are so often overlooked, but they come in handy in that they help protect the artwork from dents and scratches. When using it, bubble wrap should be lined inside packing boxes as a filler. This will help to secure the precious cargo.
In the case of oil paintings and drawings, do not apply the bubble wrap directly; instead, wrap them with plain paper with no print on it, then use the bubble wrap to secure them inside that packing boxes.
- Use very sturdy boxes.
Use strong boxes of twofold divider construction, with a lot of room for the item. Air pocket wrap or Styrofoam can be utilized as filler material. Even though boxes might be given to you by a moving company examine them to check whether they will be strong for moving craftsmanship. Ensure the crates are built of substances that are acid-free since certain acids could harm the art. When dealing with a work of art, it’s likewise smart to wear white cotton gloves to try not to transfer soil and fingerprints to the artifact. Gloves that are particularly assigned for handling artwork are strikingly better.
Also, put smaller boxes into larger ones to secure them well.
- Reinforce with tape
Solid packing tape should be used on all packing boxes. You can use this to seal the box as well as reinforcing the corners, bottoms and sides. If the piece of art has a frame, use a cardboard piece to secure it, it will also protect the glass from breaking.
Avoid duct tape at all costs because it doesn’t work well with cardboard, but shipping tape will do just fine.
- Do not stack!
When moving fine art, ensure you use boxes labelled ”fragile: do not stack” this will be a clear warning to the boxes’ handlers. They will know that the boxes are not to be put on top of each other because they contain sensitive material, and the material will be handled with proper care.
As we have mentioned above, these five tips on moving artwork should be your go-to reference for when you are moving. They will come in handy in preventing damage to your antiques and fine art.
To sum it all up, moving artwork can be a frustrating task, but if you follow the tips and tricks above, you won’t be disappointed. Make sure to keep your artifacts safe and get a good insurance policy that will cater for or cover for moving them. This way, you won’t have to incur huge losses in case they get damaged on transit. Take note that you need to have enough hands to help in loading and unloading the artwork. You wouldn’t want the valuables to be dropped during the moving process.
