Relocation is a serious project that requires careful planning and organization. Though it may be challenging to pack and arrange all your belongings, things may get way more complicated if you have antique furniture objects. Shipping such items stands no error or experimentation, as antiques and collectibles are very fragile and delicate.
So, what precautions should you consider, and which rules should you follow to let all your property survive the move? Here is a handy guide to shipping antique furniture safely.
Preparation for the Relocation
As soon as you start getting ready to move to a new place, you need to conduct a preliminary assessment of your antique, vintage, and collectible furniture and décor items. These can be old clocks, cabinets, or other furniture items that require special handling during transportation.
A quick inspection can help you determine the state in which each object is, identify existing damages and extremely fragile parts, and find out all their weak points that require consideration.
Based on the results of your inspection, you may develop a shipping strategy for each of the items. Needless to say, you should document all your findings by taking photos, videos, and detailed notes in your catalog.
These records will become your source of evidence for the calculation of shipping insurance and your proof of initial condition in case of any transportation-related damage claims. Neglect to insurance is one of the saddest and costliest mistakes people make when shipping antiques.
Correct Packaging and Disassembly
According to expert art handlers from Fine Art Shippers, professional-grade packaging materials can make or break your antique furniture transportation project. You should always opt for acid-free, archival-quality materials that won’t stick to the surfaces of your vulnerable antiques because of the absence of adhesive properties.
You will also need to ensure sufficient padding and wrapping for the furniture so that it avoids scratches and chips at all stages of transit. Besides, you will need to take care of custom crating, which is a desirable measure for the most delicate three-dimensional art objects, collectibles, and antiques, especially if they are moved by a regular moving company.
Expert art shippers advise on disassembling every part that you can remove without damaging the antique furniture or décor piece. It is essential to disassemble compound artworks and furniture to minimize damage. This rule relates to removable mirrors, drawers, legs, and glass panels; if you can remove them, make sure to label and package each component separately so that you don’t face confusion during the reassembly process.
Climate-Controlled Transportation
Another important consideration for the safe and professional shipment of antique furniture is climate control. You surely keep to all the humidity, temperature, and air quality parameters in your premises, but a long trip may become disastrous to your valuable items if these parameters are not observed.
Antiques are vulnerable to temperature and humidity fluctuations; their gentle surfaces may crack as a result of excessive heat or low humidity. Therefore, you should inquire about the climate control system as soon as you order professional shipping services for your antique furniture.
Secure and Professional Handling
Antiques are fragile and highly delicate items, so they can’t be treated like any other piece of furniture, even after being thoroughly packaged.
Therefore, it is recommended that you hire a team of professional art handlers who can deliver white-glove services with exceptionally delicate items and have the full set of professional tools and equipment for the safe moving, loading, and unloading of antique collectibles.
You should work with a company that can cover the entire spectrum of handling and shipping services for your items, from a secure, professional pick-up of the furniture at your location to its safe delivery to the new place and installation in the indicated places. This way, you will save yourself the trouble of moving antiques around the home with the risk of causing damage to them after transportation is over.
Secure Positioning
Antique furniture comes in many types and forms, from lightweight chairs to heavy sofas to pianos. Regardless of their weight and dimensions, these objects may be shifting in the vehicle, which is highly dangerous for their intactness.
As a result of improper stabilization or insufficient fixing, the furniture may travel unsecured and be ruined in transit. That’s why your shipping company should guarantee stability for all items. It is also essential to take care of weight distribution across the vehicle; weight imbalances can cause tipping and result in damage.
There you go with all the intricacies of antique furniture shipping. Hopefully, you will be better positioned to organize the shipping process with due care about professional safety standards. Your collectibles deserve special treatment and are too unique to be accidentally ruined.
