We can learn a lot from museums. And not just when it comes to history and art. If you want to know how to store artwork and sculptures safely, you best check out how museums do it. But, if you don’t have much time and would like to stay organized during the move, you’ve come to the right place. Here we will detail how you should approach storing artwork and sculptures and what common mistakes you should avoid.
Packing art
Are we talking about how to pack art or the art of packing? Well, in this case, it really doesn’t matter. If you want to store artwork and sculptures you need to know how to pack them properly. Although there are many steps you need to take in order to store art properly, packing is probably the most important one. So, make sure that you don’t screw it up.
Wrapping and padding
Start off by getting wrapping and padding materials for your art and sculptures. You cannot pack without them. You will need wrapping materials, such as cloth and paper, to protect your items from moisture. And, you will need padding materials, such as bubble wrap and thick cloth, or wool, to protect your items form physical harm. Make sure that you have enough materials and that you properly protect every item. Do not try to save money on padding and wrapping materials as they are your best tool for protecting your items.
Boxes
You will need proper boxes for in order to store artwork and sculptures. Your every day moving boxes simply cannot do. Maybe, if you are very lucky, you can find some free moving boxes that you can use. But, in order for them to be useful, they have to be of good quality and proper size. You need to have boxes that can comfortably fit one art item and required padding and wrapping materials. Nothing more, nothing less. Do not try to pack art without padding and wrapping as you will probably destroy it. Also, do not pack many items into a single box as you will not be able to properly pad them.
Label
Every box needs to labeled with necessary information. Make sure that people know what is inside and if the content of the box is heavy and/or fragile. You, probably, will not be the only person handling your art and sculptures. Therefore, it is up to you to make sure that whoever handles your items has the necessary information to handle it properly. Avoiding moving mishaps is easy if you are attentive.
Transportation of expensive items
Once you have everything properly packed, you will need to transport your items to a safe place. And, unless you are planning to store artwork and sculptures in your garage, you will need to drive them to a storage unit. Well, there is a procedure that you should follow, and it goes like this.
Loading into trucks
If you are transporting easy items, such as paintings, you only need to make sure that they are safely put in the truck. Make sure that they don’t move during transportation and that nothing can accidentally fall on them. If, on the other hand, you are moving something heavy, you will need to do a bit more. First off, make sure that you clear a path so that you can easily carry your item to the truck. Get a dolly and make sure that the whole ride to the truck goes smoothly. Once you have brought the item to the truck, you need to properly place it inside. Make sure that there is enough padding so that the vibration of the truck doesn’t cause any damage. Also, make sure that nothing can fall on or bump with your item.
Driving
If you have never driven a moving truck before, don’t start now. You are much better off finding some local movers Manhattan and letting them transport your items. Driving a moving truck is not as easy as some truck rental companies would like you to believe. Even if you are a good car driver, you should realize that you cannot simply transfer your driving skills to another vehicle. It would be like transferring your bike riding skills in car driving skills. It is simply not the same.
Final advice on how to store artwork and sculptures
Since unloading is pretty much loading in reverse we won’t bore you with the details. Just make sure that you take your time and that you don’t take any unnecessary risks. Moving mistakes are costly as it is. But, they are especially costly if you are moving valuable and fragile items like sculptures and artwork.
Climate controlled units
Once you have transported your items, you will need to do your best to store them properly. One of the things you should definitely consider when getting short-term storage Manhattan is climate controlled units. Especially if you think that you will store artwork and sculptures during bad weather. Even if you have properly wrapped and padded your artwork, there is no guarantee that bad weather won’t damage it. Best way to mitigate it is to spend a little more and get a climate controlled unit. Again, the name of the game is reducing the risk of your items getting damaged. The more money you spend, the less risk there is going to be.
Get insurance
But, know that no matter how much money you spend, there is no 100% safety. Therefore, you should always get insurance for your artwork. Talk with you movers and with an insurance company so that you will know which insurance to get. Do not skip this as the regular moving insurance will not come even close to cover your artwork if something happens.
