How to safely move expensive artwork?

It is complicated to move expensive artwork but if you have the right fine art movers then you will have much less to worry about. This is the first and most important step, calling the right moving company to provide you with the services you need. Besides this, there are other things you should know when moving such expensive artwork and we are here to inform you all about them.

What should you know and do when you move expensive artwork?

We understand that moving something so valuable is a big responsibility and can be very complicated if you do not know how to protect it and whom to call. Nevertheless, we are here to help you with that. There are certain steps you should and must take in order to protect your expensive artwork before the transfer. Now, let us see how you can do that.

Protecting expensive artwork

There are various ways to protect artwork before you move it. It all depends on the condition and whether it is covered in glass or not, for example. We will make a list of the best and most common ways to protect paintings and similar artwork.

1. Bubble wrap is a common solution for protecting anything. This also goes for artwork. Especially if it is not protected by glass.
2. You can also buy palette wrap because it is proven to be great as protection. Nevertheless, we, personally, recommend a fabric that is soft. Protecting the paintings with fabric can easily be a great solution for paintings that are not covered in glass.
3. Protecting the corners when you move expensive artwork is one of the most important things. Whether your painting is framed or not, this is crucial. Using cardboard cutouts is the most common way.
4. Putting the artwork in some boxes is highly recommended. Do not put paintings alone, you must still protect them in previously mentioned ways. Still, putting them in a box is extra protection.
5. Foam padding is another thing you can use when you prepare your artwork for moving. When you cover your paintings in materials you choose and put them in a box, it would be nice if you could put foam padding inside of the box and around the painting or paintings. Depending on how many artwork pieces you are going to be putting inside of your boxes.

Labeling as fragile and important

One of our other recommendations is labeling. You will probably label everything you move, and artwork should not be treated any differently. Using some eye-catching labels for your expensive artwork would be a good idea. Maybe writing something with a red marker, in big letters, and on every side of the box is the safest way to draw attention to the box. Write something like ”fragile” or write a big letter X and inform your Mod Movers that those boxes contain very fragile items. In whatever way you choose to label or mark your boxes, remember to tell your movers about it so that they can remember it and be extra careful when handling those items.

Getting rid of junk

Moving means you will probably be getting rid of a lot of things. Some you will donate, give away or sell, and some you will throw out. We recommend that you get rid of all those items as fast as you can. Junk has a way of creating more junk if you understand what we mean. Having junk in the same room as your expensive artwork can lead to accidents and damage. Something can fall or break and damage the artwork. Many other scenarios are also possible but you can imagine them yourself. Instead of allowing these possible problems to happen, prevent them by calling someone to do your junk removal Monterey CA for you.

Protecting and moving sculptures

Sculptures are a different kind of artwork and require a different kind of protection. Everything that we mentioned and recommended is usually used for painting but some of those tips can also be used for sculptures. People rarely own this kind of artwork but if you do, then you should spend extra time protecting it. Moving smaller sculptures is easy. You wrap them up in whatever you want, put them in a box, and use foam padding so it does not break in the transfer. Bigger sculptures need more attention and protection, here is what you should do.

1. Inform your movers about the weight of the sculpture so they know if the must bring special moving tools with them.
2. Wrapping the sculptures is something you must do and in many layers. Nevertheless, you cannot put them in a box, probably.
3. Since you cannot put a big sculpture in a box, you must ask your movers to be with it at all times. Someone must hold and stabilize it during the transfer. 
4. Wooden crates are also a good solution if your sculptures can fit in them. Try to tie them down somehow so they are more stable and easier to handle. 

You can now easily move expensive artwork

All of this sounds like a lot of work and it certainly is. Still, if you have proper movers and help from them, you will not worry about the transfer at all. Also, if you use our tips and protect your valuable items, you will have no problem when you move expensive artwork. If there are other things you would like to do for protection and we have not mentioned them, by all means, do them. There is no such thing as too much protection when moving something so valuable and expensive. We hope that it will all go according to plan and without any problems. We wish you good luck!