Fine Art Move

The art of packing shipping and storing art

Many of our clients have art pieces that need special attention, so in this article we would like to explain in detail how we make sure to protect them.

Paintings without a frame

We work with many self employed artists and their paintings are not framed. In order to protect the art piece we go through a few layers of packaging. First, we cover the painting with a sheet of glassien, this is a special paper that’s water and grease resistant. We do this so that the oil in some of the paintings will not run on to the paper and harm the painting.
Glassien does not stick to anything as it has a composition that resembles wax paper. We tape the glassien to the painting with artist tape. This is a type of tape the comes off very easily. By doing so we make sure not to leave the art piece with adhesive when the packaging is removed.
Following that we wrap the art piece with bubble wrap both small and large to make sure it has a good layer of protection and that it takes up the entire space of the box. Even a small difference between the size of the painting and the box might damage the art piece in transit.
Once the painting is in the box we cover it in tape all around the box. When our clients reach their location they won’t always unwrap everything on the same day. This layer of tape will allow them to push the box around to the desired room without harming the box. That way they know the painting is safe.

Framed Pictures

In the case of framed pictures we have to make sure that glass doesn’t damage the picture in the occasion that it breaks. Glass is fragile on one side while being very hard and can easily rip the painting. When we wrap a framed picture the first thing we do is create a star pattern on the glass with artists tape. As before this tape will not leave a mark on the glass and will be very easy to remove. But in case the glass breaks it will keep it in place.
After covering the frame with glassien we cover it with a few layers of tissue wrap and use cardboard corners to to give the frame an additional layer of protection in case something pushed too hard against the box.

Statues

In the case of statues we have to use a lot of bubble wrap. The reason we use more bubble wrap and not Styrofoam beans is that the beans might spill out of a hole in the box that might happen during the move thus the statue will lose a layer of protection.
We also add cardboard corners at various locations to give the statue another layer of protection. This is to make sure that in case of an emergency break the statue will not rip through the box and be exposed for the rest of the move.

Fine Rugs

The main issue with wool is that it stores moisture, even when it seems to be dry there is some moisture in it. That means it’s attracting moths and the moisture might grow mold. The biggest mistake you can make is to cover it in plastic or nylon.
You have to make sure it’s protected from liquids spilling on it, but at the same time allow it to breath. We use a special material to do just that. Before the move we recommend cleaning the carpet, even if you’re only storing it for a few months.

Storage & Shipping

In addition to all these layers of protection we need the storage locations and trucks to be climate controlled. To prevent various types of molds to grow on the paintings if they are stored for long periods of time.
Our storage units prevent dust from building up on your belongings. So that no matter how long you store your items, they will be waiting for you in the same conditions they were when you packed them.