Moving is a long process that consists of a lot of stages, each one with its own set of complications and problems. How to organize your move? Should you hire professionals? Will you get scammed? (You can read more about it here.) One of the biggest challenges during relocation is packing. It requires a lot of time and energy, it takes a lot of planning and so many things can go wrong. Even during the simplest relocation, you need to brace yourself for high levels of stress and challenges along the way. But what if you are not going to have a typical, simple move? What if you need to relocate fine art and sculptures and you have no idea how to protect them? It is not very common to know how to move sculptures and fine art. You came to the right place, read carefully, take notes and make sure that your delicate possessions are protected.
Not all of your possessions can be treated the same. Even the simplest ones can cause a lot of trouble. Books need to be packed in boxes that are extra firm; pillows and cushions take too much space if you pack them in boxes… Electronics need to be carefully wrapped and it is advised to take a picture of the wiring, so you wouldn’t get confused putting it back together. You can get some more packing tips here. In addition to this things that require the most delicate care are sculptures and fine arts. Perhaps you just like being surrounded by beautiful works of art, or you are in charge of packing up a collection for someone, you need to know how to perform this task without damaging anyone’s property. Problems with artwork are that the damage is often irreparable and the cost can be so much bigger than just smashing a box of glasses. In addition to this, if you damage something that is unique the value is not just monetary. All of this would of course be much easier if artworks weren’t so heavy, fragile and cumbersome.
How to protect paintings when you move them
The best way to protect the paintings during a move is also a bit complicated, but it is the surest way for painting not to be damaged during transportation. It is necessary to build a customized wooden case around the painting, so it would fit its exact dimensions. When the painting is delivered, the case can be disassembled and perhaps used for a similar purpose. In addition to this, the crate itself should be wrapped in a blanket so it would not be damaged if it clashes with other objects during the relocation. This will also prevent the artwork to be influenced by the elements or increased humidity in case that it has to stay in the storage for too long. If you are hiring a professional moving company make a deal with them that requires of them to take delicate care. If they skip steps pigments can be destroyed even if the painting itself is intact. It would be very difficult for you to find a company that know how to move sculptures and fine artwork but it will pay off to find a good one.
Perhaps it would not be possible for you to have wooden crate to use in this situation, so you should look for alternative options. One of the most available ones are transportation frames that can be adjusted and reused for each painting.
Different ways to transport sculptures without damaging them
Paintings are delicate but at least their shape enables them to be transported easily. Sculptures are a tad different. Each one of them is unique in its size and shape, and can be broken easily. That is why each sculpture has to be treated individually and with special care. The most commonly used solution for transporting sculptures is crating, especially for fragile sculptures. This is a very useful solution in almost any situation, exception being only long distance moves. Crate of course has to be padded, and the most quality ones are customized and have extra cushioning and foam added. In this cases there is only one concern – crating can something result to be too big, which enables it to fit into the transport van or any entrance, stairway or doorway. Because of this it is better to know the dimensions of all the entryways at your destination so you wouldn’t be surprised in a bad way. Another way to move sculptures which isn’t very often is to disassemble the
sculpture and then reassemble it when you arrive at your final destination. This way there is less chance of damage, but this is not always an option. If none of the options work the only solution left is to rent a crane. This is often used when transporting artwork during moves, but it also comes with risks. Equipment needs to be fully operational and movers need to be qualified to operate it. They should also be so careful to wear gloves so the sculpture wouldn’t slip or be damaged in some other way.
During a move there is plenty of things you can do alone. But if you are responsible for the transportation of artwork, such as painting, sculptures and other types of fine art, perhaps it is best to hire professionals. There aren’t many moving companies that deal with this kind of artwork, so make sure that you have hired the best one and even then, keep up with every part of the process, so there is no margin for error. While signing the contract with the moving company make sure that there will be financial consequences if they don’t respect your terms when it comes to the way you want your possessions transported. If you are moving artwork of great value, make sure that you have insurance in the event of a theft or scam, because not all moving companies can be trusted, and many of them will try to scam you. The chances of fraud are increasing if the value of your possessions is very high. This is another very important thing to consider when you have to move sculptures and fine artwork.