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How To Protect Your Furniture When Moving 

Protect Your Furniture

Safely moving your fragile and valuable furniture damage free is much easier when you prepare properly. Bubble wrap and plastic sheeting are two of the best materials for protecting your furniture.

Bubble wrap can be used to protect delicate wood pieces. Plastic wrap or specially designed sofa covers work best on upholstered furniture. Moving furniture is one of the more difficult jobs when moving, often requiring coordination with others.

Gather Packing Supplies

Start out by getting together all the materials you will need to prepare the furniture. In addition to heavy blankets, consider getting these supplies:

  • Bubble Wrap
  • Sofa and mattress covers
  • Plastic stretch wrap
  • Sealable plastic bags
  • Corrugated cardboard sheets
  • Rope and tie downs

Prep and Dismantle Furniture When Possible

Take an inventory and document with pictures the condition of the furniture before the move. Take the time to remove any knobs, casters or pulls from the furniture. Remove drawers and tape down doors that could swing open while moving. You will want to break down the furniture as much as possible and wrap everything with surfaces that could be scratched.

Moving dressers and desks with drawers in place can make them too heavy to navigate with as well as create a hazard if they open while moving.

Glass should be packed carefully and taped securely and wrapped in either clear bubble wrap or labeled. It is a good idea to wrap them in paper, then bubble wrap and finally secured with heavy blankets. If you can’t remove the glass from your furniture, then use cardboard cutouts taped over the glass areas.

Take care to cover corners especially. Any furniture edges that could be crushed while moving or dropped should be protected with heavy blankets when possible. If you have especially delicate furniture, pick up some special corner protectors.

In a pinch, you can fashion your own with cardboard folded onto itself and taped down securely.

Be mindful of table legs or other pieces that would break off if they became caught on something while in transit or moving. Remove these and tape them together to keep all the pieces together if at all possible. Again, bubble wrap and furniture blankets are great for this. If you can’t remove them, then use furniture sliders under all legs while moving. Furniture sliders can make moving heavy furniture much easier and prevent damage to the floor as well.

Taking pictures before, during and after disassembling can be a lifesaver when putting things back together after the move. Be careful to go easy on using power tools as well – stripping screws in delicate wood can cause considerable damage that is not easily repaired.

Measure and Have a Placement Plan

It is always a good idea to have a floor plan for the new location. Take measurements before dismantling everything. Use these measurements when planning how to pack the moving van. It is best to place heavy boxes on the bottom and make a wall of them in the back. Boxes that are the same size make this so much easier. Always pack fragile items in labeled boxes, these are the ones you leave for the top so that nothing crushes them.

Square furniture can become the base for other furniture to be placed on top of. For desks and couches, place the part with the most surface area flat on the bottom. This starts to resemble a game of Tetris. Be sure to lay down furniture blankets to prevent surfaces from being damaged in transit. These blankets can also act as slides while in the moving van or on surfaces that are smooth.

Mattresses make a good second layer and should be either flipped on the side or could be used as cushioning material. Plastic wrap can be used if they are going to come into contact with anything that might make them dirty. Use a rope and tie downs to secure mattresses against other furniture, they can make a great cushion to protect surfaces as well. Box springs stack easily as well.

Call Today Movers when you’re ready to move! Fill out our online contact form or call us at 469-336-8000.