How to pack large and heavy items with ease

Packing often seems like a long and tedious task. Sometimes, there seems like you are a magician – putting your whole house in just a handful of boxes might even seem impossible to some. When it comes to trying to move huge and unusually shaped items (moving musical instruments, for example) things become nightmarish. You can feel lost and don’t know where to start! Do you get a box for the item? Do you try to secure it the best you can? There are, however, some things you can learn that will make the whole process easier for you. In this article, find out how to pack large and heavy items with ease!

The risks of trying to pack large and heavy items

Packing heavy items can not only be difficult – it can also be dangerous. Informing yourself about these risks is one of the first things you need to do. Always consider:

1. the safety of the people who are there to pack large and heavy items for you,
2. the damages you can do to your old or new home while taking these items in or out and
3. the integrity of the items themselves.

Not to mention, these items also make your move cost more than the average one. First, because a lot of moving companies will charge you for the weight of the items they are transporting. Secondly, these items are tough to pack and move. Doing so takes time, which lengthens your move. The longer your move takes – the more it costs. So, how do you actually pack large and heavy items?

Use the packing materials meant for these items

One of the simplest things that you can do is use the appropriate material to pack large and heavy items. These materials might be a bit more costly than what you will usually use during the move. However, they are sure to keep your items safe during the transport, and a bit easier to pack and move. You can find the best cross country movers who will have these materials already, or you can get them in a hardware store.

One of the first things you want to find is some stronger boxes. These can either be the heavy duty shipping ones or the double-ply cardboard boxes. You need the boxes to be strong enough to hold the heavy items. You can also use some specialty boxes, like book, dish, bottle or picture boxes. There are also boxes that you can find on websites like Freecycle. Finally, you can use wooden crates. There are cheap but great for heavy artwork and other heavy items with weird shapes.

Other materials you need to pack large and heavy items

It’s not only boxes that you need to pack large and heavy items. You also need materials that will secure them and keep them in place. Stabilizing items during the move helps protect them from damage. This is why you need to use wrapping, cushioning or padding.

You need to have thick wrapping. You can use stuff like foam padding, bubble wrap or even moving blankets. Wrapping your items has many purposes. First, you reduce the risk of damaging the items and the floor in case of dropping them. Secondly, thick wrapping will protect the items from bumping into one another during the transport.

Then, you can use some sturdy cushioning for your items. Although many recommend minimalism in packing, your regular crumpled paper will not be enough to pack large and heavy items. For these, you need something that will not compress under their weight. Things like large bubble wrap, corrugated cardboard, packing peanuts or foam padding are great here.

Finally, you will need some high-quality packing tape. The thin masking tape people usually use is not good when trying to pack large and heavy items. It just cannot hold too much weight. This is why you need some heavy duty packing tape. You can use the tape for many purposes. First, reinforce the boxes to build up their sturdiness. You can also keep the wrapping in place inside the boxes, and much more.

How to pack large and heavy items

Now that you have acquired the proper packing material, it’s time to learn how to pack your heavy items correctly. First, use the boxes that are somewhat larger than the items you are packing. This is important  – you do not want to have difficulty trying to squeeze your items inside a box. If you are using a bigger box, you can also stuff it with padding to secure your items further.

Then, fill up the space that is left empty between the item and the sides of the box. Use the proper packing material that we mentioned before. If you are putting more than just one item in a box, make sure there is enough padding between them. You do not want them jumping around and bumping into one another during the transport. If you can, try to completely immobilize them within the box.

Finally, make sure you put more padding between the item and the top of the box. During the move, you will usually stack the moving boxes on top of one another. When trying to pack large and heavy items, these boxes can easily bend under the weight of the boxes on top of them. Securing them completely against this will be your best bet.

Find movers to pack large and heavy items for you

There is one final thing you can do. If these all seem too complicated, pricy or tough for you, you can always give finding reliable moving companies in Florida a try. These are the experts when you want to pack large or heavy items. They have been dealing with it for years, so they will know the best way to do it. They will also have the proper packing material, as well as the trucks to take your items to your new home safely. Finally, their workers know the right ways to lift heavy items – which can be dangerous if done incorrectly.