Packing materials

There are preliminary steps that you need to take before moving day. The first thing that you should do is to choose a moving company carefully. Remember that the cheap companies, especially those that are not so meticulous about packing materials, do not prove the best and least expensive choice in the long run.

Packing materials are crucial if you want your possessions unbroken and undamaged on moving day.

Always ask what packing materials the mover uses, and even if you have to do the packing yourself, it will prove more economical if you choose the right packing materials.

Protect your items with packing materials on moving day

You should discuss all the problems with the moving company concerning packing, including the packing materials and moving. Find out if the movers will furnish the necessary packing materials such as boxes, foams, sheeting, shredded papers, and the like. Determine the cost of these packing materials. You may also want to inquire whether they carry insurance coverage and the limits of the company’s responsibility.

Some packing materials which movers use may include encapsulated-air plastic sheeting, loose-fill peanuts, and original packaging used by the manufacturer of your equipment or appliance. Other packing materials are polyethylene foam sheeting, inflatable packaging, foam-in-place, kraft paper, expanded polystyrene foam, polyethylene foam, polyurethane foam and corrugated boards.

Air cushion packaging

Encapsulated-air plastic sheeting is one of the packing materials that cushion your lightweight and brittle items to protect them against shock. These packing materials are sometimes called bubble packs because they are really bubbles of air sealed between two sheets of plastic that are glued together. Encapsulated-air plastic sheeting packing materials separate two fragile items each placed in a durable container. The ideal space between the two items where you should place packing materials of encapsulated-air plastic sheeting is at least 2 inches. If you pack your items this way, you will avoid the damage caused by shaking and shock. You must make sure that the packing materials are placed in such a way that the contents remain fixed and motionless when there is any vibration that may affect the box.

Packing peanuts

The packing materials called loose-fill peanuts are expanded polystyrene pieces which moving companies use as fillers of empty spaces in packing boxes for lightweight items. The downside of these packing materials is that you cannot utilize these packing materials on certain products (usually those with flat or narrow surfaces, and heavy items), since these could move around in the package as the packing materials shift or settle during transport, which may result in damage to your fragile items.

If you have not thrown away the original packaging used by manufacturers of your appliances, you can still make use of them as packing materials provided that they are still in good condition. Remember that if these packing materials are torn or damaged, your items may not be sufficiently protected if you use the original manufacturer’s packaging as packing materials.

Packing fragile items

You should make sure to wrap individual pieces with packing materials such as newspapers. For fragile items like glassware and dishes, you must put the larger and heavier pieces on the bottom of the box. Shredded papers placed between sides of the boxes as packing materials and the contents to avoid breaking them. Do not forget to label and mark the packing materials with the word “Fragile” for safer handling.

Corrugated boards can also be used as packing materials. If you use them to form a single-ply or double-ply wall of packing materials, they can create an effective shield between your item and the container. You can use corrugated boards as packing materials for heavy and not-so-fragile items because these packing materials are easy to be used as partitions, and liners.